Montana LLC Costs – Summary

LLC Filing Fee (Articles of Organization)	$35 + $50 for each series member
Certificate of Existence	$5
Business License or Permit	varies by city/municipality (generally $20 – $200)
Registered Agent (Optional)	$199 – $400
Reserving a Business Name (Optional)	$10.00
Filing a DBA (Optional)	$20.00
Operating Agreement (Optional)	$0 – $1000

When you’re thinking about starting a Montana LLC, but you’re concerned that it could be expensive or difficult, having plenty of information on the process can help. That way you know what to expect and can make a wise decision about getting your business off the ground. All too often, people think about starting up a business but they don’t do it. Why? Typically due to the initial costs and the level of work involved.

It’s also common to feel confused about where to start, so they put their focus somewhere else and forget about their business dreams. It’s completely understandable, but it doesn’t have to be your reality. Instead, you can get the support you need to move toward your LLC creation dreams. If you want a little help to do that, working with an LLC formation service is the right answer.

Doing that can remove a lot of potential pressure and make it more convenient to get your Montana LLC formed faster and with less potential for problems. The cost of forming an LLC varies depending on the state where you live, so you want to be clear on the costs before getting started. Then, you can move toward your business plans and goals with more confidence.

Here, we’ll look into the costs of forming an LLC in Montana, so you can prepare yourself and get started on your business venture.

General steps and costs when forming a Montana LLC

Before you start on the official creation of your Montana LLC you need to be sure you understand the steps to take and the cost for each of them. It’s important that you don’t get partway through the LLC creation process and then realize that unexpected costs are causing serious problems. Naturally, that’s something you want to take time to avoid. The more you know in advance the more you can enjoy your business’ creation and experience peace of mind.

Naming your Montana LLC

There’s good news about the first steps to naming your LLC in Montana, as the name search is completely free. This search will tell you if someone in the state is already using the name you’re considering, so you’ll know if you need to pick a new one. If you want to reserve a business name, that will cost you $10, and registering a Doing Business As (DBA) costs $20. Both of those are optional costs for naming your LLC, as you don’t have to do business under a different name or reserve a name if you don’t want to.

Filing articles of organization

Filing your Articles of Organization in Montana costs $35, along with $50 for each member named in the series LLC. Along with these Articles there are a few other filing fees to consider. For example, a Certificate of Existence will cost you $5, and if you have to make a change to something (such as your address) the Articles of Correction have a $15 cost associated with them.This is also true for Articles of Amendment.

Appointing a registered agent

If you’re serving as your own registered agent or appointing someone on your own you won’t have any costs associated with doing this. However, if you choose to use a registered agent service like the one we offer, you can expect to pay a starting amount of $199 per year. This can be well worth it for anyone who’s starting up an LLC and may not be familiar with how to handle or manage everything. It’s very convenient to have some help in that area.

Creating an operating agreement

You don’t need an Operating Agreement for your LLC, but it’s still a good idea to create one. That’s because it helps increase the protection of the LLC members and the business itself. The cost of creating this agreement can range from $0 if you do it yourself to $1,000 if you work with an attorney. Using our operating service won’t cost as much as hiring an attorney, and you’ll know the agreement contains everything it should to provide you with peace of mind.

Other annual and additional Montana LLC costs

Business licenses & permits

While the State of Montana doesn’t have a specific, statewide business licensing requirement, there are a variety of small business licenses in Montana that are regulated at the city and county level. Additionally, the State issues professional licenses that are tied to certain types of occupations. The Montana Department of Revenue and the Secretary of State are both great places to find information on the exact licensing requirements your business will have.

Some of the more common permits and licenses you may need when you create a Montana LLC are based on the type of business itself and the city or rural area (county) in which it’s located. These could include:

• Agricultural licenses for fertilizer dealers, honey bee keepers, seed dealers, etc.
• Gambling and casino-related activities
• Cannabis
• Contracting
• Beer, wine, and liquor
• City or County Licenses

What expenses you can write off

One of the best things about LLC formation costs and related expenses in Montana is that the majority of them can be written off on federal taxes. That can help you regain some of the money you originally paid to get started, so you can have a better financial position as you work to develop ad grow your LLC. Many businesses lost money in their first year or two of operation, so you want to take advantage of every legal way to save money when getting started. The main costs you can deduct include:

• Cost for Articles of Organization
• Filing Fees
• Operating Agreement Costs
• Registered Agent Costs
• Doing Business As Fees
• Attorney Fees

Montana LLC State Fees

The following fees are taken from the Secretary of State’s site (see here):

Form/Service	Fee
Domestic
Articles Of Organization	$35.00 plus $50.00 for each series member named in the series LLC
Articles Of Correction	$15.00
Articles Of Amendment	$15.00
Restated Articles Of Organization	$15.00
Articles Of Merger	$20.00
Application For Reviver	$15.00
Articles Of Termination	NO FEE
Reinstatement	$35.00 plus an additional fee of $35.00/year for each year of delinquent annual reports
Certificate Of Existence	$5.00
Foreign
Certificate Of Authority	$70.00 plus $50.00 for each series member named in the series LLC
Amended Certificate Of Authority	$15.00 plus $50.00 for each series member named in the series LLC
Certificate Of Withdrawal	NO FEE
Registration Of Name	$10.00/yr
Renewal Of Name Registration	$10.00/yr

Conclusion

You can set up an LLC in Montana without a lot of stress or complication. It’s easier when you have help, though, because it takes the guesswork out of what you’re doing. That’s why using an LLC creation service is so convenient, because you don’t have to worry about setting everything up. Instead, you can focus on the future of your business. Montana is a business-friendly state in many ways, and has reasonable requirements and low fees. With a little guidance it’s easy to get started on making your LLC ownership dreams come true.

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