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Open it up · Montana

3 Best Registered Agents in Montana (2026): Unpacked

Opened up for 2026, the registered agents in Montana rank Registered Agent MT.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and Montana Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), best on top. An agent opens at $99 to $149 in the first year and totals $297 to $447 by year three.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Four things inside

Must the LLC name an agent?
Required, yes
What the law calls it
Registered agent
Going price
$99 to $149 per year
Top of the stack
Registered Agent MT.org, Mainstay Filing then Montana Registered Agent.co

The Montana stack, best on top

Curious about the order? The method is here.
Ranked first

1. Registered Agent MT.org: best for an LLC that stays in the state

$99 a year, then $99 at renewal

Registered Agent MT.org sits on top in Montana because inside the price is an agent in the state for $99 a year.

Its three-year cost is below Mainstay Filing's, and cost is the heaviest layer.

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • Just $99 a year
  • Costs less a year than Mainstay Filing

Inside, the catch

  • Single-state coverage
  • Nothing inside covers the annual report
All fifty states

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one price in every state

$149 a year, then $149 at renewal

What puts Mainstay Filing second: $149 a year moves with the company into a new state.

Why not higher? Three years cost $150 more than Registered Agent MT.org, and cost is the heaviest layer.

Inside the price

  • A street address inside the state
  • Scans of three government mailings a year at no charge
  • Also covers corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

Inside, the good

  • $149 a year, flat at renewal
  • One price in all fifty states

Inside, the catch

  • Costs $50 more a year than the local pick
  • Agent role only, no report filing
The Montana specialist

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

$99 a year, then $99 at renewal

Montana Registered Agent.co sits third because inside the price is an agent in the state for $99 a year.

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

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • Just $99 a year
  • Costs less a year than Mainstay Filing

Inside, the catch

  • Single-state coverage
  • Nothing inside covers the annual report

Side by side

#CompanyYear oneRenewalTotal, 3 yearsWhat is inside
1Registered Agent MT.org$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountLook inside Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447A street address inside the state; scans of three government mailings a year at no charge; Also covers corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofitsLook inside Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Montana Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountLook inside Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from company prices read November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whichever pick you open.

Layer by layer

Is a registered agent required?

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

Statute: Mont. Code Ann. § 35-7-105. mca.legmt.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026

Who is allowed to be the agent?

A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual, including an owner, or an entity in Montana.

If you qualify, you can serve yourself at no cost.

What is inside an agent's price?

Services we rank charge $99 to $149 each year, which adds up to $297 to $447 over three.

No state fee depends on the agent you name.

What does an agent handle for the LLC?

Court papers and state notices for the company land at the agent's Montana address first.

If papers arrive and nobody accepts them, a case can move ahead without the LLC. What is service of process?

Is anything else due every year?

Underneath it all, one filing repeats: the annual report, every year, at $20 each time. The state phrases its deadline like this: April 15.

sosmt.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026

Why is the stack in this order?

Registered Agent MT.org is strongest on total across three years, a layer worth 34% of the score.

Two layers carry most of the weight, total across three years (34%) and what is inside the price (29%).

On cost, Registered Agent MT.org comes out ahead at $297, a $150 saving against Mainstay Filing.

The five layers

What Montana requires of an agent

PartAmount or rulePeek at source
LLC filing fee$35sosmt.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Registered agentRequired, yesmca.legmt.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Annual report$20 every yearsosmt.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
What the state collects in three years$75Our total of the rows above
The last row stacks the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax. A cost with no fixed amount, such as a newspaper notice, is explained above and kept out of the sum.

Also worth asking

Can I be my own agent?

Usually. Check who qualifies and which address counts, and if you fit, you can.

Which addresses does the state accept?

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

What do the picks cost over three years?

Registered Agent MT.org stacks up to $297, Mainstay Filing stacks up to $447, Montana Registered Agent.co stacks up to $297

What do these numbers rest on?

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

Does the law require one?

Not required. The state takes filings from owners.

What is the best registered agent for Montana?

Registered Agent MT.org, because its service puts a street address on file for $99 a year. Then Mainstay Filing and Montana Registered Agent.co.

What the page rests on

  1. Unpacking Montana Secretary of State fee led us to sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  2. Unpacking Montana yearly filing: Annual report led us to sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  3. Unpacking Montana yearly filing: Annual report led us to sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  4. Unpacking Montana report due date led us to mca.legmt.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  5. Unpacking Mont led us to mca.legmt.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  6. Unpacking Montana formation fee: Filing fee led us to sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  7. Unpacking Montana registered agent statute led us to mca.legmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  8. Registered Agent MT.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  9. Mainstay Filing Montana service page, read November 13, 2026
  10. Montana Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026