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LLC UnpackedEvery filing, unpacked: the fee, the form, the catch.

What is inside · Montana

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Montana (2026): Unpacked

Opened up for 2026, the foreign registration services in Montana rank Mainstay Filing ($199), Registered Agent MT.org ($199) and Montana Registered Agent.co ($199), best on top. Inside the cost: $70 goes to Montana, and three years of service add $397 to $497.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

State fee to register
$70
Certificate from home?
Not needed
Afterward
Nothing to pay, annual report
Our pick
Mainstay Filing, Registered Agent MT.org then Montana Registered Agent.co

The Montana stack, best on top

Curious about the order? The method is here.
Top of the stack

1. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in many states

$199 to register; agent renewal $149

What puts Mainstay Filing first: the price is $199 in every state, and the first registered agent year is inside it.

The extra $100 over Registered Agent MT.org across three years is what coverage beyond Montana costs.

The registered agent is not charged in year one and costs $149 a year after that, in any state.

Inside the price

  • Out-of-state registration filed
  • Registered agent, not charged in year one
  • The same fee in all fifty states

Inside, the good

  • Identical fee in every state
  • No registered agent fee in year one
  • Service fee of $199

Inside, the catch

  • Renewal $50 over Registered Agent MT.org
The Montana specialist

2. Registered Agent MT.org: best for adding only this state

$199 to register; agent renewal $99

Registered Agent MT.org sits second because registering costs $199 over the state fee, with the agent covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Inside the price

  • Montana registration filing
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • A first year of agent service is inside
  • Agent renews at $99
  • $199 to register

Inside, the catch

  • Montana only, so the home state needs its own agent
The Montana specialist

3. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for another in-state option

$199 to register; agent renewal $99

Montana Registered Agent.co sits third because registering costs $199 over the state fee, with the agent covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Its prices match Registered Agent MT.org exactly, so the order between them is close.

Inside the price

  • Montana registration filing
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • $199 to register
  • A first year of agent service is inside
  • Agent renews at $99

Inside, the catch

  • Montana only, so the home state needs its own agent

Side by side

#PickOpening priceEach year afterThree-year totalCovers
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Out-of-state registration filed; registered agent, not charged in year one; the same fee in all fifty statesLook inside Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Registered Agent MT.org$199$99/yr$397montana registration filing; A first year of agent serviceLook inside Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Montana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397montana registration filing; A first year of agent serviceLook inside Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read November 13, 2026. Three years means year one plus two renewals.

Opened up, question by question

Does my LLC from another state have to register?

The order matters: the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services gets the registration first, and the LLC starts doing business in Montana afterward.

Inside the risk of skipping it: any claim it files in Montana courts can be turned away (MCA 35-8-1002(1)); an added fine for every day of $5.

peek at mca.legmt.gov, confirmed October 2026

How much does registration cost?

$70 goes to the state, and $199 more pays for help.

Three years of state fees, registration included, stack up to $70. peek at mca.legmt.gov, confirmed October 2026

Which form is inside the filing, and where does it go?

The Application for Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company) is the filing, and the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services receives it.

The state does not list a good standing certificate among its requirements.

Is there a filing that repeats?

Next in the box: the annual report, which costs nothing.

The state frames the deadline as April 15.

What put number one on top?

Mainstay Filing is strongest on what is inside the price, a layer worth 29% of the score.

63% of the score comes from total across three years and what is inside the price.

Your home state needs an agent too, so a single account for both is simpler.

How we open it up

Montana registration, unpacked

PartWhat is insideOfficial source
Fee to register$70peek at mca.legmt.gov, confirmed October 2026
Certificate from homeNot neededpeek at mca.legmt.gov, confirmed October 2026
State fees, years one to three$70The rows above, stacked
To check the total yourself, add the filing fee, the next two reports and any minimum tax. Costs without a set amount are left out.

Also worth asking

Does the home state need its own agent?

Yes. Think of two separate rule books, your home state's and this one's. Mainstay Filing works in both, so a single account can serve the pair.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Opened up over three years: Mainstay Filing at $497, Registered Agent MT.org at $397, Montana Registered Agent.co at $397, before state fees.

Are the fees official?

Two kinds of source feed this page: Montana's official documents for what the state charges, and company price pages for what services charge.

Do I have to use a service?

No. Owners can file with the state directly. A service saves time and can act as agent, but nothing makes you hire one.

Will a service file the registration for me?

Handled: submitting the registration is part of every pick's service, and the state's fee stays level.

Which foreign registration service should I open first in Montana?

Mainstay Filing, because the fee is $199 on top of Montana's own, the registered agent is waived at first, and it settles at $149 a year. Then Registered Agent MT.org and Montana Registered Agent.co.

What the page rests on

  1. Under Montana Secretary of State fee sits sosmt.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  2. Under Montana yearly filing: Annual report sits sosmt.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  3. Under Montana yearly filing: Annual report sits sosmt.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  4. Under Montana report due date sits mca.legmt.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  5. Under Mont sits mca.legmt.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  6. Under Montana formation fee: Filing fee sits sosmt.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  7. Under Montana registered agent statute sits mca.legmt.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  8. Under Montana Secretary of State, register sits help.sosmt.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  9. Under MCA 35-8-1001, transacting business sits mca.legmt.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  10. Under MCA 35-8-1002, consequences sits mca.legmt.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  11. Under MCA 35-8-1003, application contents sits mca.legmt.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  12. Mainstay Filing Montana service page, read November 13, 2026
  13. Registered Agent MT.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  14. Montana Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026