Montana lesson 1 of 6
Name your Montana LLC
The Secretary of State will reject an Articles of Organization filed through ePass Montana if the name is not distinguishable from a name already on record, so search first rather than finding out during submission.
Required wording
Under Montana Code Annotated 35-8-103, a Montana LLC name must contain the words limited liability company or limited company, or one of the abbreviations L.L.C., L.C., LLC or LC. Limited may be shortened to Ltd. and Company to Co.
- Acceptable: Big Sky Fabrication LLC, Big Sky Fabrication L.C.
- Not acceptable: wording that implies a bank, insurer or government agency without the required approval
- The name may not include certain restricted business name identifiers reserved for other entity types under Montana law
Checking availability and reserving a name
Search the Secretary of State's business entity records before you file. Montana requires a proposed LLC name to be distinguishable on the record from names already registered, so small punctuation or spacing changes alone are usually not enough to separate two names.
If you are not ready to file the Articles of Organization yet, Montana Code Annotated 35-8-104 allows you to reserve a name for a fee of $10 through ePass Montana, holding it while you finish preparing your filing.
Operating under a name different from your Articles of Organization is an assumed business name in Montana, registered separately with the Secretary of State.
🇺🇸 Check United States company name availability
Search the official United States state registry before you file. Opens the government portal in a new tab.
Tip: also confirm the .com domain and matching social handles are free before you commit.
Key takeaways
- End the name with LLC, L.L.C., LC, L.C., limited liability company or limited company.
- Search the Secretary of State's business entity database before filing through ePass Montana.
- A $10 reservation under MCA 35-8-104 holds a name while you prepare your filing.
Official sources
Or let us file your Montana LLC for you
Everything above is yours to use for free. If you would rather hand it over, we prepare and file the Articles of Organization, act as your registered agent, and track your ongoing deadlines.
Last reviewed: September 2026 - reviewed by Gullia Filing Legal & Formation Team