3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Montana (2026): Who to Hire
The foreign registration services to hire in Montana in 2026 are Mainstay Filing ($199), Montana Registered Agent.co ($199) and Registered Agent MT.org ($199), in that order. State fee: $70. Service fees over three years: $397 to $497.
By the LLC Answered editorial team
The brief reply
Short reply
Charged by the state
$70
Home-state certificate needed?
No
Later filing
No fee, annual report
Our picks
Mainstay Filing, Montana Registered Agent.co then Registered Agent MT.org
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.
Your questions, answered
At what point is registration required?
Before it starts doing business in Montana, an LLC formed elsewhere registers with the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services.
Without registering, expect the state's courts stay closed to its claims (MCA 35-8-1002(1)); an added daily charge of $5.
mca.legmt.gov, current in October 2026 per the state
What will registration set me back?
The state's registration fee is $70, and a service costs $199 more.
Over three years the state's total is $70. mca.legmt.gov, current in October 2026 per the state
Where does the registration go?
You file the Application for Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company), and the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services receives it.
No good standing certificate is needed.
What do I owe once registered?
Annual report: no fee.
The deadline, per the state: April 15.
Why this order?
Paperwork covered, worth 29%, put Mainstay Filing first.
65% of the score comes from three-year price and paperwork covered.
Montana Registered Agent.co serves Montana only, leaving the home state to someone else.
mca.legmt.gov, current in October 2026 per the state
Home-state certificate
No
mca.legmt.gov, current in October 2026 per the state
State total, years 1 to 3
$70
Computed from the rows
The final row is a sum, not a state figure: filing fee, then years two and three of reports, then minimum tax where it applies.
Also asked
Do I need an agent at home too?
You still need one at home. Mainstay Filing works in both states, while a local company works in one.
What does each charge over three years?
Totals: Mainstay Filing at $497, Montana Registered Agent.co at $397, Registered Agent MT.org at $397, with state fees on top.
What are your sources?
Official Montana documents supply the state fees, and the companies' own price pages supply the service fees. Every figure carries a date.
Do I need outside help?
Not at all. Owners can file with the state directly; a service is there to save you the work and to act as agent.
Will a service do the registration for me?
All of them do, at the identical state fee.
Which one do you pick in Montana?
Mainstay Filing leads because registration is $199, and nothing is billed for the registered agent until year two; Montana Registered Agent.co and Registered Agent MT.org come next.