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LLC 101 Guide

Course unit 3 · Maine

Foreign LLC Registration in Maine (2026): 5 Tasks and the 3 Best Services

Our 2026 Maine picks for registering an out-of-state LLC, strongest to weakest, are Mainstay Filing ($199), ME Registered Agent.org ($199) and Maine Registered Agent.co ($199). Registering takes 5 tasks and a $250 state fee, plus $150 each time the report comes around.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

The quick version

Fee at the state office
$250
Look it up at maine.gov; our reading dates from October 2026
Home certificate
90 days
No older than
Annual report
$150
Annual report for a foreign LLC
State cost, years 1 to 3
$550
Registration and reports
Task count
5
In order

What this unit teaches

  • Which LLCs must register
  • The official form and fee
  • The recurring filing
  • How the picks stack up

If you want someone else to file

What counts most: three-year cost and how many assignments the price finishes. How we grade lists all five criteria.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies adding a second state

Start with this one$199 and the $250 state fee, then $149 yearly

Start the list with Mainstay Filing, because a $199 service fee plus Maine's fee, then $149 a year for the agent.

Three years run $100 higher than with ME Registered Agent.org, but it completes more of the assignments, and the grade pays for that.

Agent service after the first year is $149 a year.

What the price covers

  • Registration prepared and sent
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • Covers all fifty states

What works

  • Registered agent is free in year one
  • $199 above the state fee
  • Any state, one fee

What to weigh

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above ME Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. ME Registered Agent.org: best for a small yearly agent fee

Maine specialist$199 and the $250 state fee, then $99 yearly

Our second choice, ME Registered Agent.org: registration is $199 plus state fees, and year one of the agent is already paid for.

What the price covers

  • The Maine registration, prepared and sent
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 above the state fee
  • A year of agent service is included
  • Then $99 per year

What to weigh

  • A single-state service
Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Maine Registered Agent.co: best for another Maine choice

Maine specialist$199 and the $250 state fee, then $99 yearly

Our third choice, Maine Registered Agent.co: registration is $199 plus state fees, and year one of the agent is already paid for.

On price, it is level with ME Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • The Maine registration, prepared and sent
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • Then $99 per year
  • $199 above the state fee
  • A year of agent service is included

What to weigh

  • A single-state service
Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

A comparison of the services

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2ME Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Maine Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Each row still needs Maine's $250 registration fee.

The unit, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Is Maine registration needed?

    Out-of-state LLCs that do business in Maine register first as foreign LLCs. What happens when an LLC operates unregistered: Until it registers, the LLC cannot bring a lawsuit in Maine courts (31 MRSA 1629(1)).

    Source: Look it up at legislature.maine.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Get a certificate from your home state

    You need certificate of existence, issued inside 90 days.

    Request it close to your filing date.

  3. Task 3

    Name a registered agent for Maine

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A noncommercial agent lists a physical street address in Maine, not a P.O. box. Commercial agents keep their address on file with the state.

    Our recommendations cover this role.

    Source: Look it up at legislature.maine.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  4. Task 4

    File the Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities

    The office, the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions, wants the filing above plus $250.

    Source: Look it up at maine.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Look ahead to the recurring filing

    After registering, a foreign LLC files the Annual report for a foreign LLC ($150), June 1.

Maine costs by task

Line itemReceiverPrice
Foreign registrationThe state$250
Annual report for a foreign LLCThe state$150
Optional serviceYour service$199 in year one
State fees over years one to threeThe state$550
State fees were read from the official pages named in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where there is one.

How we ordered the Maine picks

Assignments the price completes settled first place in Maine. It is worth 31% of the grade, and the other 69% comes from course fee across three years, second-year fee, match with the state syllabus and plain pricing.

Because the LLC is active in two states, reach settled the order.

Check your Maine answers

What is Maine's fee for a foreign LLC?

$250 as the official fee. Put $199 on top if you hire a service.

Which form do I file to register?

Fill in the form named in task 4 and send it to the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence, issued within 90 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

Until it registers, the LLC cannot bring a lawsuit in Maine courts (31 MRSA 1629(1)).

What is due after registering?

Next comes the Annual report for a foreign LLC at $150.

Which service should handle the registration?

The order is Mainstay Filing, ME Registered Agent.org and Maine Registered Agent.co, and Mainstay Filing is first since registering costs $199 plus state fees, and the first year of the registered agent is free.

Reading list and sources

  1. Reading list entry for Maine Secretary of State: maine.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  2. Reading list entry for Maine Secretary of State: maine.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  3. Reading list entry for Maine report due date: maine.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  4. Reading list entry for 31 M.R.S. sec. 1531: legislature.maine.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  5. Reading list entry for Maine formation fee: Filing fee, official source: legislature.maine.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  6. Reading list entry for Maine registered agent statute: legislature.maine.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  7. Reading list entry for Maine Secretary of State, foreign entities: maine.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  8. Reading list entry for Form MLLC-12: maine.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  9. Reading list entry for 31 MRSA § 1622, foreign qualification: legislature.maine.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  10. Reading list entry for 31 MRSA § 1623, activities that do not: legislature.maine.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  11. Reading list entry for 31 MRSA § 1629, consequences of not qualifying: legislature.maine.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  12. Mainstay Filing Maine service page, opened November 13, 2026
  13. ME Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  14. Maine Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026