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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Montana

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Montana (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Montana the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199), Registered Agent MT.org ($199) and Montana Registered Agent.co ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: it files the Montana registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Number one here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.4 Editor score out of 10
$199 on top of the state fee ($269 due at checkout), then the agent at $149 a year from year two

Mainstay Filing leads the card: $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one registered agent service included.

After the free first year the agent costs $149 a year, in this state or any other.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $100 above Registered Agent MT.org's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • The foreign registration, handled for you
  • Registered agent service free in year one
  • Service of process scanned and uploaded the same business day, no fee

Strengths

  • Registered agent free for year one
  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Same price across all fifty states
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than Registered Agent MT.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Lower renewal than Mainstay

2. Registered Agent MT.org: best for companies that add just Montana

9.2 Editor score out of 10
$199 plus the state's own fee; $99 a year for the agent afterwards

Registered Agent MT.org takes second spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Montana, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • One year of registered agent service

Strengths

  • First-year registered agent service included
  • A $199 service fee before the state's
  • Then $99 a year to keep the agent

Watch for

  • Limited to Montana; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Registered Agent MT.org: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best local option

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

8.9 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

Montana Registered Agent.co takes third spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Montana, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Price for price and feature for feature, Registered Agent MT.org and Montana Registered Agent.co match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • A year as your registered agent, up front

Strengths

  • Files the registration for $199 plus the state fee
  • Year one as your registered agent is included
  • $99 yearly for the agent after year one

Watch for

  • Limited to Montana; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Montana Registered Agent.co: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.4 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Registered Agent MT.org 9.2 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Montana Registered Agent.co 8.9 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every number out of 10 is an editorial mark from Formation Scorecard, produced with the criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.

Montana foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
Registered Agent MT.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Montana Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Montana's $70 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

The case for Mainstay Filing in first

Formation Scorecard scores cost across three years and coverage of the price at 25% each. Renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity account for the other 50%. In Montana the tie was broken by coverage of the price.

A foreign registration touches two states, so a single provider at one price in both earned the most coverage points, ahead of Registered Agent MT.org.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Montana: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Application for Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company) to the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services, with a $70 state fee.

Once registered, the company files the annual report, due April 15.

Gather these before filing

  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $70, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual report.

The price of ignoring Montana registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Montana courts until it registers (MCA 35-8-1002(1)). A per-day penalty of $5 may accrue.

Montana foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Montana make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Montana?

Expect $70 for the state plus $199 for the service.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration services sit on this card?

Mainstay Filing ($199), Registered Agent MT.org ($199) and Montana Registered Agent.co ($199), top to bottom.

Is there a recurring filing for a registered foreign LLC?

Yes, the annual report.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Montana?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your registered agent and the same price in every state.

Keep reading

Where the figures come from

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