Montana Code Annotated
Part 15. Foreign Corporations
35-14-1505. Activities not constituting doing business

35-14-1505. Activities not constituting doing business. (1) Activities of a foreign corporation that do not constitute doing business in this state for purposes of this part include:
(a) maintaining, defending, mediating, arbitrating, or settling a proceeding;
(b) carrying on any activity concerning the internal affairs of the foreign corporation, including holding meetings of its shareholders or board of directors;
(c) maintaining accounts in financial institutions;
(d) maintaining offices or agencies for the transfer, exchange, and registration of securities of the foreign corporation or maintaining trustees or depositories with respect to those securities;
(e) selling through independent contractors;
(f) soliciting or obtaining orders by any means if the orders require acceptance outside this state before they become contracts;
(g) creating or acquiring indebtedness, mortgages, or security interests in property;
(h) securing or collecting debts or enforcing mortgages or security interests in property securing the debts and holding, protecting, or maintaining property so acquired;
(i) owning real or personal property that is acquired incident to activities described in subsection (1)(h) if the property is disposed of within 5 years after the date of acquisition, does not produce income, or is not used in the performance of a corporate function;
(j) conducting an isolated transaction that is completed within 30 days and that is not in the course of repeated transactions of a similar nature; and
(k) doing business in interstate commerce.
(2) The list of activities in subsection (1) is not exhaustive.
(3) This section does not apply in determining the contacts or activities that may subject a foreign corporation to service of process, taxation, or regulation under the laws of this state other than this chapter.
(4) Except as provided in subsection (1), a foreign corporation is doing business in this state within the meaning of 35-14-1502(1) if it enters into a contract, including a contract entered into pursuant to Title 18, with the state of Montana, an agency of the state, or a political subdivision of the state and must register to do business under this part before entering into the contract. This subsection does not apply to contracts for goods fully prepared or services fully performed out of state for delivery or use in this state.
History: En. Sec. 207, Ch. 271, L. 2019; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 34, L. 2021.