Montana Sets New Monthly Business Registration Record with Nearly 7,000 July Filings

HELENA, Mont. — Montana shattered its monthly business registration record in July 2025, with nearly 7,000 new companies filing with the Secretary of State’s office, according to the Montana Business Economic Report.

The July figures surpass the previous monthly high of roughly 6,700 registrations set in April, marking the fifth consecutive month above 6,000 new business filings as Western Montana News has been tracking throughout 2025.

“Montana is open for business,” said Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen. “The record number of new businesses registering in July is more than a statistic; each represents the flourishing entrepreneurial spirit in Montana.”

Record-Breaking Year Continues

With nearly 45,000 new business registrations filed through the first seven months of 2025, Montana remains on track to significantly exceed its 2024 record of nearly 64,000 total registrations.

The sustained momentum builds on a pattern Western Montana News has documented since January, with the state posting over 6,000 registrations in January, 5,100 in February, 6,600 in March, 6,500 in May, and more than 6,200 in June before reaching July’s historic peak.

According to Jacobsen’s office, Montana has experienced record new business growth in each of the past four years, with 2024 setting the previous annual benchmark at nearly 64,000 registrations.

Policy Changes Behind the Numbers

Several business-friendly reforms have coincided with the registration surge:

• Registration fees cut in half for new Montana businesses
• Annual report filing fees waived for 2024 and 2025, with additional waivers planned through 2027
• Enhanced online services providing 24/7 access to filing and document retrieval
• Eliminated fees for several other business-related services

The fee reductions and waivers have saved Montana businesses millions of dollars statewide while streamlining the registration process for entrepreneurs across the state.

“As your Secretary of State, I work daily to make Montana the most business-friendly state in the nation,” said Jacobsen. “We’re proud to support the Montana business community.”

Western Montana News requested additional details from the Secretary of State’s office regarding industry breakdowns and geographic distribution of the July registrations, but did not receive a response by publication time.