Instructions for Montana LLC Annual Report

Montana LLCs must file an Annual Report each year

All LLCs in Montana must file an Annual Report every year, regardless of their business activity or income.

In other words, even if your LLC is inactive and earns no revenue, it is still required to submit an Annual Report annually.

You must submit the LLC Annual Report to the Montana Secretary of State.

Filing the Annual Report ensures that your LLC remains in compliance and maintains good standing with the state of Montana.

How to file your Montana LLC Annual Report

The only way to file your Montana LLC Annual Report is online, as the state has not accepted mail filings since 2017.

Filing Fee

The annual fee is $20, which must be paid each year for the duration of your Montana LLC's existence.

Annual Report Approval Time

Your Montana LLC Annual Report is processed immediately upon submission of the online filing.

Due Date

You must file your Montana LLC Annual Report by April 15th each year.

How early can the Annual Report be filed?

You may file your Montana LLC Annual Report as early as January 1st of the year it is due.

Penalty

If you miss the April 15th deadline, you'll incur a $15 late fee in addition to the $20 filing fee, totaling $35.

Failure to file by September 1st will result in the state sending a warning notice about the impending dissolution of your LLC.

If you continue to neglect this requirement and do not file your LLC Annual Report by December 1st, the state will administratively dissolve your Montana LLC.

Reinstatement: It's Not as Scary as It Seems

Dissolution may sound intimidating, but it’s not as daunting as it seems. A Montana LLC can be reinstated at any time within 5 years of dissolution.

To reinstate your Montana LLC, you must pay a $35 reinstatement fee and file all overdue Annual Reports.

Reminders

All reminders for Montana LLC Annual Reports are sent via email.

Previously, the state mailed postcard reminders, but this practice has ended as the Montana Secretary of State has moved to digital processes.

Email reminders are sent every two weeks from January through April 15 until your Annual Report is filed.

• Reminders are sent to the email address listed for the Registered Agent during your Articles of Organization filing.
• If any Principal email addresses were provided in your filing, reminders are also sent there.
• Additionally, an email reminder is sent to the email address associated with your ePass login.

One Reason Montana LLCs Are Dissolved

The primary reason the Montana Secretary of State shuts down LLCs is failure to file an Annual Report.

Regardless of whether you receive the reminder emails from the state, it remains your responsibility to file your Montana LLC Annual Report on time each year.

To avoid missing the deadline, we strongly recommend setting up recurring reminders on both your phone and computer. Additionally, write down the due date and place it somewhere visible to keep it top of mind.

Montana LLC Annual Report Instructions

Get started

• Go to the Montana Secretary of State Business Services page and click "Filing Portal Login" in the upper right corner to log in.
• Next, select "Search" from the left menu or File Annual Report under Business Services.
• Search for your LLC by its name or Business Identifier number.
• Click on your LLC name in the search results.
• Then, click the File My Annual Report button in the popup.

What if I don’t see the "File My Annual Report" button?

If the "File My Annual Report" button isn't visible, contact the Secretary of State's office to resolve the issue. There may be a problem linking your account to your LLC record.

Now, let's proceed with completing the Montana LLC Annual Report.

Filing Information

There's nothing to do in this step—just click "Next Step."

Entity Details

There's nothing to do at this step since your LLC’s information is already provided. Simply click "Next Step".

Entity Addresses

Business Mailing Address of Principal Office:

Check your LLC's Mailing Address. Keep it as is if it's correct, or make changes if necessary.

Business Physical Address of Principal Office:

Review your LLC's Physical Address information. Keep it as is if it's current, or update it if needed.

If no Physical Address is listed, you can leave it blank. Listing a Physical Address for your Montana LLC is not required.

No change to registered agent details

If there are no changes to your LLC's Registered Agent, you can move on to the next section.

Change agent address and legal name

Choose this option if you are retaining the same person or company as your Registered Agent but need to update their address.

Appoint a new registered agent

Choose this option if a new person or company will be serving as your LLC's Registered Agent.

If you hired a Commercial Registered Agent:

• Enter their company name in the "Agent Name" box (results will appear as you type).
• Select their name from the list of results.
• Check the box at the bottom to confirm that the Commercial Registered Agent has agreed to serve as your Registered Agent.

If you, a friend, or a family member will serve as your LLC's Registered Agent:

1. Click "Add New Agent".
2. Select "Individual".
3. Enter their contact information.
4. Click "Save".

Principals

First, select whether your LLC is Manager-managed (“Managers“) or Member-managed (“Members“).

Second, if there have been any changes to your LLC’s Members and/or Managers, you can make those changes here by either adding and/or removing anyone necessary.

If no changes are needed, you can proceed to the next step.

Review

Review all the information you've entered, checking for accuracy and any potential typos.

If you need to make corrections, return to a previous step.

If everything is correct, move on to the next step.

Sign & Submit

Check the boxes at the top to agree to the terms and statements.

In the "Signer's Capacity" dropdown, select "Self" and enter your name in the "Signature" box. Then, add today's date.

The Montana LLC Annual Report must be signed by someone with authority. Authorized signers include:

• LLC Member
• LLC Manager
• A person with Power of Attorney
• Authorized Agent (someone appointed by an LLC Member or LLC Manager)

Choose "Manager/Member" from the "Position" dropdown if you are signing on behalf of your LLC.

Put your email address and phone number in here.

Then move on to the following action.

Payment

If your credit card information is saved, it may appear automatically.

If not, manually enter your credit or debit card details.

Click "File Online".

Montana LLC Annual Report Approval

Your Montana LLC Annual Report will be processed and approved immediately.

You should receive a "Payment Successful" message.

Click the provided links to download your receipt and the stamped, approved Annual Report.

At this point, you're all set!

Just remember to set up a recurring reminder on both your phone and computer to file your Montana LLC Annual Report next year.

Montana Secretary of State Contact Info

If you have any questions, you can reach the Montana Secretary of State at 406-444-3665.

Their office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Time.