Cheapest LLC formation in Montana

What does Montana charge to form an LLC?

Montana's formation charge is set by the state and appears on every bill, whether you file or a service does.

A standard LLC pays $35 for its Articles. That number doesn't change with the route you choose, since the Secretary of State runs an online-only filing system and every service files through the same system.⁵

A series LLC costs more at the outset. The fee sheet charges the base fee plus $50.00 for each series member named in the series LLC, so each series you name raises the state charge before any provider fee is counted.¹

The name reservation, at $10, is optional. You only need it to hold a name while something else delays the filing.¹

Businesses already organized in another state skip the Articles. They file a Certificate of Authority instead, priced at $70; the Montana registered agent guide covers registering an out-of-state LLC.¹

What raises the cost of a Montana LLC?

Beyond a provider's own package price, a rush order, the registered agent, compliance subscriptions sold with packages and a missed annual report deadline all push the total above the state fee.

A rush order

Montana sells 24-hour processing $20 or 1-hour processing $100. Neither is required. If no lease, loan or contract depends on the LLC existing by a certain day, neither buys you anything. A provider's "fast" package may describe its own preparation time rather than paying either state tier, so ask which one you're buying.¹

The registered agent

A Montana agent needs an actual street address or rural route box number in this state (Mont. Code Ann. § 35-7-104). Unlike the filing fee, a paid agent bills every year. There are a few ways to cover the role.⁶

1. Act as your own agent, which costs nothing if you have a qualifying Montana address; the Montana registered agent guide covers who may serve and what the role asks.
2. Take a first year bundled with formation, then pay the provider's renewal.
3. Buy a standalone agent at the published prices listed further down.

Switching later is free at the state: the statement of change costs nothing (No fee). Name the new agent before cancelling the old one, because the statute treats failing for 60 days to appoint and maintain a registered agent as grounds for dissolution. How to change a registered agent gives the order of steps.^{1, 7}

Compliance subscriptions

Some formation packages include or offer an annual report service. In Montana the report itself is $0 if filed January 1 to April 15 (fee waived), so these products charge for the reminder and the filing, not for a state fee they pass through. ZenBusiness's Starter includes Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr), LegalZoom sells a single filing at $99 + state filing fees, and Northwest says its registered agent customers are auto-enrolled in Compliance Services, at $100 + state fees, charged at filing. Once any free period ends, each of these costs more than the state charges for an on-time report. A calendar reminder is the free alternative.^{3, 8, 9, 10, 11}

A late or missed report

A report filed once the window has closed costs $35. Leave it long enough and the cost climbs: the statute names failing for 140 days to file the annual report as a ground for dissolution, and reinstatement is $35 plus $35 for each year of delinquent annual reports. The waiver is an SOS policy and could change, so budget for the possibility that the free window ends. Staying compliant in Montana sets out the dates.^{1, 3, 7}

Which providers have the lowest published prices for a Montana LLC?

The table lists each provider's agent price, renewal and lowest package. Rows follow our score, highest first, with ties in editorial order, so they are not sorted by price.

Here is what each lowest-priced route adds to the $35 state fee in year one, and what keeps billing afterward.

Tailor Brands. Lite is $0 plus state fees, with no agent listed, so add the agent at $199/year or act as your own. Essential, $199/yr plus state fees, is a yearly charge rather than a single fee. See the Tailor Brands review.^{12, 13}

ZenBusiness. Starter is $0 + state fees (does not renew), with the agent sold as an add-on +$199/yr; new LLCs get 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC, then $199/yr. The bundled compliance year renews at a price too (Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr)), so note the date. See the ZenBusiness review.^{8, 14}

LegalZoom. The entry package is $0 + state filing fees. The agent is $249/year (first-time registered agent customers), and it renews at the purchase rate each year, a rate subject to change. See the LegalZoom review.^{15, 16}

Bizee. Basic is $0 + state fee, and the agent comes with it for the first year with any Bizee formation package. In year one the Montana fee is then the whole formation bill; from year two, the agent renews at $149/year (ongoing annual fee). See the Bizee review.^{2, 4, 17}

Swyft Filings. Basic is $0 + state fees. The agent is $149 per quarter ($596/year), the costliest agent line in the table. Its annual report product comes with a 14-day free trial then auto-charged, so an owner who files the Montana report alone would cancel it in time. See the Swyft Filings review.^{18, 19, 20}

doola. Starter is $297/yr, a fee that repeats every year, and the agent is included (RA free with Formation Service). Year two costs the plan again rather than an agent fee alone. See the doola review.^{21, 22}

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees, and its corporation page describes a year of registered agent service included with formation. The LLC page is silent on that. The standalone agent is $125 per year, and its annual report filing is $100 + state fees, charged at filing. See the Northwest review.^{11, 23, 24, 25}

Rocket Lawyer. Formation needs a membership, with a first registration free with a Rocket Lawyer membership. Standard costs $149/year and leaves the agent out. For Rocket Lawyer as agent, you need Plus ($249/year) or Pro ($349/year), plus $125 a year for the agent itself. See the Rocket Lawyer review.^{26, 27, 28}

InCorp Services. Formation is priced starting at $99 plus state fees, with the registered agent sold separately at $129 per state per year. Under its terms, the agent service is billed at then-current fee unless a cancellation condition is met. See the InCorp review.^{29, 30, 31}

Harbor Compliance. Formation starts at $99 plus state fees. The agent opens at $99 first year (new customers) and renews at $159 annually; to stop it, give notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term. See the Harbor Compliance review.^{32, 33, 34}

National agent-only prices are on cheapest registered agent services, and the agent terms for Montana are compared in Montana registered agent services compared.