About the Business Services Division

Flourishing businesses are critical to the economic vitality and stability of Montana. The Business Services Division is committed to working in close partnership with entrepreneurs who want to start, expand, or close a business in the state, as well as with out-of-state businesses seeking to open offices within Montana.

Specifically, the division is responsible for registering businesses and maintaining private-sector documents directly related to business. These include such documents as corporate charters, applications for assumed business names, and registration of trademarks.

We have been doing everything we can to streamline the services we provide, both online and in the office, without significantly increasing our fees. We have accomplished this by focusing annual report filing online, reducing turnaround time for paper mail processing, and making sure calls are answered in the most complete, accurate, and quickest way possible.

The division is also responsible for filing commercial and agricultural liens, including those filed under the Uniform Commercial Code and the Federal Food Security Act. Information on current filings is maintained on the UCC Search database and is available to registered users online.

A UCC lien is a financial document stating that a lender (a secured party) has a claim (security interest) in certain property (collateral) belonging to someone else (debtor). By filing a UCC lien, a lender establishes his or her priority for payment over subsequent lenders if the debtor defaults on the loan.

Under the Federal Food Security Act, buyers of farm products must register with the Business Services Division to ensure that they have clear title protection for the farm products they purchase.

If you have any suggestions as to how we can improve our services, please let us know. Making Montana a place where business can grow and thrive is a top priority for Secretary of State Linda McCulloch. We look forward to working with you in your endeavor to make your business succeed.