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Montana splits business paperwork across several offices. The Secretary of State handles the entity. The Department of Revenue handles taxes and alcohol. Other agencies and local governments handle the rest. None of the pages we read describe one state license that covers all of it.
Is there a general state license in Montana?
We did not find one. What we did find is a plain warning on the Secretary of State's business structures page: it may be necessary to get additional forms or state and local licenses for your business. For a sole proprietor, the same page says you must obtain any necessary state and local business licenses.
So the practical answer is that it depends on what you do and where you do it. A food business, a contractor and an online shop face different lists. We cannot give you your list from the pages we read, and we do not guess.
What does forming the LLC give you?
A registered company, nothing more. Articles of Organization cost $35 on the fee sheet. Our Montana LLC guide walks through the filing. The entity then owes an annual report each year on April 15, and the fee is waived if you file before that date.
Reinstating a dissolved company can pull in the tax side. Most reinstatements need a Title 15 Certificate from the Department of Revenue, according to the Secretary of State's dissolution notice. A single-member LLC that is not taxed as a corporation is the exception named there.
Which office covers which job?
| Job | Office we saw |
|---|---|
| Register the LLC, assumed names, annual report | Secretary of State |
| Corporate income tax, wage withholding, pass-through entity tax | Department of Revenue |
| Alcohol licensing | Department of Revenue |
| Trade, product or location permits | The agency or city that regulates it |
The Revenue row comes from the headings on the Department of Revenue site. We read headings, not rules, so check which taxes apply to your LLC before you assume anything. Our state tax ID lookup page explains the numbers you may be asked for, and the EIN guide covers the federal one.
Where do you start?
The Secretary of State lists a Business Start-Up Resources Guide on its business page. It is described as a simple guide to put a business on a path to success. We did not read it, so we cannot say how far it goes on licensing.
A workable order:
- Form the LLC and note the filing date.
- Get the federal EIN.
- Ask the Department of Revenue which accounts you need.
- Call your city or county office about local licenses for your address.
- Ask the regulator for your trade or product if one applies.
If you will sell under a brand name, register an assumed name too. The Montana DBA page has the fee and term.
Where to check a license
We did not read a Montana license lookup, so we do not link one. To confirm that a company exists, use the search covered in our Montana business search guide. For other states and general methods see business license lookup. Wyoming next door has its own page: Wyoming business license.
What this guide leaves out
City and county license fees, trade board rules, cannabis rules, rates for any tax, and renewal dates for licenses other than the annual report. This is information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm each point with the office that issues the permit.