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Foreign registration help · Montana

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Montana (2026)

LLC Review Desk's 2026 picks for foreign registration services in Montana, favorite first, are Registered Agent MT.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Montana Registered Agent.co ($199). Registered Agent MT.org is our favorite, because it's $199 plus the state fee, with your first registered agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.

By the LLC Review Desk editorial team

Position 1
Top pick on this page

1. Registered Agent MT.org: best for companies adding only Montana

$199 for the service and the state's fee too; the agent costs $99 a year after that

Our score

9.3out of 10

9.3 out of 10

Our favorite is Registered Agent MT.org, because registering in Montana costs $199 and covers year one as your agent, then $99 a year.

You get a street address in the state for your registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

This is where it beats Mainstay Filing: what you pay over three years.

In the price

  • The registration filing
  • Year-one registered agent service

What we like

  • $199 to register, plus the state fee
  • Your first year as registered agent is free
  • Keeping the agent costs $99 yearly

Trade-offs

  • Montana only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application costs extra ($99)
Position 2
One price, any state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for owners working in more than one state

$199 for the service, $269 due at checkout with the state fee; the agent is $149 a year from year two

Our score

8.9out of 10

8.9 out of 10

Coming in second is Mainstay Filing, because $199 gets the Montana registration filed, year one as registered agent costs nothing, and after that it's $149 a year.

Once year one is over, you pay $149 a year for the agent, whichever state you picked.

Registered Agent MT.org is $100 cheaper over three years, so Mainstay Filing comes second on cost.

In the price

  • Preparation and filing of the registration
  • A free year as your registered agent
  • Same-business-day scanning of anything served on the company, no charge

What we like

  • The same price in all fifty states
  • Your first year of registered agent service is free
  • $199 for the service, plus the state's fee
  • Same-business-day scans of papers served on the company, no charge

Trade-offs

  • After year one the agent is $149 a year, $50 more than Registered Agent MT.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. See our full Mainstay Filing review
Position 3
Best value here

3. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for Montana registrations only

You pay $199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year for the agent

Our score

8.6out of 10

8.6 out of 10

In third place is Montana Registered Agent.co, because registering in Montana costs $199 and covers year one as your agent, then $99 a year.

You get a street address in the state for your registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

Between Registered Agent MT.org and Montana Registered Agent.co, prices and features match, so it's nearly a tie.

In the price

  • The registration filing
  • The first year of registered agent service

What we like

  • Year-one registered agent service is covered
  • $99 a year for the agent from year two
  • A $199 service price plus the registration fee

Trade-offs

  • Montana only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application costs extra ($99)

Our 3 picks, side by side

#ServiceOur scoreService priceYear twoGood forVisit
1 Registered Agent MT.org 9.3 $199 $99/yr The smallest agent renewal among these picks Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing 8.9 $199 $149/yr Owners expanding into other states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Montana Registered Agent.co 8.6 $199 $99/yr The smallest agent renewal among these picks Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

LLC Review Desk gives each score out of 10 itself, based on the criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings are involved.

What Montana foreign registration services cost in 2026: year one, renewals and three years

ServiceFirst yearSecond yearThird yearThree-year totalAgent covered in year one
Registered Agent MT.org$199$99$99$397Included
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Free
Montana Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included

We took each price from the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. On top of every row, Montana charges a $70 registration fee, which isn't in these totals.

Why we put Registered Agent MT.org first

Here's how we scored it: three-year cost and filings in the price are worth 29% each, and renewal price, state fit and up-front totals split the other 42%. In Montana, three-year cost made the difference.

Registered Agent MT.org comes to $397 over three years, which is $100 less than Mainstay Filing. Both include the first year, so the renewal price decided it.

You can read every criterion and weight on How we rank.

Registering a foreign LLC in Montana: fee, form and who to send it to

You register through the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services, using the Application for Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company). The state charges $70.

After that, plan on the annual report each cycle by April 15.

Get these ready first

  • Your company's full legal name, exactly as registered at home, and the date it was formed there.
  • A registered agent with a street address in the state. Any service on this page can do it.
  • The $70 state fee to pay with the filing.
  • A reminder for yourself about the annual report.

What happens if you skip Montana registration

Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC can't sue in Montana courts (MCA 35-8-1002(1)). A $5 daily penalty can apply.

Your questions about Montana foreign registration services

Do I have to register my out-of-state LLC in Montana?

If it does business there, yes. Until it registers, it can't sue in the state's courts.

What does registering a foreign LLC in Montana come to?

The state charges $70, and services charge $199.

Do I still need a registered agent after I register?

Yes. You keep a registered agent with a street address in the state as long as the company stays registered.

Which foreign registration services did we review here?

Registered Agent MT.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Montana Registered Agent.co ($199), with our favorite first.

What does a foreign LLC send in every year?

The annual report.

Who's the best choice for foreign registration in Montana?

Registered Agent MT.org, because $199 beyond the state fee gets you registered in Montana, and the agent renews at $99.

Keep reading

Where we got the numbers

  1. Montana Secretary of State fee page and fee sheet: standard annual report fee, double-checked October 2026
  2. Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, double-checked October 2026
  3. Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, double-checked October 2026
  4. Montana report due date, double-checked August 2026
  5. Mont. Code Ann. § 35-8-201, double-checked August 2026
  6. Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source, double-checked October 2026
  7. Montana registered agent statute, double-checked October 2026
  8. Montana Secretary of State, register a business, double-checked October 2026
  9. MCA 35-8-1001, transacting business, double-checked October 2026
  10. MCA 35-8-1002, consequences, double-checked October 2026
  11. MCA 35-8-1003, application contents, double-checked October 2026
  12. Source: Registered Agent MT.org, pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026
  13. Source: Mainstay Filing, Montana service page, as of November 12, 2026
  14. Source: Montana Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026