Montana Foreign Registration · Cost
What Montana foreign LLC registration costs, and what keeping it costs
Registering a foreign LLC in Montana costs $70, plus $50 for each series named in a series LLC. Changing the registered agent and withdrawing carry no state fee, an amended certificate is $15, and the annual report is free when filed by April 15. We add $199 for preparing and submitting the filing, itemized separately on your order.
Every Montana fee a foreign LLC meets
| Filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Certificate of authority | $70 |
| Each series named in a series LLC | $50 |
| Amended certificate of authority | $15 |
| Each series added on an amendment | $50 |
| Statement of change of registered office or agent | No fee |
| Certificate of withdrawal | No fee |
| Annual report, January 1 to April 15 | $0 (waived) |
| Annual report, after April 15 | $35 |
| Certified copy of a document or business certificate | $10 |
The waiver covers all annual reports filed from January 1 to April 15.
What a series LLC adds
A series LLC pays $50 for each series named, on top of the $70 base fee, and the application must carry a copy of each series' operating agreement. Two series total $170. The same $50 per series applies if series are added later by amendment.
Worked totals
| Situation | Montana fees | Made up of |
|---|---|---|
| One LLC, certificate only | $70 | $70 |
| Certificate and one certified copy | $80 | $70 + $10 |
| Series LLC with two series | $170 | $70 + 2 x $50 |
| Certificate and one late annual report | $105 | $70 + $35 |
| Certificate and three late annual reports | $175 | $70 + 3 x $35 |
| Delaware LLC, first year with Delaware tax | $470 | $70 + $400 Delaware |
| Wyoming LLC, first year with annual minimum | $130 | $70 + $60 Wyoming |
The cost of the annual report
The annual report is where Montana's pricing turns on timing. Filed from January 1 to April 15, it costs nothing. Filed later, it costs $35, and the same $35 applies to each missing report if several have been skipped.
What is not in the Montana fee
Montana's fee covers the filing with the Secretary of State. An agent you hire sends a separate invoice. Delaware's yearly tax and Wyoming's annual report minimum are paid to those states. The Department of Revenue certificate needed on withdrawal is requested from that department, not from the Secretary of State. And our fee, $199, is for preparation and submission.
Corporations, nonprofits and partnerships
The registration fee for a foreign corporation is $70. The fees for a nonprofit and for partnerships are quoted when you order.
Amending the certificate
An amended certificate is $15, plus $50 for each series named on the amendment. It covers a change of name, duration or jurisdiction of organization, and it follows the same application requirements as the original. Agent changes are separate and carry no fee.
What a late annual report adds
After April 15 each annual report costs $35. A certificate plus one late report comes to $105, and a certificate plus three late reports to $175. Reports filed by April 15 add nothing to either figure.
Reading the table row by row
The base fee of $70 is the whole cost of an ordinary single-entity LLC. Series add $50 each, which matters only to LLCs that actually have series. The $15 amended certificate is for changes of name, duration or jurisdiction of organization, not for a new agent. The certified copy is the only optional item, and it is $10 each.
A three-year view
Year one is the registration, $70, plus series. Years two and three cost nothing in state fees if the annual report is filed by April 15 and nothing changes. If the report is filed late both years, add $35 for each. An LLC that never changes its name or jurisdiction never pays the amendment fee, and one that never leaves never faces the withdrawal steps. The recurring cost is therefore mostly the agent, if you hire one, and Delaware's or Wyoming's home bill for LLCs formed there.
Registered agent: first year included, then $149 a year
$199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Cost questions
Which Montana filings carry no state fee?
The agent change, the withdrawal and the on-time annual report carry no state fee.
Do series cost extra?
Yes, $50 for each series named.
When does the annual report cost money?
After April 15, it costs $35.
How much is a certified copy?
$10.
Our fee and Montana's
Get authority in Montana
+ $70 Montana fee
- The Montana certificate of authority application, written from your replies
- A compliance statement about your home-state law, ready to sign
- A registered agent in Montana, whether ours or one you pick
- Montana's issued certificate, forwarded to you
- Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year
$199
Montana
Get Montana authorityMontana charges $70, and $50 more for each series named in a series LLC. $199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Sources
- Montana Secretary of State, business filing fees
- Montana Secretary of State, filing fee schedule (PDF)
- Montana Code 35-8-1002, consequences of transacting business without authority
- Montana Secretary of State, annual report fee waiver announcement
- Montana Secretary of State help center, business documents and certificates
- Montana Secretary of State help center, file an annual report
- Montana Code 35-8-1003, application for certificate of authority
- Montana Secretary of State help center, how to reinstate a business
- Delaware Division of Corporations, LLC/LP/GP annual tax
- Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division fee schedule
- MCA 35-8-1010, withdrawal of a foreign LLC
- MCA 35-8-1007, amended certificate of authority
Need to be authorized in Montana?
Order now and the application is prepared from your answers.