MT registered agent
Montana registered agent service, $2.50 a year
Montana requires every corporation and LLC on its books to keep a registered agent at a real address in the state. Here is what Montana law says about who that agent has to be and where it has to be.
What Montana requires of a registered agent
The requirement
Montana adopted the Model Registered Agents Act (MCA Title 35, ch. 7), which governs agents for all entity types; the Business Corporation Act and LLC Act require each entity to maintain a registered office and agent 'in compliance with Title 35, chapter 7' (e.g., MCA 35-14-501). The agent is either a listed commercial registered agent or a noncommercial registered agent - an individual or a domestic or foreign entity serving in the state. Filings must state an actual street address or rural route box number in Montana. No individual-residency requirement is stated.
"Noncommercial registered agent" means a person that is not listed as a commercial registered agent under 35-7-106 and that is an individual or a domestic or foreign entity that serves in this state as the agent for service of process of an entity. ... the filing must state: (1) an actual street address or rural route box number in this state; and (2) a mailing address in this state, if different from the address under subsection (1). ... Each corporation shall continuously maintain in this state a registered office and a registered agent in compliance with Title 35, chapter 7.
Source: state statute, via FACTS: MCA 35-7-102(13), 35-7-104; MCA 35-14-501(1)
How we comply
We don't.
What Montana does to your company when we don't
Here is what the state does to an entity that has no agent, or whose agent is us.
Administrative dissolution
A corporation without a registered agent or registered office for 60 days or more (or that fails to notify the Secretary of State of a change, resignation or discontinuance within 60 days) may be administratively dissolved; the Secretary compiles the list annually by September 1 and the corporation has 90 days after notice to cure before dissolution and forfeiture of its right to carry on business.
The secretary of state may commence a proceeding under 35-14-1421 to dissolve a corporation administratively if: ... (3) the corporation is without a registered agent or registered office in this state for 60 days or more; (4) the secretary of state has not been notified within 60 days that the corporation's registered agent or registered office has been changed, that its registered agent has resigned, or that its registered office has been discontinued;
Source: state statute, via FACTS: MCA 35-14-1420(3)-(4); procedure at 35-14-1421
Administrative dissolution
An LLC that fails for 60 days to appoint and maintain a registered agent (or to file a statement of agent change within 60 days) may be involuntarily dissolved by order of the Secretary of State, forfeiting its right to transact business in Montana (90-day cure after notice under 35-8-914).
A domestic limited liability company may be dissolved involuntarily by order of the secretary of state if the limited liability company: (a) (i) has failed for 60 days after a change of its registered agent to file in the office of the secretary of state a statement of the change; or (ii) has failed for 60 days to appoint and maintain a registered agent in this state; ... By reason of the default, the limited liability company may be involuntarily dissolved by order of the secretary of state, thereby forfeiting its right to transact any business in this state.
Source: state statute, via FACTS: MCA 35-8-209(1)(a); procedure at 35-8-914
Revocation (foreign entities)
A registered foreign corporation's registration may be administratively terminated if it is without a registered agent or registered office for 60 days or more, or fails to report an agent/office change, resignation or discontinuance within 60 days (60-day cure after notice). Foreign LLCs face parallel revocation of the certificate of authority under MCA 35-8-1011(2)-(3).
The secretary of state may terminate the registration of a registered foreign corporation in the manner provided in subsections (2) and (3) if: ... (c) the foreign corporation is without a registered agent or registered office in this state for 60 days or more; or (d) the secretary of state has not been notified within 60 days that the foreign corporation's registered agent or registered office has been changed, that its registered agent has resigned, or that its registered office has been discontinued.
Source: state statute, via FACTS: MCA 35-14-1511(1)(c)-(d); see also MCA 35-8-1011(2)-(3) (foreign LLCs)
The bill to come back
Reinstatement fee
Reinstatement after administrative dissolution must be sought within 5 years and requires a Department of Revenue tax certificate, a filing fee set by the Secretary of State (no dollar amount in statute), and all missed annual reports with related fees and penalties. LLCs likewise have a 5-year reinstatement window (MCA 35-8-912).
A corporation administratively dissolved under 35-14-1421 may apply to the secretary of state for reinstatement within 5 years after the effective date of dissolution. ... The corporation shall submit with its application for reinstatement: (a) a certificate from the department of revenue stating that all taxes imposed pursuant to Title 15 have been paid; (b) a filing fee, which must be set and deposited by the secretary of state in accordance with 2-15-405; and (c) all annual reports not yet filed with the secretary of state and related fees and penalties.
Source: state statute, via FACTS: MCA 35-14-1422(1)-(2); see also MCA 35-8-912 (LLCs)
What happens to the lawsuit you never saw
Substituted service
Under the corporation act, if there is no registered agent (or the agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served), the corporation may be served by registered or certified mail addressed to the secretary at its principal office; if that also fails, the Secretary of State is the corporation's agent for service. The generic Model Registered Agents Act rule (MCA 35-7-113(2)) instead points to 'applicable judicial rules and procedures' (the Montana Rules of Civil Procedure, outside this corpus).
If a corporation does not have a registered agent or the agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served, the corporation may be served by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the secretary at the corporation's principal office. ... If process, notice, or demand cannot be served on a corporation pursuant to subsection (1) or (2) ... then the secretary of state is an agent of the corporation on whom process, notice, or demand may be served.
Source: state statute, via FACTS: MCA 35-14-504(2)-(3); see also MCA 35-7-113(2)
Statutory text as captured by FACTS (retrieved 2026-08-01, verified word-for-word against the state code 2026-08-10). Laws change. The statute governs; this page does not.