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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class 1 · Montana

Montana LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services

For starting an LLC in Montana in 2026, the class favorites are Montana Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Registered Agent MT.org ($199), graded from first to last. Numbers for the chalkboard: 7 assignments, a $35 filing fee, a $20 annual report.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

The quick version

Fee to form$35sosmt.gov, last read in October 2026
Annual report$20 a yearHand-in date: April 15
What the state collects in three years$75Service fees not included
Assignment count7From first to last

You will leave able to

  • The official Montana fee and form
  • What the agent rule says
  • The state filing that recurs
  • Which services we recommend and why

Who we would hire in Montana

Three-year tuition and homework done weigh the most; how we grade lists all five criteria.
Start with this one

1. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for a thrifty Montana start

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Montana Registered Agent.co gets first place, and the reason is that the formation costs $199 on top of the state fee, and the agent renewal is $99.

Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and three-year tuition is 30% of the grade.

You still file the annual report every year.

Covered by the tuition

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Then $99 per year
  • Agent covered in year one

Weak spots

  • Preparing the annual report is up to you
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Upkeep covered

2. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with very little homework

$199 a year, state fee on top ($234 due at checkout)

Mainstay Filing makes a respectable second: its $199 yearly tuition pays for the filing, the registered agent and the annual report, and next year costs the same $199.

Three years of tuition run $200 above Montana Registered Agent.co, and tuition is 30% of the grade.

You never touch the annual report; the $20 state fee is passed through and nothing more.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • No markup on the state fee

Strengths

  • $199 every year
  • The EIN assignment is part of the package
  • One yearly fee of $199, annual report included

Weak spots

  • Renewal costs $100 above Montana Registered Agent.co
Focused on Montana

3. Registered Agent MT.org: best for a small agent renewal

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Registered Agent MT.org makes a respectable third: the formation costs $199 on top of the state fee, and the agent renewal is $99.

You still file the annual report every year.

It lists the same prices as Montana Registered Agent.co.

Covered by the tuition

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • Agent covered in year one
  • Then $99 per year
  • $199 plus the state fee

Weak spots

  • Preparing the annual report is up to you
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)

The services compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Montana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Registered Agent MT.org$199$99/yr$397Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. Every row also owes the $35 state fee.

The class, assignment by assignment

  1. Assignment
    1

    Check that nobody else has the name

    Search the business records kept by the Montana Secretary of State first. They show whether the name is already on the Montana register.

    Check at the same time whether the web domain is free.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Name the 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.

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Montana. A P.O. box alone is not enough.

    The registered agent role comes with each graded service.

    Textbook page: mca.legmt.gov, last read in October 2026

  3. Assignment
    3

    Self-filing versus a service

    You can file for $35, or add $199 and hire a service. The graded services are at the top of the class.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Work up the Articles of Organization

    You need three things for this assignment: the Articles of Organization, $35 and the Montana Secretary of State as the place to send them. Statute: Mont. Code Ann. § 35-8-201.

    Textbook page: sosmt.gov, last read in October 2026

  5. Assignment
    5

    Take care of the EIN

    After Montana approves the LLC, ask the IRS for an Employer Identification Number; banks and payroll providers need it. Hire Mainstay Filing and this assignment is done for you.

  6. Assignment
    6

    Put the ownership rules in writing

    Owners sign it to settle shares, votes and what happens when a member leaves. It is private and never filed.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Stay in good standing in Montana

    Expect Montana to ask for the annual report every year, due April 15, with a fee of $20. Miss the deadline and $15 is added.

    Textbook page: sosmt.gov, last read in October 2026

What this class costs

EntryReceiverSum
Setting up the LLCPaid to the state$35
Annual reportPaid to the state$20 every year
Late filingPaid to the state$15
Paid helpThe provider$199 in the first year
Three years of state feesPaid to the state$75
The state's fees come from official pages, listed below. Added up over three years they are the filing, two reports and, in a few states, a minimum tax.

The reasoning behind the grades

pulled ahead of on tuition across three years, which counts for 30%.

Three years with Montana Registered Agent.co add up to $397, which is $200 under Mainstay Filing.

Montana pop quiz

What does it cost to file a new LLC in Montana?

Montana bills $35. A graded service adds $199 in year one.

Which form creates the LLC?

Look for the Articles of Organization; the Montana Secretary of State is the office.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Montana require each year?

Hand in the annual report every year, $20; deadline April 15.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing stops you. Montana wants $35, and the LLC has to name a registered agent, which you can do yourself or hire out.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Montana Registered Agent.co, because $199 above the state fee, with year one of the agent covered, then $99 a year. Behind it come Mainstay Filing and Registered Agent MT.org.

Related classes

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. Study tip for Montana Secretary of State fee page and fee: everything above comes from sosmt.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  2. Study tip for Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: everything above comes from sosmt.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  3. Study tip for Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: everything above comes from sosmt.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  4. Study tip for Montana report due date: everything above comes from mca.legmt.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  5. Study tip for Mont: everything above comes from mca.legmt.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  6. Study tip for Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source: everything above comes from sosmt.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  7. Study tip for Montana registered agent statute: everything above comes from mca.legmt.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  8. Tuition figures from Montana Registered Agent.co (pricing page), November 13, 2026
  9. Tuition figures from Mainstay Filing (Montana service page), November 13, 2026
  10. Tuition figures from Registered Agent MT.org (pricing page), November 13, 2026