- Montana LLC fees from the Secretary of State
- The April 15 annual report rule
- What reinstatement costs if you fall behind
- Series LLCs in Montana
- How to form a Montana LLC, step by step
- Keeping your Montana registered agent and office current
- Foreign LLCs and Montana
- Montana LLC costs over the first few years
- Montana LLC mistakes to avoid
- Frequently asked questions
To form a Montana LLC, you file Articles of Organization with the Montana Secretary of State, and the fee is $35, plus $50 for each series member named in a series LLC, as of October 2026. The annual report is due April 15, and the Secretary of State's fee sheet shows the fee waived if you file before April 15, and $35 after.
Montana's LLC fee sheet is short, and the annual report rule rewards anyone who files early. The catch is that a late report costs $35, and a lapsed company pays for every year it missed. Here's what the Secretary of State's own fee sheet says.
Montana LLC fees from the Secretary of State
These are the domestic LLC lines on the Business Services Filing Fees page, as of October 2026:
| Filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Articles of Organization | $35, plus $50 for each series member named in the series LLC |
| Annual Report, filed before April 15 | Waived |
| Annual Report, filed after April 15 | $35 |
| Articles of Amendment | $15 |
| Restated Articles of Organization | $15 |
| Articles of Correction | $15 |
| Articles of Merger | $20 |
| Application for Reviver | $15 |
| Reinstatement | $35, plus $35 a year for each year of delinquent annual reports |
| Certificate of Existence | $5 |
| Name Reservation | $10 |
| Statement of Change of registered office, agent or both | No fee |
| Operating agreements, other statements and other reports | $15 |
| Articles of Termination | No fee |
The April 15 annual report rule
The Secretary of State's site flags that the annual report is due April 15. On the fee sheet, an LLC's annual report filed before April 15 shows the fee as waived, and one filed after April 15 costs $35. So the same report is free or $35 depending only on when you send it.
That makes a simple routine worth setting up: diary the report for early April every year, not the deadline day. If you own more than one Montana LLC, file them together so none slips past. Our LLC annual report guide shows how other states time the same job.
What reinstatement costs if you fall behind
If a Montana LLC stops filing, getting it back isn't a flat fee. The fee sheet lists reinstatement at $35, plus an additional $35 for each year of delinquent annual reports. So a company that missed three years pays the base fee and then $35 for each of those years. It's far cheaper to keep filing every April, when the report itself is free.
Series LLCs in Montana
Montana's fee sheet prices series LLCs directly. Articles of Organization are $35 plus $50 for each series member named in the series LLC. For a foreign LLC, the Certificate of Authority is $70 plus the same $50 for each series member named, and an amended Certificate of Authority is $15 plus $50 for each series member. If you're planning a series structure, count the series you'll name at the start, because each one adds to the filing fee.
How to form a Montana LLC, step by step
- Search the name in the Secretary of State's business name search. To hold it while you prepare, reserve it for $10.
- Choose a registered agent in Montana. Changing the agent or office later carries no fee.
- File the Articles of Organization through the Business Filing Portal and pay $35, plus $50 for each series member if it's a series LLC.
- Sign an operating agreement between the members. If you file it with the Secretary of State, the fee sheet lists operating agreements and other statements at $15.
- Register for any state taxes your business will owe or collect.
- Diary early April every year for the annual report.
Keeping your Montana registered agent and office current
Because a Statement of Change for the registered office, the agent or both carries no fee, there's no reason to leave old details on the record. If your agent moves, retires or stops acting for you, file the change straight away. Any notice from the Secretary of State about your annual report goes to the details on file, and a missed reminder is how a free report turns into a $35 one, or a lapsed company.
Foreign LLCs and Montana
If your company was formed in another state and you want to trade in Montana, you'll file for a Certificate of Authority, which is $70 plus $50 for each series member named. Withdrawing it later carries no fee. If you're deciding whether to register an existing company or form a new Montana one, our guide to the foreign LLC route sets out the trade-offs, and our guide on how to start an LLC covers the basics.
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Montana LLC costs over the first few years
For a standard, non-series LLC, the predictable state cost is $35 at formation, as of October 2026. After that, as long as each annual report goes in before April 15, the fee sheet shows the report fee as waived. So a company that files on time can run for years without paying the Secretary of State again, unless it changes something. Add $10 if you reserve the name first, $15 for an amendment or correction, and $5 whenever a bank or partner asks for a Certificate of Existence.
Closing is cheap too: Articles of Termination carry no fee. Just settle any tax accounts and file your final reports before you do.
Montana LLC mistakes to avoid
- Filing the annual report after April 15 and paying $35 for a report that would have been free.
- Letting reports lapse for several years, when reinstatement adds $35 for each year missed.
- Forgetting to count series members before filing a series LLC.
- Paying for an agent or office change. The Statement of Change carries no fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Montana?
The Montana Secretary of State's fee sheet lists Articles of Organization at $35, plus $50 for each series member named in a series LLC, as of October 2026.
When is the Montana LLC annual report due?
The Secretary of State says the annual report is due April 15. The fee sheet shows the fee waived if you file before April 15, and $35 after.
How much does it cost to reinstate a Montana LLC?
The fee sheet lists reinstatement at $35, plus an additional $35 for each year of delinquent annual reports, as of October 2026.
How much is a name reservation in Montana?
A name reservation is $10 on the Secretary of State's fee sheet, as of October 2026.
How much does a foreign LLC pay to register in Montana?
The Certificate of Authority is $70, plus $50 for each series member named in the series LLC, as of October 2026.
