Best Montana Registered Agent 2023: Top 7 Picks & Review
Reviewed by Randolph Vialva, MBA
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Every Montana corporation and Montana LLC needs a registered agent. If yours doesn’t have one, it could face significant fines from the Montana Secretary of State.
But what are Montana registered agent services? What does a registered agent in Montana do? And how much will they cost my Montana company?
We’ve put together this article to answer all of those questions and introduce you to the best-registered agent services in the state. Keep reading to learn more.
What Do You Know About A Registered Agent?
A registered agent is like an official point of contact for your company during normal business hours. They’re also sometimes called a statutory agent and a resident agent.
It’s their responsibility to accept the service of process and other important legal documents from a process server, law firm, or any other mail-forwarding business entity.
A Montana registered agent service can help you with much more than that as well. They can also support you by acting as a physical address or registered office address if you need one. Many providers will also give you access to an online account that’s full of help with state fees, tax notices, public records, formation documents, and more.
You can technically be your own registered agent as well. But hiring a registered agent service is typically a better solution since doing so will give you more time to focus on running your business.
Who Can Be A Montana Registered Agent?
To be a registered agent online in Montana, your registered agent’s address must be in the state. It also cannot be your company’s own address. Additionally, whomever you nominate to be your Montana registered agent will need to be at least 18 years old when you do so.
As long as you meet these requirements, you can use virtually any Montana registered agent service. Or, if you want to be your own registered, you will need to do so as an individual rather than through your Montana registered business.
Read more: Best LLC Services In 2023
Top 7 Best Montana Registered Agents In 2023
- Zenbusiness: Best Overall
- Northwest Registered Agent: Most Affordable
- IncFile: Best Online Tools
- Harbor Compliance: Easiest to Use
- Incorp: Best Mobile App
- LegalZoom: Best Reputation
- Rocket Lawyer: Best Legal Services
Read more: Best LLC Formation Services In Montana (MT) 2023
Top 7 Best Alaska Registered Agents May 2023
Zenbusiness
Zenbusiness is another all-around winner that’s especially beneficial to companies that need help with taxes and accounting in addition to registered agent services in Montana.
- Starts at $0 plus state fees
- Premium registered agent and compliances services
- Affordable EIN and expedited filing options
- Not a national brand
With this Montana-registered agent, you’ll get help with more than legal and other documents. Zenbusiness can help your entire company operate more efficiently and effectively with additional services in the area of taxes, accounting, and growth.
If you’ve always struggled with your business filing requirements or you just need a street address and a physical office for essential documents while compiling your Montana annual report, Zenbusiness can help you do it. From formation to the all-important registered agent services, they’ve got your back. And with thier worry-free compliance services, you can gain peace of mind while focusing on what you do best: running your business
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest is our selection for the best-registered agent service overall in Montana thanks to its affordability, powerful online dashboard, and great customer service.
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Great customer reviews
- Expensive add-on registered agent services
If you want a registered agent service that will process all your legal documents during normal business hours and keep you in compliance with the Montana Secretary of State, Northwest could be your best option.
This company helps new businesses receive documents, help with tax notifications, update the public record, and receive service in all of the legally required ways. Those services help businesses in Montana and other states stay compliant no matter what the future brings
IncFile
IncFile is a registered agent service that’s very easy to use. It’s a good selection for a company that is looking to change registered agents to find a simpler option.
- Annual report reminders
- Helps with legal mail
- Easy to start using
- No discounts for volume buyers
IncFile can help your company with everything that you need to remain compliant. From service of process and state fees to mail forwarding and change form assistance during regular business hours, this Montana registered agent does it all.
Customers tend to rank this service highly because it has a robust resource center that will help you learn many things about running a business in Montana without violating the rules set by the Montana Secretary of State.
Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance has excellent online tools that help you comply with Montana state law with minimal effort on your part. It’s another Montana-registered agent that you can’t go wrong with.
- Excellent online tools
- Easy to start using
- Affordable
- No premium services
Harbor Compliance is a jack-of-all-trades that can help your company in a variety of ways. It offers a solid Montana registered agent service, software, and plenty of resources to help you understand business documents, annual reports, sales tax requirements, filing fee information, and more.
Customers enjoy using Harbor Compliance because it helps the business owner take care of many different aspects of their business at the same time. That makes it a very convenient registered agent service.
Incorp
Incorp is a service that’s best for a business that values being able to manage things on the go. Its mobile app is a stand-out performer that’s worth taking a look at.
- Great mobile app
- Solid customer reviews
- Affordable
- Not a strong national registered agent brand
With Incorp, you can take care of your Montana business while on the go through a powerful mobile app that always keeps you in touch with your resident agent no matter where you are. This makes it much easier to interact with your registered agent in Montana and run your Montana LLC as you live your busy life.
Incorp also regularly receives solid customer review scores and is affordably priced. That could make it a compelling registered agent service for your goals.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom has the industry’s best reputation and offers a wide variety of ongoing business and legal services in addition to its Montana registered agent service.
- Industry-leading reputation
- Ongoing services for Montana businesses
- Excellent customer support
- Can be an expensive Montana registered agent service
You can use LegalZoom to set up your business entity, create legal documents, get advice from a lawyer, copyright your intellectual property, and so much more. The service makes it very easy to get all of the legal support that you need alongside the registered agent’s street address and registered agent’s name that will keep your Montana business in compliance regardless of what the future brings.
Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer offers ongoing business and legal services that can help your business take the next step toward its goals.
- Ongoing business and legal services
- Money-back guarantee
- Subscription-based payments
- Requires credit card for a free trial
Rocket Lawyer stands out with its competitive, consumer-friendly pricing packages with money-back guarantees. Its customer service is quite good as well. Plus, when you hire them you’ll be able to get legal advice without having to pay additional fees.
Just keep in mind the company’s ongoing services are priced separately from its registered agent service. So you will have to pay a bit more than a filing fee to get started.
How To Start Your Montana Business with Registered Agent?
If you still need to create your Montana LLC or corporation, then it makes sense to do it through a registered agent service. Most of the companies will help you form your business entity and give you a free year of registered agent service for doing it through them.
Getting started with this is really easy. You just take the following steps:
- Choose the registered agent service that you want to hire
- Visit their website and select the LLC or corporation formation service
- Follow the instructions and fill out the paperwork they give you
- Wait for them to let you know whether the Montana Secretary of State has approved it or needs further information
That’s all that it takes. Once you’ve finished this, you will get a free year of a Montana registered agent service if you choose the right company.
What Is The Cost Of A Montana Registered Agent?
Your charges for a registered agent will typically be around $99 to $300 per year. The exact process for determining this will vary based on the company that you hire and the types of additional services you want from them.
What Are The Advantages Of a Montana Registered Agent?
For most business owners, it makes more sense to hire a registered agent in Montana instead of acting as your own registered agent. The main reason for this is that being a registered agent in Montana can be a lot of work.
As a registered agent in Montana, you will need to keep up with the service of process, and the annual report process, act as an official point of contact and complete other compliance tasks.
This process can drain the amount of time that you have left to focus on running your business. If you’re always worried about the service of process, you may not be able to think as clearly about implementing the best strategies for achieving your company-wide growth goals.
Montana Registered Agent FAQs
A registered agent is a person or company that accepts the service of process and acts as an official point of contact for your business.
You should expect to pay between $99 and $300 per year for a registered agent in Montana who can help out with the service of process and other basic tasks.
Yes, the law says that every LLC and corporation in Montana must have a designated registered agent.
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- 35-7-105. Appointment of registered agent, MCA. leg.mt.gov. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0350/chapter_0070/part_0010/section_0050/0350-0070-0010-0050.html
- How do I… – Montana Secretary of State – Christi Jacobsen. Published February 22, 2018. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://sosmt.gov/business/how-do-i/#file-an-annual-report
- Montana Registered Agent | For LLCs & Corporations. Northwest Registered Agent. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/registered-agent/montana
- Get a Montana Registered Agent Today. ZenBusiness Inc. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://www.zenbusiness.com/montana-registered-agent/
- About Registered Agents – Montana Secretary of State – Christi Jacobsen. Published February 22, 2018. https://sosmt.gov/business/about/
- Noncommercial Registered Agents – Montana Secretary of State – Christi Jacobsen. Published February 22, 2018. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://sosmt.gov/business/agents/