How to File an Assumed Name for an LLC in Montana
By Edmond Hui · Last updated October 6, 2026
Short answer
Montana requires an LLC that does business under a name other than its own to register an assumed name. An LLC files the Application for Registration of Assumed Business Name with the Secretary of State. The filing fee is $20.00. We found no publication step for an LLC's assumed name filing in Montana.
Montana Assumed Name at a Glance
- Requirement
- Required
- Where to file
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $20.00
- How long it lasts
- 5 years
- Newspaper notice
- None found
- File online
- Not confirmed
How an LLC Files
An LLC files the Application for Registration of Assumed Business Name with the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State will not register an assumed business name that is not distinguishable on its records from a name already registered or reserved there, including corporate and LLC names and trademarks.
Cost and Renewal
The filing fee is $20.00.
The registration has a 5-year term.
Renewal costs $20.00.
Publication
We found no publication step for an LLC's assumed name filing in Montana.
If you skip it
A business trading under an assumed business name without an effective registration cannot bring a lawsuit in a Montana court under that name.
Sole proprietors
Montana requires a sole proprietor who does business under a name other than their legal name to register an assumed name.
A sole proprietor files the Application for Registration of Assumed Business Name with the Secretary of State.
The filing fee is $20.00.
The registration has a 5-year term.
Renewal costs $20.00.
We found no publication step for a sole proprietor's assumed name filing in Montana.
A business trading under an assumed business name without an effective registration cannot bring a lawsuit in a Montana court under that name.
| Requirement | Required |
|---|---|
| Where to file | Secretary of State |
| Fee | $20.00 |
| How long it lasts | 5 years |
| Newspaper notice | None found |
| File online | Not confirmed |
Next steps
Frequently Asked Questions
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 registering a business name, with the sources this page cites. A filing here does not register a federal trademark, and fees and forms change between our reviews. Confirm with the office named on this page before you file.
Sources
Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Montana sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0300/chapter_0130/part_0020/section_0010/0300-0130-0020-0010.htmlMCA 30-13-201, Definitions
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0300/chapter_0130/part_0020/section_0030/0300-0130-0020-0030.htmlMCA 30-13-203, Application for registration of assumed business name
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0300/chapter_0130/part_0020/section_0040/0300-0130-0020-0040.htmlMCA 30-13-204, Filing application for registration, issuance of certificate
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0300/chapter_0130/part_0020/section_0060/0300-0130-0020-0060.htmlMCA 30-13-206, Term and renewal of assumed business name registration
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0300/chapter_0130/part_0020/section_0150/0300-0130-0020-0150.htmlMCA 30-13-215, Effect of transacting business without certificate
- mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0300/chapter_0130/part_0020/section_0020/0300-0130-0020-0020.htmlMCA 30-13-202, Registration of assumed business name, when prohibited
- sosmt.gov/business/fees/Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Filing Fees
- sosmt.gov/business/business-structures/Montana Secretary of State, Business Structures
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.