Foreign registration · no form number

West Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in Montana

To do business in Montana, a corporation formed in West Virginia registers there on an online registration (no form number), with $70 in state fees. Montana may ask for West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services using your West Virginia records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

West Virginia vs Montana: the paperwork

	West Virginia formed here	Montana registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence	Certificate of Authority (no form number)
State fee	$10	$70 at order
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed online with Montana
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Montana Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	sos.wv.gov	help.sosmt.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every two years	Annual Report, no fee, every year
Due	July 1 each year	April 15
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$15 late fee
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Montana registered agent

How West Virginia companies register with Montana

We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your Montana registered agent, next to your West Virginia name and formation date. If Montana wants the West Virginia certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your West Virginia corporation is registered with Montana.

Will your West Virginia name work for Montana?

We check your exact West Virginia name against Montana's records before filing.

Your Montana agent and the West Virginia one

Montana calls it a registered agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. Montana papers come to us; West Virginia's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in West Virginia and Montana

West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25); Montana wants the Annual Report every year (no fee). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Montana

An LLC formed in West Virginia files its own registration with Montana ($70 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and Montana's Annual Report ($20). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Montana into West Virginia

A corporation formed in Montana that registers with West Virginia files Form CF-1 with $101 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions West Virginia owners ask about Montana

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Montana?

Yes, once a West Virginia business operates there; Montana registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Montana issues one to West Virginia corporations once the filing is approved.

How much does the Montana registration cost?

$269 at checkout; Montana may also want West Virginia's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Montana?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), West Virginia's report ($25, every two years) and Montana's report (no fee).

Does Montana require a registered agent?

Yes: the West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Montana for year one.

Can I form a new Montana corporation instead?

Yes, but West Virginia keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Montana's Annual Report (no fee), and the original keeps West Virginia's Annual Report.

What does a Montana company file to register in West Virginia?

It files Form CF-1 with $101 in state fees.

How do I get a West Virginia certificate of good standing?

West Virginia issues the Certificate of Existence in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options ($10).

Official sources

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