The Montana LLC Annual Report is the once-a-year filing that keeps every LLC active with the Secretary of State. As of 2026, the on-time filing fee is waived for LLCs that file between January 1 and April 15. File late, and the cost jumps to $35.
Does Montana Require an Annual Report for LLCs?
Yes. Every domestic LLC and every foreign LLC authorized to transact business in Montana must file an Annual Report once a year under MCA 35-8-208.
The filing goes to the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, through the online portal at biz.sosmt.gov. The report isn't a tax return or earnings statement; it's a status update. Its sole purpose: confirm or update the LLC's contact, agent, and management details on the state's public record.
Foreign LLCs follow the same annual cadence once their certificate of authority is on file. It doesn't matter whether the LLC had revenue, sat dormant, or operated at a loss; the requirement still applies.
Boost Suite's guide to forming an LLC in Montana covers the steps that lead up to a first Annual Report. The Montana LLC hub collects every Boost Suite resource for the state in one place.
Most Montana LLC owners I work with still believe the Annual Report costs $20. That number stopped being right in 2024. The Secretary of State has confirmed that the on-time fee is waived through April 15, 2026, and again for 2027.
My advice to every Montana client is simple: log in to biz.sosmt.gov during the first week of February. The portal usually runs fast then, and you still have about two months of buffer before the April 15 deadline.
Montana Annual Report Deadline (January 1 to April 15, 2026)
Montana doesn't use an anniversary-month rule for the Annual Report. The state operates on a fixed annual window: January 1 through April 15, every year. Here's the thing: the same deadline applies to every LLC, whether the entity formed in March or December.
The cleanest way to think about it: April 15 is the Montana LLC deadline, and that doesn't change with formation date. Subsequent Annual Reports follow the same Jan 1 to Apr 15 cycle for the life of the LLC.
When Your First Montana Annual Report Is Due
A newly formed LLC doesn't file its first Annual Report in the same calendar year it formed. Instead, the first report is due between January 1 and April 15 of the year following formation or foreign authorization. The dates below show how that works in practice.
| Formation or authorization date | First Montana Annual Report due |
|---|---|
| March 2025 | January 1 to April 15, 2026 |
| December 2025 | January 1 to April 15, 2026 |
| January 2026 | January 1 to April 15, 2027 |
| December 2026 | January 1 to April 15, 2027 |
A December filer gets less than four months between formation and the first Annual Report, which is worth flagging when planning a late-year LLC launch. Boost Suite's Montana LLC formation timeline guide shows how quickly the Articles of Organization clear at the SOS, which is what sets that first Annual Report window.
How to Confirm Your Filing Status in the Montana Business Search
The Montana Business Search on biz.sosmt.gov shows every LLC's filed reports, current registered agent, and good standing status. To check, search by entity name or Folder ID, then open the business record. The right-side panel shows the Filing Actions menu, including the “File Annual Report” option whenever the window is open. Confirmation receipts and filed copies sit in the Work Queue inside the user account.
Boost Suite's Montana business entity search walkthrough covers the lookup process in detail, whether owners are checking their own LLC or vetting a vendor.
Montana LLC Annual Report Fee in 2026: $0 vs $35 After April 15
| Filing window | LLC Annual Report fee (2026) |
|---|---|
| January 1 to April 15, 2026 | $0 (waived) |
| After April 15, 2026 | $35 |
| Reinstatement | $35 + $35 per missed report |
The 2026 fee waiver is administrative, not statutory. In late 2024, Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen announced the waiver, then confirmed it again for 2026 and 2027. The published $20 on-time fee that older guides reference is still on the SOS fee sheet; it's just been suspended administratively for 2026 and 2027.
Expedited processing fees on the Montana SOS fee sheet (24-Hour at $20, 1-Hour at $100) apply to other filings. Don't assume they apply to the Annual Report itself; they don't. Boost Suite's Montana LLC cost guide breaks down what an LLC actually spends each year, with and without the fee waiver in play.
How to File the Montana Annual Report Online at biz.sosmt.gov
Under 10 minutes. That's how long most Montana LLC owners spend filing the Annual Report when nothing has changed. Montana routes every Annual Report through the online portal at biz.sosmt.gov, and the current SOS workflow has no paper form for the LLC Annual Report.
Step-by-Step on the Montana Business Filing Portal
The Montana Secretary of State Help Center publishes the official 7-step workflow:
- Visit biz.sosmt.gov.
- Search for the business by name or Folder ID.
- Click the business name in the results list.
- On the right-side panel, click File Annual Report.
- Review the existing report information (name, jurisdiction, registered agent, principal office, members or managers).
- Read and check the declaration boxes; complete the required fields (marked with a red asterisk).
-
Click File Online.
For LLCs with no changes since the prior report, the “no change” Annual Report option moves faster. Owners making updates (new registered agent, new mailing address, new manager) make those edits inside the same workflow and then file. The declaration boxes function as the LLC's electronic signature, and confirmation lands in the user account's Work Queue.
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Why Montana No Longer Accepts a Paper Annual Report
The current SOS Help Center routes every Annual Report through biz.sosmt.gov. The catch with older guides: many still mention “online or by mail” filing options for Montana, but no current downloadable Annual Report form exists in the official workflow.
Skip any site offering a paper Montana Annual Report PDF for download; it's either out of date or selling a service the state doesn't accept.
Montana has one of the most active scam-letter problems I see among smaller states. The Secretary of State maintains a live warning about look-alike mailings from outfits named National Business Services, US Filing Services, and the 2026 MT Filing Cheat Sheet. Some of these solicitations demand $100 or more to file the Annual Report.
In 2026, the only legitimate Montana LLC Annual Report fee is $0 through April 15, and the only official filing portal is biz.sosmt.gov.
If a letter, email, payment link, or QR code does not point to an official .sosmt.gov page, I would not pay it. File directly through the state portal and ignore the look-alike notice.
Information Required for the Montana Annual Report
MCA 35-8-208 sets the statutory fields every Annual Report must include:
- LLC name and jurisdiction of organization
- Registered agent name and registered office address (per MCA 35-7-105)
- Business mailing address of the principal office
- Management structure: a statement that the LLC is manager-managed (with manager names and addresses) or member-managed (with member names and addresses)
- For a Professional LLC: a statement that all members and at least half of managers are qualified persons
- Signature by at least one member or an authorized agent
All information must be current as of the date the report is signed. Swapping a registered agent fits naturally inside the Annual Report, though Montana also offers a free Statement of Change for mid-year updates that don't require waiting until next April.
Boost Suite's Montana registered agent comparison covers when to use a commercial registered agent versus naming an individual.
Worth flagging: Montana statute doesn't ask for an EIN or NAICS code on the LLC Annual Report, despite what a few competitor guides claim. Filing clerks reject reports for missing statutory fields, not for blank optional ones.
Late Penalties and Administrative Dissolution in Montana
Domestic LLCs and foreign LLCs follow separate consequence tracks when an Annual Report goes unfiled. The two-column table makes the distinction explicit.
| Track | After April 15 | Dissolution / revocation trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Montana LLC | $35 late fee | Administrative dissolution under MCA 35-8-209 after 140 days of failure to file within the required time |
| Foreign LLC authorized in Montana | $35 late fee | Certificate of authority revocation under MCA 35-8-1011 after 140 days past due, plus a 60-day notice-and-cure period under MCA 35-8-1012 |
For domestic LLCs, administrative dissolution is involuntary. The SOS issues an order, and the LLC loses its right to do business in Montana until reinstated.
Revenue and contracts can keep flowing in practice, but enforcement gets messy for a dissolved LLC. It can't open a new bank account, sign a new lease, or sue in its own name.
The cleaner move is calendaring April 15 months in advance. A $0 filing avoids the entire mess.
For foreign LLCs, the SOS first delivers a notice. The LLC has 60 days to cure the deficiency or show the ground doesn't exist.
Miss that window and the certificate of authority is revoked. The Montana SOS then becomes the agent for service of process on claims that arose while the LLC was authorized.
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How to Reinstate a Dissolved Montana LLC
Under MCA 35-8-912, a domestic Montana LLC has five years from the dissolution date to apply for reinstatement. That's a five-year window to act, not a five-year wait, which some competitor pages still get backwards. Reinstatement means filing every delinquent Annual Report ($35 each) plus the $35 reinstatement fee.
Most domestic reinstatements also need a Title 15 Tax Certificate from the Montana Department of Revenue. The certificate confirms Title 15 taxes are paid. The exception: single-member LLCs that haven't elected corporate tax treatment.
Tax Certificates are free through the TransAction Portal (TAP). The DOR targets 30 days to process, and the certificate expires 6 months after issue.
Foreign LLCs don't reinstate in Montana. Instead, a revoked foreign LLC requalifies by filing a new Certificate of Authority. Boost Suite's Montana operating agreement template is a useful companion when restoring an LLC, since members and management structure may have shifted during the dissolution period.
Reinstatement in Montana is not expensive on paper. The timeline is what catches owners off guard. The real bottleneck is the Title 15 Tax Certificate from the Montana Department of Revenue.
I have seen owners pay the $35 reinstatement fee, file every back-owed report, and still wait six weeks because the Tax Certificate was not ready.
Request the Title 15 Tax Certificate through TAP first.
Wait until the certificate is in hand.
Then file the reinstatement and every missed Annual Report.
My cleanest sequence is simple: get the Tax Certificate first, then file the rest while the certificate is still inside its 6-month acceptance window.
Common Questions About the Montana LLC Annual Report
These are the questions Boost Suite gets most often from Montana LLC owners. Every answer reflects the 2026 filing cycle.
Is the Montana Annual Report fee really $0 in 2026?
Yes. The Montana Secretary of State has waived the on-time Annual Report fee for LLCs that file between January 1 and April 15, 2026. The waiver also applies to 2027. Reports filed after April 15 cost $35.
What happens if I miss the April 15 Montana deadline?
Two things happen. First, the fee changes from $0 to $35 the moment April 15 passes. Second, the 140-day clock starts under MCA 35-8-209.
If a domestic LLC fails to file within 140 days of the required time, the Secretary of State can administratively dissolve it. Foreign LLCs face certificate of authority revocation on a parallel timeline.
Can I update my registered agent on the Montana Annual Report?
Yes. The Annual Report workflow on biz.sosmt.gov lets owners change the registered agent, registered office, principal office mailing address, and listed members or managers in the same filing. Outside the Annual Report window, Montana also offers a free Statement of Change for updating registered agent details independently.
Does a Montana LLC with no income still need to file an Annual Report?
Yes. The Annual Report is a status filing, not an earnings or tax filing. Active LLCs file regardless of revenue. The only LLCs that don't file are those that have been formally dissolved or have withdrawn their Certificate of Authority.
Is the Montana Annual Report the same as a tax return or BOI filing?
No. Three separate filings: the Annual Report (Montana Secretary of State, entity information), state tax returns (Montana Department of Revenue), and BOI reports (FinCEN). Under the March 2025 interim final rule, domestic US LLCs are currently exempt from BOI reporting.
Are those Montana Annual Report mailings asking for $100 or more legitimate?
No. The Montana Secretary of State has an active warning about look-alike solicitations from outfits using names like “National Business Services” and “US Filing Services.” The on-time fee in 2026 is $0, and the only official portal is biz.sosmt.gov. Treat any letter or email demanding $100 or more as a private solicitation, not a state notice.
Can a foreign LLC reinstate in Montana the same way as a domestic LLC?
No. Reinstatement under MCA 35-8-912 applies only to domestic Montana LLCs. A foreign LLC whose certificate of authority has been revoked must requalify, which means filing a new Certificate of Authority and resolving whatever ground caused the revocation.
- Montana Secretary of State Business Services
- Montana SOS Help Center: How do I file my annual report?
- Montana Code Annotated § 35-8-208 (Annual report for Secretary of State)
- Montana Code Annotated § 35-8-209 (Administrative dissolution)
- Montana Code Annotated § 35-8-912 (Reinstatement following administrative dissolution)
- Montana Code Annotated § 35-8-1011 (Grounds for revocation, foreign LLC)
- Montana Department of Revenue: Tax Certificates
- Montana SOS 2026 fee waiver announcement
Looking for an overview? See Montana LLC Services
File Your Montana LLC Annual Report with Bizee
Bizee helps Montana LLC owners stay on top of annual report requirements, track key deadlines, and keep business details organized so they can avoid late fees and maintain good standing.
