How to Dissolve an LLC in Montana (2026)
To dissolve an LLC in Montana, file Articles of Termination with the Montana Secretary of State, and it's free ($0). Montana runs entirely online, it stopped accepting paper filings in 2017, so everything goes through the Secretary of State's portal. Montana has no sales tax, and the Title 15 Tax Certificate some guides reference is required for reinstatement, not for voluntary dissolution (and even then, single-member LLCs not taxed as corporations are exempt). That makes Montana one of the most streamlined, lowest-cost states to close.
Here's the full process and the Montana-specific specifics.
Montana LLC dissolution at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form | Articles of Termination (preceded by notice/Certificate of Dissolution) |
| Filing fee | $0 (no fee for Articles of Termination) |
| Where to file | Montana Secretary of State — online only (no paper filings since 2017) |
| Processing time | Processed online |
| Tax clearance | Not required to dissolve (Title 15 certificate applies to reinstatement) |
| Annual report | $20/year, due April 15, online only |
| Reinstatement | Within 5 years; needs Title 15 certificate (except single-member LLCs not taxed as corps) |
| Final return | Final Montana and federal returns |
Step 1: Vote to dissolve and document it
Check your operating agreement for the dissolution procedure and hold the required member vote, then record it. The documented decision supports the filing.
Step 2: Wind up the business and settle debts
Wind up the LLC's affairs: notify creditors and other interested parties, settle business debts, and distribute remaining assets to members, creditors first. Distributing assets ahead of creditors can create personal exposure.
Step 3: Handle final taxes
File your final Montana and federal returns, marked final, and close any withholding or other tax accounts with the Montana Department of Revenue. Montana has no general sales tax, so there's no sales-tax permit to cancel. For a voluntary dissolution, you don't need a Title 15 Tax Certificate, that requirement attaches to reinstatement (see the wrinkle below), and even there, a single-member LLC not taxed as a corporation is exempt.
Step 4: File the Articles of Termination (online, free)
File the Articles of Termination through the Montana Secretary of State's online portal, there's no filing fee. Montana has been fully online since it stopped accepting mail filings in 2017, so you complete the filing electronically (Montana's process gives notice of dissolution and then terminates; the Articles of Termination are the no-fee finalizing step). Once filed and approved, the LLC is officially closed and no longer responsible for state filings or fees.
Step 5: Close accounts, licenses, and registrations
Finish by closing business bank accounts, canceling the EIN with the IRS if appropriate, canceling any local or industry-specific permits (Montana has no general state business license), and withdrawing any out-of-state registrations.
The Montana wrinkle: free, fully online, and the Title 15 certificate is a reinstatement thing
Montana's defining feature is how streamlined and cheap it is. The Articles of Termination cost nothing, the whole system is online (Montana is among the most digitized states, with no paper filings since 2017), and there's no sales tax to unwind. So voluntarily dissolving a Montana LLC is about as frictionless as it gets.
The point worth clarifying is the Title 15 Tax Certificate. Several guides mention it as if it's a dissolution requirement, but it isn't, it's a reinstatement requirement. If you let your LLC lapse (Montana involuntarily dissolves an LLC that misses its $20 annual report, roughly 140 days after the due date) and later want to revive it, you'd file the overdue reports, pay a $35 reinstatement fee plus $35 per delinquent year, and obtain a Title 15 Tax Certificate from the Department of Revenue, except that a single-member LLC not taxed as a corporation is exempt even from that. For a clean voluntary close, none of that applies: you just file the free Articles of Termination. Still, formally terminating beats letting it lapse, since an undissolved LLC keeps accruing the annual report obligation, the trap in can you just walk away from an LLC.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to dissolve a Montana LLC?
It's free. Montana charges no filing fee for Articles of Termination, you file online at no cost. There's no tax-clearance fee for voluntary dissolution either. So for most Montana LLCs, dissolving costs nothing, which makes it one of the cheapest states to close in.
Do I need a Title 15 Tax Certificate to dissolve a Montana LLC?
No, not for a voluntary dissolution. The Title 15 Tax Certificate from the Department of Revenue is a reinstatement requirement, needed if you let the LLC lapse into involuntary dissolution and later want to revive it, not a prerequisite for filing Articles of Termination. And even for reinstatement, a single-member LLC not taxed as a corporation is exempt. To dissolve voluntarily, you just file the free Articles of Termination online.
Can I dissolve a Montana LLC by mail?
No. Montana stopped accepting paper filings in 2017, so all business filings, including dissolution and the annual report, go through the Secretary of State's online portal. You file the Articles of Termination electronically. Montana is among the most fully digitized states, which is part of why dissolving there is fast and free.
This page covers the Montana specifics; for the general framework, see our complete guide to how to dissolve an LLC, and for nearby states, Idaho and Washington. Montana's official filing is at the Montana Secretary of State, and taxes through the Montana Department of Revenue.