Montana asks every LLC and corporation to file an annual report with the Secretary of State. The date is April 15. What makes Montana unusual is the fee: the office lists the report as free if you file before the deadline, and $35 if you file after it.
Searching, formation and contacts are in the Montana office guide. This page walks through the report itself.
Who files and what does it cost?
All LLCs and corporations registered in Montana file, whether for-profit or nonprofit. The report keeps the registration up to date and confirms the business is active.
The fee sheet reads "Annual Report Prior To April 15th WAIVED" and "Annual Report After April 15th $35.00." So the $35 is the whole charge for a late report, not a penalty added to a base fee. The Secretary of State has talked about waivers as something it decided for a given year, so look at the current sheet before you file.
How does the April 15 deadline work?
The deadline is the same date for every business, not tied to the month you formed. Say your LLC was formed in September. Its report is still due the next April 15. File by that date and you pay nothing. File on April 16 and the fee is $35.
When April 15 lands on a weekend, do not count on an extension. The pages we read do not describe a rule for that, so file a few days early.
How do you file it, step by step?
- Go to the online filing portal at biz.sosmt.gov and log in. If you have no account, create a user profile.
- Search for your business record and click its name.
- Use the Filing Actions button to find the annual report form.
- Fill in the form, check the details, and submit it.
- Save a copy of the filed report for your company records.
Our guide to annual reports shows how the process differs between states.
What happens if you miss it?
A missed report is not just a $35 matter. The Secretary of State sends an involuntary dissolution notice to businesses that did not file. In one past notice, it gave them 90 days to file the report and pay the fees. If that did not happen, Montana law required the office to dissolve the business.
Watch the status on your record.
Every status word Montana uses is explained in our Montana office guide.
Active Good Standing is the one you want. A dissolved business is no longer in good standing, which matters if a bank asks for a certificate of good standing.
How do you reinstate a dissolved business?
File every missing annual report along with a reinstatement application through the portal. For an LLC the reinstatement fee is $35, plus $35 for each year of delinquent annual reports. So a business that skipped three reports pays $35 plus $35 for each of those three years.
Most registrations also need a Title 15 Certificate from the Montana Department of Revenue. A single-member LLC that is not taxed as a corporation does not need one. The Business Services Division reviews the filing, and once it is approved the registration is active again.
How do you check the report was filed?
Search for the business at the portal and open the record. Look at the status and the filing history. If you want help with the paperwork, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can file with the Secretary of State yourself.