How to Register a Business in Montana: Secretary of State Guide (2026)
If your company was formed in another state and now has employees, an office or regular business in Montana, you register with the Montana Secretary of State. Corporations file a Foreign Registration Statement and LLCs file an Application for Certificate of Authority. Here is what it costs, what you need, and what comes after.
Montana at a glance
Item | Montana |
|---|---|
Filing | Foreign Registration Statement (corporations) or Certificate of Authority (LLCs) |
Where | Montana Secretary of State, online at biz.sosmt.gov |
State fee | $70 for corporations and LLCs |
Typical processing | 1–2 weeks |
You'll need | No certificate of good standing |
Registered agent | Required, with a Montana address |
Ongoing filing | Annual report every year by April 15 (fee waived if on time; $35 late) |
Do you need to register in Montana?
You generally need to register if your company is "doing business" in Montana, for example if you:
Have an office, store or warehouse in Montana
Employ people who live and work in Montana
Regularly sell to, or provide services for, Montana customers
Activities that usually don't count on their own include holding a bank account in Montana, holding internal meetings there, and isolated one-off transactions. If you're unsure, check with your attorney or book a call with us.
Hiring a remote employee in Montana always means opening Montana payroll tax accounts, even when Secretary of State registration isn't required. See the payroll section below.
How to register, step by step
Choose a Montana registered agent. See the rules below.
File online at biz.sosmt.gov. Corporations file a Foreign Registration Statement and LLCs an Application for Certificate of Authority. The state fee is $70.
Save your approval and Montana business ID. You'll need them for payroll and tax registrations.
Registered agent rules in Montana
Every business registered in Montana must keep a registered agent in the state, at a physical Montana address, to receive legal papers for the company.
Using an employee as your agent is allowed, but it means legal papers go to one person's home, and they're lost if that person leaves. A commercial registered agent avoids that. Every AbstractOps plan includes registered agent service.
Annual reports: every year by April 15
Montana requires an annual report every year, starting the year after you register. Reports are due April 15. Montana currently waives the fee for reports filed between January 1 and April 15; after that, the late fee is $35.
Businesses that stop filing are eventually involuntarily dissolved or have their registration revoked, and reinstating costs $35 for each missed year on top of the reinstatement fee.
Montana payroll accounts
If you have employees in Montana, you'll also need:
A withholding account with the Montana Department of Revenue.
An unemployment insurance account with the Montana Department of Labor & Industry.
Our Montana payroll tax registration guide walks through the details.
Montana registration FAQ
How much does it cost to register a foreign LLC or corporation in Montana?
$70 in state fees for either.
How long does Montana take?
Typically 1–2 weeks.
When is the Montana annual report due?
April 15 every year. Filing is free between January 1 and April 15; after that there is a $35 late fee.
Does Montana require a certificate of good standing?
No.
Let us handle Montana for you
AbstractOps files your Montana registration, acts as your registered agent, opens your payroll accounts and tracks your annual filings, from $250 per state per year. Start a 7-day free trial or book a 15-minute call.
This guide is for general information and isn't tax or legal advice. Fees and rules change; confirm current requirements with the Montana Secretary of State.