Maine business formation and filing fees
Compare the costs of creating an LLC or corporation in Maine, or registering a company formed elsewhere. The filing office is Maine Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions.
Starting a company in Maine
Domestic LLC filing fee
Maine domestic LLC Certificate of Formation (MLLC-6) costs $175.00. The form requires a distinguishable LLC name, Maine registered agent or commercial registered agent and office, organizer and management information, and the statutory formation statements. Maine's public processing notice states corporate filings currently take 40–55 business days, so an online submission receipt is not immediate approval.
Domestic corporation filing fee
Maine domestic business-corporation Articles of Incorporation under Title 13-C use the current MBCA form; the accessible official fee extract identifies a $50.00 filing fee for the standard form. Authorized shares, incorporator, Maine registered agent and office, and statutory purpose information are required. Confirm the current form because professional, nonprofit, and special corporations have separate schedules.
Registering a company formed elsewhere
For state registration, “foreign” can mean a company formed in another U.S. state. These fees are separate from creating a new Maine entity.
Foreign LLC qualification
Maine foreign LLC Statement of Foreign Qualification (MLLC-12) costs $250.00. The foreign entity must provide home-jurisdiction existence information, a Maine clerk or commercial registered agent and office, and the required filing statements. A foreign LLC may use the separate $90.00/$35.00 change-of-qualification filing and $90.00 cancellation form where applicable.
Foreign corporation qualification
Maine foreign business-corporation authority filings use the Title 13-C foreign qualification form and the current fee schedule; the accessible extract did not expose the complete standard amount. The corporation must provide a certified home-state existence document, Maine registered agent or clerk and office, authorized-share data, and any registered or fictitious-name filing required for name availability.
Maine processing times
Maine's Bureau of Corporations currently states that corporate filings are processing in approximately 40–55 business days. Expedited requests may also be delayed because of high volume. The online system provides submission evidence, but acceptance and charter issuance occur only after the Bureau's review.
Expedited filing options
Maine lists expedited services within 24 hours for $50.00 and immediate service for $100.00 for the covered certificate/copy and filing services, subject to current availability and the warning that high volume can delay expedited requests. Apply the expedite charge in addition to the underlying filing fee and confirm that the specific LLC or corporation filing is eligible.
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