Montana LLC filing: the cheapest state to form, and free to maintain through 2027

Montana is the cheapest state in the country to form an LLC, at $35, and right now it is close to free to maintain, because the Secretary of State has waived the annual report fee for on-time filings in 2026 and 2027. That combination makes Montana’s entry and upkeep costs among the lowest anywhere.

The thing to watch in Montana is not the price. It is the deadline, because the waiver rewards filing on time and the penalty for filing late is larger than the fee the waiver removes.

Montana is the cheapest state to form an LLC, and free to keep through 2027 if you file on time.

Naming the company

A Montana LLC’s name must include an LLC designator and be distinguishable from other names on the Secretary of State’s record. Name reservation is available before filing.

Forming the LLC

Formation is the Articles of Organization, filed online through the Montana Secretary of State’s portal.

Montana charges $35 to form, the lowest state filing fee in the country.

Processing is typically quick. If the company will use series, Montana charges an additional $50 for each series member named in the Articles, which is how the state prices the series structure the structure and cost page discusses. A registered agent with a physical Montana street address is required, and commercial agents typically run $100 to $300 a year.

The annual report and the waiver

Montana’s one recurring filing is the annual report, and its cost right now is unusual.

The annual report fee is waived for on-time filings in 2026 and 2027, reverting to a reported $20 after.

The report is due April 15 each year. For 2026 and 2027 the Secretary of State has waived the filing fee for reports filed on time, so an on-time Montana LLC currently pays nothing to stay in good standing. After the waiver period the fee returns to its reported level of $20. Confirm the base fee on the Secretary of State’s schedule, since one source lists it higher, and confirm the waiver terms, since they reward timeliness specifically.

Filing late costs $35, which is more than the fee the waiver removed.

A late annual report carries a $35 penalty. That is the Montana trap in miniature: the state made compliance free and made lateness cost more than the ordinary fee, so the entire value of the waiver depends on hitting the April 15 date. Continued non-filing leads to administrative dissolution, and reinstatement requires bringing filings current; confirm the reinstatement fee with the Secretary of State.

Other filings

Montana has no publication requirement and no franchise tax, so once the Articles clear and the agent is in place, the annual report is the whole recurring obligation. Foreign registration for an out-of-state LLC transacting business in Montana is a separate filing with its own fee; confirm it on the current schedule.

The bottom line

Montana charges $35 to form an LLC, the lowest state filing fee in the country.

The annual report fee is waived for on-time filings in 2026 and 2027, then returns to a reported $20.

The annual report is due April 15, and a late filing costs a $35 penalty regardless of the waiver.

Series LLCs cost an additional $50 per series member named in the Articles.

Montana has no publication requirement and no franchise tax, so the annual report is the only recurring filing.

Continued non-filing leads to administrative dissolution, so the April 15 deadline is the thing to protect.

What this page does not cover

This page is the mechanics: fees, the agent, and the annual report. How creditors reach you in Montana is on the protection page. What the statute decides when your agreement is silent is on the governance page. The no-sales-tax advantage, the vehicle use case, and series treatment are on the structure and cost page.

Last verified July 2026.