How to File Montana's Articles of Organization
What goes on Montana's Articles of Organization, what is filed with it and what it costs, read from Montana government sources.
The short answer. To form an LLC in Montana, you file the Articles of Organization with the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services. The state filing fee is $35. Of the 15 items this page tracks, the form requires 6, asks for 4 only in some cases and makes 1 optional, and 4 are not checked yet.
The Montana Articles of Organization at a Glance
| What Montana calls it | Articles of Organization |
| State filing fee | $35 |
| Processing time | Check with the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services |
| Where to file | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services |
| File online | Yes, online, open the filing portal |
| Blank form | Not linked here |
| Law that sets its contents | MCA 35-8-202 |
| Filed with it or right after | Nothing else |
Read from a Montana government source, last checked September 23, 2026. The filing fee and processing time come from our Montana cost record. See the sources.
What Goes on Montana's Articles of Organization
Each row is one of the 15 items this page tracks, with what Montana's Articles of Organization asks for. "Not on the form" means we checked and found no place for it on the Articles of Organization. "Not checked" means we have not confirmed it either way.
| Item | On the form |
|---|---|
| LLC name | Required |
| Registered agent's name | Required |
| Registered office address | Only when the registered agent is a noncommercial agent. A commercial registered agent is named without an address. |
| Principal office address | Required |
| Mailing address | Not checked |
| Organizer's name | Required |
| Members' names | Only for a member-managed LLC, which lists the names and business mailing addresses of its initial members. |
| Managers' names | Only for a manager-managed LLC, which lists the names and business mailing addresses of its initial managers. |
| Member-managed or manager-managed | Required |
| Business purpose | Only for a professional LLC, which states the professional services it will render. |
| Duration | Required |
| Effective date | Optional |
| County | Not checked |
| Email address | Not checked |
| Registered agent's consent | Not checked |
The registered agent rows are covered in more depth in Montana's registered agent requirements, and the steps before and after this filing are in how to start an LLC in Montana.
What the LLC's Name Must Include
The LLC's name must include an LLC ending. Accepted endings include "limited liability company", "limited company", "l.l.c.", "l.c.", "llc", "lc", "ltd. liability company", "limited liability co.", "ltd. liability co.", "ltd. company", "limited co." and "ltd. co.", and the law allows others as well.
Rule: MCA 35-8-103(1)(a).
File These With It or Right After
Nothing else has to be filed with it.
Draft Your Articles of Organization
The generator below starts with Montana selected and drafts the document from what you enter. Use the draft to prepare your answers for the online filing.
MyStateLLC.com is not a law firm, not an attorney, and not a document preparation service. This is a self-service tool: it formats information you enter into a state template, and no one at MyStateLLC reviews, corrects, or files it for you. This tool and the document it generates are informational and are not legal, financial, or tax advice, and are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. MyStateLLC cannot give legal advice, does not prepare or file documents itself, and communications with MyStateLLC are not privileged. Using this tool does not create an attorney-client relationship. LLC laws vary by state and this document is not reviewed by anyone before you file it. Consult a licensed attorney or CPA in your state before you sign or file it.
Where are you forming your LLC?
After It Is Approved
| Certified copy of the filed Articles of Organization | $10 |
| Changing it later (Articles of Amendment) | $15 |
Where these fees come from: the sources.
Professional LLCs in Montana
In Montana, a professional LLC is formed with the same Articles of Organization. Also required: The articles must state that the LLC is a professional LLC and name the professional services it will render. Your profession's licensing board may have requirements of its own, so check with it before you file.
Worth Knowing in Montana
Montana accepts this filing only through its online business portal; paper forms are not accepted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0350/chapter_0080/part_0020/section_0020/0350-0080-0020-0020.htmlMCA 35-8-202, Articles of organization
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0350/chapter_0080/part_0020/section_0010/0350-0080-0020-0010.htmlMCA 35-8-201, Formation
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0350/chapter_0080/part_0020/section_0040/0350-0080-0020-0040.htmlMCA 35-8-204, Execution of documents
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0350/chapter_0070/part_0010/section_0050/0350-0070-0010-0050.htmlMCA 35-7-105, Appointment of registered agent
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0350/chapter_0080/part_0010/section_0030/0350-0080-0010-0030.htmlMCA 35-8-103, Name
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0350/chapter_0080/part_0020/section_0030/0350-0080-0020-0030.htmlMCA 35-8-203, Amendment of articles of organization
- sosmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/business_filing_fees.pdfMontana SOS Business Services Filing Fees (effective 7-1-2022)
- help.sosmt.gov/en/article/register-a-business-v0307u/Montana SOS help center: Register a Business
- help.sosmt.gov/en/article/why-are-paper-forms-not-accepted-laqq09/Montana SOS help center: Why are paper forms not accepted?
- help.sosmt.gov/en/article/request-for-business-documents-and-certificates-v4zmgk/Montana SOS help center: Request for Business Documents and Certificates
- help.sosmt.gov/en/article/what-is-the-difference-between-an-llc-and-a-pllc-1j27u00/Montana SOS help center: What is the difference between an LLC and a PLLC?
- sosmt.gov/business/fees/Behind the state filing fee on this page
The rows and fees on this page were read from the Montana government sources above, not from a formation service, and anything we could not confirm there is marked Not checked. See our editorial policy for how these are verified and corrected.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's filing office publishes about the document that forms an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity or a separate professional form, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.