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Lesson 2 · Montana

How to Get a Registered Agent in Montana (2026): 6 Steps and the 3 Best Agents

Lesson answer for Montana in 2026: if you want help with a registered agent, use Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Montana Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Registered Agent MT.org ($99 a year), in that order. Below, 6 steps cover what the law asks and how to meet it.

The Founder Classroom teaching team ·

Key facts

Mandatory
Yesmca.legmt.gov (October 2026)
Our picks cost
$99 to $149 a yearPublished prices
Annual report
$20 a yearsosmt.gov (October 2026)
Lesson steps
6From start to finish

What you will learn

  • What Montana requires of a registered agent
  • The eligibility and address rules
  • Getting the agent on file
  • The agents we recommend

Teacher's pick

Our picks for Montana

Graded with our rubric: three-year cost 30%, lesson steps handled 35%, then renewal, state fit and clear pricing.
Our pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a single agent nationwide

First year $149, renewal $149

Start with Mainstay Filing: the same $149 agent fee in all fifty states.

You pay $150 more over three years than with Montana Registered Agent.co, for less paperwork on your side.

What you get

  • Montana registered office address
  • Service of process scanned the same business day at no charge
  • Three government mailings a year scanned free
  • Covers LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

What we like

  • Same price in all fifty states
  • Flat $149/year

Watch out for

  • Costs $50 more each year
  • No report filing on this plan
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Montana specialist

2. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for local Montana founders

First year $99, renewal $99

Montana Registered Agent.co ranks second: $99 yearly with served papers scanned into an online account.

What you get

  • A Montana street address
  • Scans of served papers

What we like

  • Under Mainstay Filing on price
  • Flat $99/year

Watch out for

  • Serves Montana alone
  • Annual report is up to you
Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Montana specialist

3. Registered Agent MT.org: best for a local alternative

First year $99, renewal $99

Registered Agent MT.org ranks third: $99 yearly with served papers scanned into an online account.

On price it ties with Montana Registered Agent.co.

What you get

  • A Montana street address
  • Scans of served papers

What we like

  • Flat $99/year
  • Under Mainstay Filing on price

Watch out for

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

Side-by-side prices

#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.
Published prices, read November 12, 2026. Montana bills the same either way.

Appointing a Montana registered agent, step by step

  1. Step 1: Know the Montana rule

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

    Official source: mca.legmt.gov (October 2026)

  2. Step 2: Confirm who may 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. See Mont. Code Ann. § 35-7-105.

  3. Step 3: Check the office address rule

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

    TipOur picks all provide the Montana office address.

  4. Step 4: Decide: yourself or a service

    Owners who meet the rules may serve themselves. A professional agent from our picks costs $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Step 5: Name the agent in the filing

    The agent's name and address go into the Articles of Organization when you form. To switch later, file a change with the Montana Secretary of State.

    Official source: sosmt.gov (October 2026)

  6. Step 6: Watch the yearly filing

    Keep the annual report on time ($20, April 15), and the agent record stays accurate.

    Official source: sosmt.gov (October 2026)

Montana agent costs

ItemWho you payCost
The agentService company$99 to $149 a year
Each later yearService company$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportState office$20 every year
The state rows are official figures; the service row uses each company's published price. The three-year total leaves service fees out.

Why Mainstay Filing comes first

What decided it: lesson steps handled, 35% of our rubric.

Fifty-state coverage outscored Montana Registered Agent.co on our rubric.

Questions students ask

Do I need a registered agent in Montana?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

You can, as long as you qualify under steps 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes; the Montana Secretary of State takes the change filing.

What does a registered agent cost in Montana?

$99 to $149 per year for the agents we picked.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The annual report, $20 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing: $149 a year, renewing at $149, and the same plan works in every other state. After it, Montana Registered Agent.co and Registered Agent MT.org.

Related lessons

Where these facts come from

  1. sosmt.gov. Montana Secretary of State fee page and fee. Confirmed October 2026.
  2. sosmt.gov. Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source. Confirmed October 2026.
  3. sosmt.gov. Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source. Confirmed October 2026.
  4. mca.legmt.gov. Montana report due date. Confirmed August 2026.
  5. mca.legmt.gov. Mont. Confirmed August 2026.
  6. sosmt.gov. Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Confirmed October 2026.
  7. mca.legmt.gov. Montana registered agent statute. Confirmed October 2026.
  8. November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, Montana service page
  9. November 12, 2026: Montana Registered Agent.co, pricing page
  10. November 12, 2026: Registered Agent MT.org, pricing page