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LLC 101 Guide

Section 2 · Montana

The Montana Registered Agent Unit (2026): 6 Tasks and the 3 Best Agents

Our 2026 Montana picks for naming a registered agent, strongest to weakest, are Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Montana Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Registered Agent MT.org ($99 a year). The 6 tasks below cover what Montana requires of a registered agent, who may serve, which address counts and how to put the agent on record.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Need-to-know facts

Must you have one?
Yes
Taken from mca.legmt.gov in October 2026
Cost of hiring an agent
$99 to $149 a year
Published rates
Annual report
$20 a year
Taken from sosmt.gov in October 2026
Task count
6
Each one explained

Course objectives

  • What Montana requires of a registered agent
  • Eligibility and address rules
  • How an agent gets on record
  • The agents we picked

The Montana honor roll

Graded on the grading page: three-year cost (34%), assignments completed (31%), renewal price, fit with Montana's rules and plain pricing.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs that may grow into other states

Our first pick$149 a year, unchanged at renewal

Our first pick is Mainstay Filing; one flat $149 yearly price that does not depend on which state the LLC sits in.

You pay $150 more over three years than at Montana Registered Agent.co and leave less of the paperwork to yourself.

What the price covers

  • A Montana street address for the record
  • Free scans of legal papers served on the company, sent the business day they arrive
  • Up to three government letters a year are scanned free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

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

What to weigh

  • $50 a year above Montana Registered Agent.co
  • An agent-only plan, so no report filing
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for owners based in the state

Focused on Montana$99 a year, unchanged at renewal

Pick number 2 is Montana Registered Agent.co, where $99 a year with no bump at renewal, a good match for an LLC that stays in one state.

What the price covers

  • A Montana address for the registered office
  • Online copies of legal papers

What works

  • $99 a year, same at renewal
  • Under Mainstay Filing on price

What to weigh

  • Serves Montana alone
  • Annual report is outside the price
Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Registered Agent MT.org: best for another Montana option

Focused on Montana$99 a year, unchanged at renewal

Pick number 3 is Registered Agent MT.org, where $99 a year with no bump at renewal, a good match for an LLC that stays in one state.

It lists the same prices as Montana Registered Agent.co.

What the price covers

  • A Montana address for the registered office
  • Online copies of legal papers

What works

  • Under Mainstay Filing on price
  • $99 a year, same at renewal

What to weigh

  • Serves Montana alone
  • Annual report is outside the price
Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Montana picks compared

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Montana Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Registered Agent MT.org$99$99/yr$297Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Montana charges the same either way.

The unit, task by task

  1. Task 1

    The Montana rule in brief

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

    Source: Taken from mca.legmt.gov in October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Who counts as an 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. This is in Mont. Code Ann. § 35-7-105.

  3. Task 3

    Pass the address test

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

    Each service we recommend supplies the in-state address.

  4. Task 4

    Be your own agent or hire one

    Owners who qualify can name themselves, and the recommended agents charge $99 to $149 each year.

  5. Task 5

    Put the agent on the state's record

    You identify the agent in your filing with the Montana Secretary of State, and any change is its own filing at that office.

    Source: Taken from sosmt.gov in October 2026

  6. Task 6

    Track the recurring filing

    Mail from the state about the annual report reaches your registered agent. The filing is $20 every year, due April 15.

    Source: Taken from sosmt.gov in October 2026

What this unit costs

EntryPaid toSum
A professional agentThe service$99 to $149 a year
From year twoThe service$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportPaid to the state$20 every year
State amounts come from Montana's official fee schedules (see the sources below); service prices come from each company's site. The three-year state total adds the filing, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why Mainstay Filing is first

pulled ahead of on assignments the price completes, a criterion worth 31%.

An agent who can come with you to any state beat Montana Registered Agent.co's lower price.

Check your Montana answers

Does a Montana LLC have to have a registered agent?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Yes, if you meet the eligibility and address rules in tasks 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes. Switching takes a change filing at the Montana Secretary of State (task 5).

What does a registered agent cost in Montana?

Prices on this page run $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The LLC sends in the annual report for $20 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing, because $149 per year from a provider that also covers any state you add later. After it come Montana Registered Agent.co and Registered Agent MT.org.

Reading list and sources

  1. Further reading on Montana Secretary of State fee page and fee: our unit draws on sosmt.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  2. Further reading on Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: our unit draws on sosmt.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  3. Further reading on Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: our unit draws on sosmt.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  4. Further reading on Montana report due date: our unit draws on mca.legmt.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  5. Further reading on Mont: our unit draws on mca.legmt.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  6. Further reading on Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source: our unit draws on sosmt.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  7. Further reading on Montana registered agent statute: our unit draws on mca.legmt.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  8. We opened the Montana service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026
  9. We opened the pricing page at Montana Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  10. We opened the pricing page at Registered Agent MT.org on November 13, 2026