Montana business entity search and name check

Montana's Secretary of State keeps the state's business records and offers its Business Search on biz.sosmt.gov. That site asks AI agents not to access it, and we respect that, so we link you to the official search rather than searching Montana here. Forming an LLC costs $35, and the annual report due April 15 currently costs nothing if you file it on time; after April 15 it costs $35.

Registry: Montana Secretary of State, Business Services
Official search: Montana SOS Business Search (biz.sosmt.gov)
How we search Montana: Official site only (we hand you off). Montana's business search site uses its robots.txt file to ask AI agents not to access it. We respect that, so we link you to the official search instead of searching it for you.
What a result can tell you: Searching the official site shows names on record. Montana decides acceptance when you file.
State fee to form an LLC: $35 (Articles of Organization)
Ongoing LLC filing: Annual Report, $0. Due April 15. Reports filed between January 1 and April 15 currently have the fee waived; after April 15 the fee is $35. The final deadline is December 1 for Montana LLCs and November 1 for out-of-state LLCs

What the Montana search covers

The Secretary of State's records cover Montana and out-of-state corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships and LLPs, along with assumed business names, trademarks and bonds.

How to read Montana results

Montana does not publish definitions for its status labels in one place. We show the official wording exactly as the registry gives it.

A status describes the registry filing only. It isn’t evidence of a license, tax compliance or reputation, and a record with the same name as a company you know may be a different business. More on statuses.

Montana business name rules

An LLC name must include one of: limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., L.C., LLC, LC.

An LLC name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from Montana and registered out-of-state corporations, nonprofits, limited partnerships and LLCs, from assumed business names, trademarks, service marks and reserved names, and from the name of a Montana corporation for 120 days after it dissolves. In the designator, 'Ltd.' and 'Co.' may be used for 'limited' and 'company'. (MCA 35-8-103) Source: mca.legmt.gov

Montana doesn’t publish a list of the differences it ignores, so our check treats only capitalization and punctuation as insignificant and flags other close names as similar for you to judge.

Words that need approval or are restricted

Words	Requirement
identifiers of other business types	An LLC name can't include an identifier that suggests it is a different kind of business, such as a corporation (MCA 30-13-201). Source: mca.legmt.gov

Reserving a name in Montana

Montana lets you reserve a name before you form the business for $10.

File a Name Reservation with the Secretary of State.

Montana name reservation

Searching on this site doesn’t reserve anything. Only Montana SOS can.

Forming an LLC in Montana

Document: Articles of Organization
State filing fee: $35
A series LLC pays $50 more for each series named. Faster handling costs $20 (24-hour priority) or $100 (1-hour expedite).
File online: Montana SOS filing
Processing: Optional 24-hour priority handling costs $20, and 1-hour expedited handling costs $100.
Out-of-state LLC registering here: $70 (Certificate of Authority (foreign LLC))

Fees change. Confirm them on the official Montana fee schedule before you file.

File it yourself or use a service

File directly with Montana

$35 state fee

You fill in the Articles of Organization yourself and pay only the state. You’ll need a registered agent with a Montana street address; that can be you if you have one.

File with Montana SOS

Use a formation service

A service prepares and files the paperwork, and most can act as your registered agent and send compliance reminders. You still pay the state fee on top of their price, and the state still decides whether to accept your name.

Bizee: $0 plus the state fee (Basic); Standard $199, Premium $299, plus state fee
LegalZoom: $0 plus state fees (Basic); Managed Service $249 plus state fees
Northwest Registered Agent: $39 plus the state fee
ZenBusiness: $0 plus the state fee (Starter); Pro $199 plus state fee, renews $199/yr

We don’t currently earn commissions from these providers. Prices from each provider’s site on Oct 30, 2026. We never send them your proposed name. Compare what each includes · Disclosure

An EIN (federal tax ID) is free from the IRS; you don’t need to pay anyone for one.

Keeping a Montana LLC in good standing

Annual Report: $0. Due April 15. Reports filed between January 1 and April 15 currently have the fee waived; after April 15 the fee is $35. The final deadline is December 1 for Montana LLCs and November 1 for out-of-state LLCs. Late fee: $35. Source: help.sosmt.gov

The 2022 fee schedule lists the annual report at $20 by April 15 and $35 after, but the Secretary of State's help center (updated August 7, 2026) says the fee is waived for reports filed January 1 to April 15. Reinstating an LLC that was involuntarily dissolved costs $35 plus $35 for each year it was behind. Changing your registered agent is free.

Proof of status: Certificate of Existence ($5). Source: sosmt.gov

Assumed names (DBAs)

An assumed business name is registered with the Secretary of State for $20, and renewing it costs $20. Source: sosmt.gov

Good to know about Montana

Montana currently waives the annual report fee for reports filed between January 1 and April 15. After that, the fee is $35. Source: help.sosmt.gov
Forming an LLC costs $35, plus $50 for each series in a series LLC. Source: sosmt.gov
A Montana corporation's name stays off-limits for 120 days after it dissolves. Source: mca.legmt.gov
A new LLC name has to be distinguishable from assumed business names, trademarks and service marks registered with the state, not only from other companies. Source: mca.legmt.gov
A Certificate of Existence costs $5. Source: sosmt.gov

Sources and accuracy

We checked this page against official Montana sources on October 30, 2026. Our monitor rechecks the official search, filing portal and fee pages daily and flags changes for review.

Items we couldn’t confirm on an official page (6)

We couldn't confirm the format of Montana business ID numbers.
We couldn't confirm how long a name reservation lasts.
We couldn't confirm whether the annual report fee waiver is permanent or renewed each year. State announcements have described yearly waivers since 2024.
We couldn't confirm whether Montana lets you use a similar name with the other business's consent (MCA 35-14-401).
We couldn't confirm Montana's registered agent requirements on an official page.
We couldn't confirm the current price of Montana's bulk business data file. It is reported as $0.02 per record.

See something wrong? Tell us. We can fix how we present information, but only Montana SOS can change an official record.