Montana's annual report keeps your business in good standing with the Secretary of State. You'll update basic information: your business address, registered agent, and current principals (directors and officers for corporations; members or managers for LLCs). It's a compliance update, not a franchise tax return or financial filing; you're simply confirming your details are still accurate. All filings go through the Montana Secretary of State's Business Filing Portal at biz.sosmt.gov; paper is not accepted.
Montana requires annual reports from LLCs, corporations (profit and nonprofit), and foreign entities authorized to transact business in the state. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships are exempt unless they've registered as another entity type; already-dissolved entities don't need to file. If you're a foreign entity registered in Montana, size and revenue don't matter: if you're registered, you're required to file. Corporate officers, directors, LLC members or managers, and authorized third-party services (including your registered agent) can all submit the report on your behalf.
Montana only accepts reports through the online business filing portal at biz.sosmt.gov. Mail in a paper form and they'll send it right back. Before you start, have your Folder ID and any updated addresses or officer information ready.
Here's what to do:
Download your confirmation page afterward, as banks and licensing boards frequently require proof of good standing.
Montana keeps the deadline straightforward. The online portal opens January 1, and all corporations and LLCs must file by April 15.
This deadline applies every year, including fee-waiver years. Your first annual report is due between January 1 and April 15 of the year after the calendar year in which you formed or were authorized in Montana, per MCA § 35-14-1621(4) for corporations and MCA § 35-8-208(3) for LLCs. For example, if you formed your LLC in March 2025, your first annual report is due by April 15, 2026.
The standard filing fee for Montana annual reports is $20 for corporations. Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen has waived annual report fees for LLCs and corporations filing by April 15 for four consecutive years: 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027. Associations and cooperatives retain the $20 on-time fee and are not covered by the waiver.
If filed after April 15, the total fee is $35 for all entity types. This is the full late filing fee, not a separate penalty added on top of the standard $20. The state only accepts online filings, which keeps the process simple.
The fee structure applies uniformly, so nonprofits pay the same late fee as for-profit companies.
Before you click "File Annual Report," gather every detail the Montana Secretary of State's online form will require. The portal first asks for baseline facts that apply to every entity:
The form then branches depending on your structure. Corporations must list each officer and director, together with titles and addresses. Domestic corporations must also report authorized and outstanding share counts under MCA § 35-14-1621(1)(f) and (g); foreign corporations are not required to report share data. LLCs substitute members or managers for officers, and nonprofits follow the corporate model: officers and directors only.
Professional LLCs must include a statement in the annual report that all members and at least one-half of managers are qualified persons, per MCA § 35-8-208(1)(f). PLLCs must also file a separate "statement of qualification" with each applicable licensing authority before April 15, under MCA § 35-8-208(6). The licensing authority may charge its own fee for that filing.
When all fields look right, certify the report with an electronic signature. Type your name, choose your capacity (officer, director, member, manager, or registered agent), and the system stamps the filing as legally binding.
Miss the due date, and the state begins tracking your non-compliance. Montana's consequences follow specific statutory timelines that vary by entity type, so a simple oversight can progress to the complete loss of your company's legal existence.
Any report filed after April 15 costs $35, regardless of entity type. If you continue to miss the deadline, the Secretary of State will initiate administrative action according to these timelines:
Reversing the damage is possible but requires multiple steps. According to the SOS reinstatement guide, you must submit every overdue annual report online, pay $35 per delinquent year, file a separate Reinstatement Application through the portal, and pay the applicable reinstatement fee. Filing all missing annual reports alone does not restore active status; a separate Reinstatement Application is also required. Most entity types must also obtain a Title 15 Tax Certificate from the Montana Department of Revenue confirming all state taxes have been paid.
Reinstatement fees vary by entity type. Per the SOS fee schedule, the base reinstatement fee is $35 for domestic LLCs, $30 for domestic and foreign corporations, and $10 for domestic nonprofits. These fees are in addition to the $35 per-year charge for each delinquent annual report. Reinstatement must be filed within five years of the dissolution date; after that window closes, the option is no longer available under MCA § 35-8-912(1) for LLCs and MCA § 35-14-1422 for corporations.
If you're winding down operations, don't simply stop filing. File a formal dissolution or withdrawal through the Secretary of State's portal to close the company's records cleanly and avoid accumulating fees on an entity that no longer operates.
Montana's April 15 deadline arrives on the same date every year, but tracking it across multiple entities while managing obligations in other states can quickly become overwhelming. Discern automatically monitors your Montana filing deadlines, pre-fills forms with your entity data, and processes submissions before late fees accrue.
For firms managing portfolios across multiple states, Discern's platform covers registered agent services, annual report filings, and entity management across 51+ jurisdictions. Customers with 200+ state registrations complete their annual compliance in 5 to 10 minutes, eliminating the risk of missed deadlines across their full entity structure.
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Below are answers to the most common questions about Montana's annual report filing process.
Can I file my Montana annual report early?
Yes. The online portal opens on January 1, so you can complete the filing as soon as the new year begins. Submitting early still keeps you covered through the deadline, and you avoid the last-minute rush.
Are there extensions available for the deadline?
No. Montana does not offer formal extensions for annual report filings. If you miss the April 15 deadline, you file late and pay the $35 total late fee. Continued failure to file can lead to administrative dissolution for domestic entities or termination of registration for foreign entities.
What if my business information changes after I file?
The filing captures a snapshot in time. If you later change your registered agent, principal address, or officers, you must file the appropriate amendment through the same online portal. Fees vary by filing type, but amendments prevent mismatched records that can derail future transactions.
Does filing all my missing annual reports automatically reinstate my business?
No. According to the Montana SOS Help Center, filing all delinquent annual reports is only the first step. You must also submit a separate Reinstatement Application through the online portal and pay the applicable reinstatement fee. Most entities also need a Title 15 Tax Certificate from the Montana Department of Revenue before the SOS will process the reinstatement.
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