If you need LLC formation services in Montana in 2026, here's the order we'd go in: Montana Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Registered Agent MT.org ($199). Every option pays the same $35 filing fee, then three years of service cost $397 to $597.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team
The short of it
The short of it
What the state charges
$35, once, up front
After that
$20 a year
Registered agent
Yes, it's the law
Our pick
Montana Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing then Registered Agent MT.org
Montana picks, best first
The order comes from our five tests: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.
#1Who we'd call first
1. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for a business that never leaves one state
$199 to form, $99 a year after
Montana Registered Agent.co is who we'd use first in Montana, because $199 gets your LLC formed, and then the agent's $99 a year.
It beats Mainstay Filing on three-year cost, and cost is the biggest test.
Filing the annual report isn't covered, so that job's yours.
What you get
Montana formation filing
The first agent year's on them
Pluses
Then $99 yearly
The first agent year's included
Starts at $199 over the state fee
What's not
You're stuck filing the annual report
The EIN application costs $99 extra
#2Works in all 50 states
2. Mainstay Filing: best for handing off the upkeep
$199 yearly ($234 at signup, state fee included)
One yearly price of $199 covers the formation, the registered agent and every annual report. That puts Mainstay Filing second.
Montana Registered Agent.co is $200 less over three years, and that's enough to decide the order.
The annual report is part of the service. The only extra's the state's $20.
What you get
Formation handled start to finish
Registered agent for twelve straight months
Annual report taken care of when due
EIN application filed
State fees passed through, no markup
Pluses
EIN handled for you
$199 a year covers filing, agent and report
Renews at $199
What's not
You'll pay $100 more each year than at Montana Registered Agent.co
#3Montana only
3. Registered Agent MT.org: best for another in-state choice
$199 to form, $99 a year after
Registered Agent MT.org comes in third because $199 gets your LLC formed, and then the agent's $99 a year.
Filing the annual report isn't covered, so that job's yours.
It charges what Montana Registered Agent.co charges.
What you get
Montana formation filing
The first agent year's on them
Pluses
Then $99 yearly
Starts at $199 over the state fee
The first agent year's included
What's not
You're stuck filing the annual report
The EIN application costs $99 extra
Side by side
#
Who
Year one
Then
3 years
Covers
1
Montana Registered Agent.co
$199
$99/yr
$397
montana formation filing; The first agent year's on them
Read November 13, 2026. Three years is year one plus two renewals.
The questions that matter
What's it cost to form an LLC here?
The state takes $35, and a service that files for you in year one adds $199.
State fees for years one through three come to $75. sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Which form do I file, and where?
The Articles of Organization goes to the Montana Secretary of State, and approval is what creates your LLC.
The law: Mont. Code Ann. § 35-8-201. sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Do I have to name a registered agent?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual, including an owner, or an entity in Montana.
mca.legmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
What do I owe after that?
You'll file the annual report every year, and it's $20 each time. Here's the date the state gives: April 15. Don't miss it.
Miss the deadline and you'll owe an extra $15.
sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Can I just file it myself?
Nobody's making you hire anyone. State fees alone run $75 across three years.
Hiring help costs $397 to $597 more across three years.
What put number one on top?
Montana Registered Agent.co scores best on money out the door in three years, and that test is worth 35%.
We run five tests: money out the door in three years (35%), jobs the price actually covers (30%), no hunting for the price (14%), no surprise at renewal (11%) and where it works (10%).
Go with Montana Registered Agent.co and you'll pay $397 over three years, $200 less.
sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Registered agent
Yes, it's the law
mca.legmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Annual report
$20 every year
sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
State fees, years one to three
$75
The rows above, added up
Want to check the total? Add the filing fee, the next two reports and any minimum tax. We don't count costs without a set amount.
More questions
Is the EIN application included?
Mainstay Filing includes the EIN application. The others make you pay: Montana Registered Agent.co $99; Registered Agent MT.org $99.
Is there a late fee?
Montana adds $15.
What do the picks cost over three years?
Montana Registered Agent.co will set you back $397, and Mainstay Filing will set you back $597, and Registered Agent MT.org will set you back $397, before state fees.
Where do these numbers come from?
Official Montana sources back the state side, and posted prices back the service side.
Is a service required?
No. You can file with the state yourself. A service saves you time and can be your agent, but nothing makes you hire one.
What's the best LLC service in Montana?
Go with Montana Registered Agent.co first, then look at Mainstay Filing and Registered Agent MT.org.