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How to start an LLC in Montana

Every step to form your LLC in Montana, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$35
Regular report
Free
What you file
Articles of Organization
Where
The Montana Secretary of State

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in Montana

Filing Articles of Organization with the Montana Secretary of State$35
The regular report that keeps it in good standingFree
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the Montana Secretary of State's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    Every LLC and corporation in Montana needs a registered agent: a person or company with a street address in Montana who receives legal papers and state notices for it. You can be your own, or pay a registered agent service.

  3. With the state

    File your Articles of Organization

    File them with the Montana Secretary of State through its online business filing portal. The state's fee is $35 (plus $50 for each series named in a series LLC). Once they're filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  5. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Articles of Organization are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  6. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    Montana has no general sales tax. If you'll pay wages in Montana, register for a withholding tax account with the Montana Department of Revenue, online through its TransAction Portal (TAP). Employers also register with the Unemployment Insurance Division of the Montana Department of Labor & Industry.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  7. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    In Montana, general business licenses come from city and county offices, and the state licenses professions and some industries. Contact your city or county to learn what they require.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  8. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization and your EIN.

  9. With the state

    Put the yearly report in your calendar

    Every LLC in Montana files an annual report with the Secretary of State between January 1 and April 15 each year, starting the year after it's formed. The Secretary of State's fee schedule lists the fee as waived when it's filed by April 15; after April 15 it's $35. The state can dissolve an LLC whose report is 140 days late.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in Montana

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Montana?

The state's fee to file Articles of Organization is $35. Its regular report is free. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does Montana require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. Montana asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It's free to file, and the step below says when it's due and where.

Can I form an LLC in Montana myself?

Yes. You file Articles of Organization with the Montana Secretary of State and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from Montana's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

Montana's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states