How to Conduct a Montana Business Entity Search

The Montana business entity search, officially called the Montana business search, is a valuable tool for anyone who wants to learn more about registered companies in the state. Whether you’re an established business owner who needs to request a Certificate of Existence or a soon-to-be entrepreneur who wants to research name availability, this tool is a go-to resource.

But using the search can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve never used a tool like this before. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ve assembled a step-by-step guide to searching the state database effectively. We’ll also cover essential business name rules and what you should do after searching a business name.

Let’s get started.

Montana Secretary of State Contact Information

Address: P.O. Box 202801 Helena, MT 59620-2801	Email: sosbusiness@mt.gov
Telephone: 406-444-3665	Website: https://sosmt.gov/

Montana Business Name Guidelines

When you’re starting a business, one of the most important things you’ll do is pick your business name. And like other states, Montana has several rules about naming your business. 

First, your name needs to be different from the names of other registered companies in Montana, including both domestic and foreign corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and so on. This is one of the simplest but most important naming standards. 

That said, uniqueness isn’t the only naming guideline to adhere to. Here are a few other rules your Montana business name should follow: 

• Your business name needs to include a designator. For example, corporations need to include a word like “corporation,” “company,” “limited,” or “incorporated.” A few abbreviations of these terms are also acceptable. Meanwhile, LLCs need to include the phrase “limited liability company” or “limited company” or a permitted abbreviation. 
• You can’t include designators that belong to another business type.
• Your name can’t state or imply that you’re carrying out a business purpose that isn’t permissible by law or by your company’s formation documents.

If you’re in a licensed trade or profession, keep in mind that you’ll need to meet any naming rules that your industry has in place, too. If your business name doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll need to pick a new one. 

How to Run a Montana Business Search by Company Name

Montana actually gives you two ways to search the state database: by company name or by filing number. In this section, we’ll cover how to search by name (but keep scrolling if you want to learn how to search by filing number).

Step 1: Set up your search

To get started, you’ll need to navigate to the business search homepage. By default, you’ll see the simple search option.

If you wish, you can click on the “Advanced” tab underneath the search bar to open the advanced search menu. Here are a few of your different advanced options:

• Starts with, Contains, or Word Contains: These filters affect how the search functions, retrieving results that begin with the same word(s) as your search terms or include the word(s) you searched somewhere in the name. For example, if you searched “America” and used the “Contains” filter, you’d see results like “North America Bigfoot Search,” “America Family Restaurant,” and more.
• Entity Type and Entity Subtype: This lets you filter results to only include a particular business type, such as LLCs, corporations, non-profits, and so on.
• Status: This setting allows you to filter results by a particular status, such as active or inactive, involuntarily dissolved, and more.
• State and County: This setting allows you to filter results by the state and county where a business is founded (either in Montana or another state if you’re searching a foreign entity).
• Registration Date or Expiration Date: This setting helps you limit results for businesses that started or ended during a particular time period.

You aren’t required to use these filters; you can just run a simple search if you prefer. But using the filters is helpful if you’re typing a more generic search term (such as our “America” example). Even one or two filters can cut a list of results from hundreds to a few dozen.

If you’re going to use filters, go ahead and set the ones that best match your search goals. Then, type in your search terms into the search bar and click “Search” or press “Enter.”

Step 2: Review your search results

After you click “Search,” the tool will retrieve all business names that match your search terms. For example, here are just a few of the results we saw when we searched “America.”

In the first column on the left, you’ll see the full business name for the matching entities. Underneath each name, you’ll see the business structure of each company. In some cases, you might see that the name in question is a former business name; if that’s the case, you’ll see both the current and the previous name.

Alongside this name information, you’ll also see the company’s status, formation date, and the name of its registered agent.

If you’d like to learn more about a particular company, click on its business name. Further details will pop up on the right-hand side of the screen.

On this second screen, you’ll see the company’s filing number, entity subtype, formation state, principal address, and mailing address. You’ll also see the due date for its annual report and the name and address of its registered agent. If the company has any active assumed business names, you’ll see them here, too.

This page also allows you to review the company’s filing history and request copies for a small fee (such as a Certificate of Existence or Certificate of Fact, along with other forms).

How to Research Name Availability

If you’re hoping to start a new business, checking whether your desired business name is available is a crucial start-up step. Unlike some states, Montana doesn’t have a dedicated “name availability search” tool that you can use for this step. But the business name search can still assist you with your search for a unique name.

To perform this search, it’s best to click on the “Advanced Search” tab and change it to “Contains.” Then, type in the full business name you’re hoping to use, but leave off entity type designators like “LLC” or “Inc.” Then click “Search.”

If your name is already claimed, the search tool will retrieve the business information for the company that matches your search. If that happens, you’ll need to adjust your name until it’s unique. But ideally, you’ll see a message that no results were found for your query; if that happens, there’s a good chance that your name is available. Your name may also be available if there are similar names that don’t match yours exactly; remember this is a “contains” search and not an “exact match” search.

Keep in mind that this search isn’t a guarantee for name availability; the search database isn’t completely up to date at all times. Only a formal request (when you file Articles of Organization or a name reservation) will determine availability. 

How to Search by Filing Number

If you want a more direct search, then the filing number search method might be a better fit for your needs. Montana assigns a unique filing number to different entity registrations (filings like name reservations also get a filing number). So you can use that filing number to look up more information about that business.

To get started, navigate to the search homepage and type the full filing number. Be sure to type it carefully (don’t forget the letter that’s part of the ID). As long as you type the number correctly, the search tool will retrieve the exact business you’re searching for. For example, here’s what our search result looked like when we searched the filing number from our example above.

As before, you can click on the business name to review additional information about the company, see its filing history, or request copies. 

What to Do After Searching Business Names in Montana

After you’ve come up with a name and searched it, you’re probably feeling like you’ve done a lot of legwork. You’d hate for that hard work to go to waste, right? Here are some steps you can take to protect your Montana business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your Montana business name (optional)

If you’ve picked the perfect business name but you’re not quite ready to file your business formation paperwork, Montana allows you to reserve a business name.

You can request a name reservation by filing a Reservation of Name form online with the Secretary of State. You’ll need to pay a $10 filing fee for this reservation.

After your paperwork is filed and approved, your name reservation will be valid for 120 days; you can’t renew the reservation, either. This step is optional, and you should only pursue it if you’ve picked a name but aren’t ready to file your formation paperwork yet.

Form an LLC or register your business

One of the best ways to protect your business name is to register your business. After you register a business under your chosen name, no one else in Montana will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering a Montana business is an important legal process. Learn more about starting a Montana LLC. 

Get a domain name that matches

You want your customers to find your business website easily. That means you need a domain name that matches your business name as closely as possible. A matching domain will help your brand maintain consistency both in person and online.

If you’re struggling to come up with a domain name (or the one that matches your name is already taken), try using a domain name generator. A generator can help you come up with a domain that matches your brand image. 

Set up your business online

Today, you can’t run a business without a good digital footprint. A good business website is a decent starting point. But don’t stop there; set up social media accounts like a Facebook page, a TikTok profile, and an Instagram account. Make sure your business name is included on each account so your brand is consistent across your online presence.

Last but not least, set up a Google Business Profile for your business (or claim it if it already exists). This profile will help you direct customers to your website or your store location. Plus, it’ll help you respond to customer reviews and build a good brand reputation in Big Sky Country.

Trademark your business name (optional)

If you want the most robust protections for your business name, you could pursue trademark registration. Trademarks can be registered at the state or federal level (with federal protections being the strongest). 

Getting a trademark can be pretty complicated and time-consuming. If you go this route, it’s highly recommended to work with a trademark attorney.