Initial Fees and Licenses in Montana

April 13, 2006

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If you're going to operate your business in Montana, when you start up you're going to incur filing fees and licensing fees depending on the type of business you run and your business form (corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership or limited liability company (LLC)). Read on to see what Montana has in store for you.

Corporations. If you're doing business as a domestic corporation (a corporation incorporated in Montana), you will be subject to various fees when you start up. The following are some of the filing requirements and payments made by domestic corporations to the Montana Secretary of State:

Document	Fee
Articles of incorporation	$70
Articles of amendment	$15
Articles of merger	$20
Articles of dissolution	$15

Domestic corporations must also pay the following license fees, based on the number of authorized shares, to the Secretary of State. These fees apply when filing articles of incorporation and articles increasing the number of authorized shares:

Authorized Shares	Fee
1 to 50,000 shares	$50
50,001 to 100,000 shares	$100
100,001 to 250,000 shares	$250
250,001 to 500,000 shares	$400
500,001 to 1 million shares	$600
over 1 million shares	$1,000

If you're doing business as a foreign corporation (a corporation incorporated outside of Montana), you will be subject to initial fees when you start up. The Secretary of State will charge you a license fee of $100 at the time of filing an application for a certificate of authority to transact business. The following are some of the filing requirements and payments made by foreign corporations to the Montana Secretary of State:

Document	Fee
Certificate of authority	$70
Amended certificate of authority	$15
Application for withdrawal	$15

Limited liability companies (LLCs). If your company is either a domestic or foreign limited liability company (LLC), you must file documents with the Montana Secretary of State. If your company is a domestic LLC, you must deliver articles of organization to the Montana Secretary of State. Montana Form PLC-1 is used when filing your articles of organization. If your company is a foreign LLC, you must obtain a certificate of authority from the Montana Secretary of State.

The fee for filing articles of organization is $70. The fee for filing a foreign LLC registration application is also $70. The annual registration fee is $15 if filed by April 15 ($30 thereafter).

Business licenses and fees. Montana requires that you obtain a license and pay a fee if you are operating certain types of businesses in the state. Below is a partial list of some of the types of businesses required to obtain a license. Be sure to check with the state to make sure you are complying with the license requirements for your particular profession.