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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 2 · Maine

The Maine Registered Agent Unit (2026): 6 Tasks and the 3 Best Agents

Our 2026 Maine picks for naming a registered agent, strongest to weakest, are ME Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and Maine Registered Agent.co ($99 a year). From the statute to the agent's record on file, there are 6 short tasks.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Read this first

Is a registered agent required?
Yes
Taken from legislature.maine.gov in October 2026
Agent price range
$99 to $149 a year
Read from each company's price page
Annual report
$85 a year
Taken from maine.gov in August 2026
How many tasks
6
In order

You will leave able to

  • The legal requirement
  • Who may serve and from what address
  • Naming the agent with the state
  • How the picks compare

Services we recommend in Maine

Graded on the grading page: three-year cost (34%), assignments completed (31%), renewal price, fit with Maine's rules and plain pricing.

Top of the class

1. ME Registered Agent.org: best for owners based in the state

Start with this one$99 yearly, $99 at renewal

Our first pick is ME Registered Agent.org; an in-state street address for the registered office at $99 a year.

A smaller three-year total than Mainstay Filing earns it first place; cost counts 34%.

What the price covers

  • A Maine address for the registered office
  • Online copies of legal papers

What works

  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 per year

What to weigh

  • Another state means another agent
  • No help with the annual report
Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states

Upkeep covered$149 yearly, $149 at renewal

Our second choice, Mainstay Filing: a $149 yearly agent fee that is identical across all fifty states.

It runs $150 above ME Registered Agent.org over three years, and cost is 34% of the grade.

What the price covers

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Free scans of legal papers served on the company, sent the business day they arrive
  • Up to three government letters a year are scanned free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • One price in all fifty states
  • A flat $149 yearly

What to weigh

  • $50 a year above ME Registered Agent.org
  • Reports stay on your plate
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Maine Registered Agent.co: best for staying inside one state

Maine specialist$99 yearly, $99 at renewal

Maine Registered Agent.co takes third place: an in-state street address for the registered office at $99 a year.

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

What the price covers

  • A Maine address for the registered office
  • Online copies of legal papers

What works

  • $99 per year
  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing

What to weigh

  • Another state means another agent
  • No help with the annual report
Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Grades and prices together

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1ME Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Maine Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. The state bills the same whichever agent you name.

Naming a Maine registered agent, task by task

  1. Task 1

    The Maine rule in brief

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

    Source: Taken from legislature.maine.gov in October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Who can take the role

    A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual or entity serving as agent in Maine, or the holder of a named position in the company. (5 M.R.S. § 105)

  3. Task 3

    The address rule

    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.

    With a service, the public record shows its address instead of yours.

  4. Task 4

    Be your own agent or hire one

    Hiring from the recommended agents costs $99 to $149 a year; serving yourself is the option for those who qualify.

  5. Task 5

    Name the agent in your filing

    The Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6) asks for the agent's name and address, and the Maine Secretary of State also takes change filings from LLCs switching agents.

    Source: Taken from legislature.maine.gov in October 2026

  6. Task 6

    Track the recurring filing

    Each year the annual report confirms the details for $85, by June 1. A late filing costs $50.

    Source: Taken from maine.gov in August 2026

What the agent costs in Maine

TaskWho gets paidTotal
A professional agentYour service$99 to $149 a year
From year twoYour service$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportState agency$85 every year
To get the three-year state number we add up the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax, and we keep service fees separate.

Why ME Registered Agent.org is first

Course fee across three years settled first place in Maine. It is worth 34% of the grade, and the other 66% comes from assignments the price completes, second-year fee, match with the state syllabus and plain pricing.

Three years with ME Registered Agent.org add up to $297, which is $150 under Mainstay Filing.

Check your Maine answers

Does a Maine LLC have to have a registered agent?

Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Can I be my own registered agent?

Maybe. Read tasks 2 and 3 and see whether you meet both rules.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes. Switching takes a change filing at the Maine Secretary of State (task 5).

What does a registered agent cost in Maine?

$99 to $149 a year across our picks.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

$85 every year for the annual report.

Which registered agent would you choose?

ME Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and Maine Registered Agent.co, from highest grade to lowest.

Reading list and sources

  1. Hand-in notes for Maine Secretary of State. Each statement rests on maine.gov, last opened August 2026.
  2. Hand-in notes for Maine Secretary of State. Each statement rests on maine.gov, last opened August 2026.
  3. Hand-in notes for Maine report due date. Each statement rests on maine.gov, last opened August 2026.
  4. Hand-in notes for 31 M.R.S. sec. 1531. Each statement rests on legislature.maine.gov, last opened August 2026.
  5. Hand-in notes for Maine formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Each statement rests on legislature.maine.gov, last opened October 2026.
  6. Hand-in notes for Maine registered agent statute. Each statement rests on legislature.maine.gov, last opened October 2026.
  7. pricing page of ME Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026
  8. Maine service page of Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
  9. pricing page of Maine Registered Agent.co, taken on November 13, 2026