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Foreign LLC guide · Maine

Registering an Out-of-State LLC in Maine (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services

Short answer for Maine: Maine Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and ME Registered Agent.org ($199), which is the sequence we would follow for registering a foreign LLC in 2026. Maine charges $250 for an out-of-state LLC to register, then $150 per yearly report. That is number 35th of 50.

Compiled by the LLC Factbook editors

Maine in numbers

35th place among 50 on foreign registration costs
A low number means a small state bill, level with other states. Every state compared

Foreign registration charge

$250
From maine.gov, October 2026

Report, per cycle

$150
Annual report for a foreign LLC

Home-state certificate

90 days
It must be this recent

State charges, years one to three

$550
The registration fee, then two years of reports

Our Maine recommendations

The methodology explains the order. Three-year service fees count 34%, the filings a price covers count 26%, and renewal price, fit with Maine rules and fee labeling make up the rest.
Start here

1. Maine Registered Agent.co: best for a thrifty Maine filing

$199 plus fees; $99 yearly later

Maine Registered Agent.co takes the top place, as a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Maine.

Cost settles this ranking: three years with this service cost less than three years with Mainstay Filing.

What the price buys

  • Registration paperwork taken care of
  • A year of agent service

In its favor

  • The price already covers the first agent year
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • $99 yearly for the agent after that

Against it

  • A different agent has to cover the home state
Widest coverage

2. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in more than one state

$199 plus fees; $149 yearly later

Mainstay Filing follows: registration costs $199 plus state fees, and the registered agent is free for the first year.

The three-year bill is $100 larger than Maine Registered Agent.co's, and cost is the heaviest of our criteria.

When the free year ends, the agent is $149 a year in any state.

What the price buys

  • Your registration is prepared and filed
  • No charge for the registered agent in the first year
  • A single price anywhere

In its favor

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • First-year agent service is included
  • Works for your next state too

Against it

  • $50 more each year for the agent
Local pick

3. ME Registered Agent.org: best for registering with Maine alone

$199 plus fees; $99 yearly later

In third place we have ME Registered Agent.org, because a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Maine.

On price it is level with Maine Registered Agent.co.

What the price buys

  • Registration paperwork taken care of
  • A year of agent service

In its favor

  • $99 yearly for the agent after that
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • The price already covers the first agent year

Against it

  • A different agent has to cover the home state

Prices side by side

No.ServiceFirst-year feeFrom year twoService charges, three years
1 Maine Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497 Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 ME Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
We took these prices from the companies' sites on November 12, 2026. The $250 state fee is not part of any row.

Registration and upkeep, by year

The registration fee is $250, with the $150 report from year two; the service's prices are added to it.
$947 is what 3 years with Maine Registered Agent.co adds up to; $550 goes to the state and $397 to the service.

Maine next to the states ranked around it

PlaceStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
34thVermont$495
35thAlaska$550
35thMaine$550
37thArkansas$570
38thKentucky$645
All fifty states appear in Foreign LLC fees by state.

The Maine filing for LLCs formed elsewhere

Foreign LLCs register on the Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities (Form MLLC-12), which is submitted to the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions with $250. Include certificate of existence, not older than 90 days.

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

Papers you need

  • Certificate of existence, not more than 90 days.
  • The exact legal name and formation date from the home state.
  • A registered agent within the state (included with every pick).
  • A budget for the $250 filing fee.

Penalties for skipping registration in Maine

A suit filed before registration is barred until the registration is on file (31 MRSA 1629(1)).

Why the list reads this way

Maine Registered Agent.co moved ahead of Mainstay Filing on three-year service charge, a criterion weighted 34%.

Choosing Maine Registered Agent.co costs $397 in service fees across three years ($100 below Mainstay Filing).

Maine: common questions

What fee does a foreign LLC pay to register with Maine?

$250 in state fees. Our picks add $199.

Which form does Maine use to register a foreign LLC?

Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities (Form MLLC-12), submitted to the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions.

Does the home state have to issue a certificate?

Yes. certificate of existence; it has to be dated within 90 days of the filing.

Does a foreign LLC owe anything every year?

Yes, the Annual report for a foreign LLC, at $150.

What are the consequences of operating there without registering?

A suit filed before registration is barred until the registration is on file (31 MRSA 1629(1)).

Does Maine require a registered agent of a foreign LLC?

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

Who should register my foreign LLC?

Maine Registered Agent.co first, then Mainstay Filing and ME Registered Agent.org. What separates Maine Registered Agent.co is three-year service charge.

Related chapters

Sources for this chapter

  1. Official page for Maine Secretary of State: maine.gov, opened August 2026
  2. Official page for Maine Secretary of State: maine.gov, opened August 2026
  3. Official page for Maine report due date: maine.gov, opened August 2026
  4. Official page for 31 M.R.S. sec. 1531: legislature.maine.gov, opened August 2026
  5. Official page for Maine formation fee: Filing fee, official source: legislature.maine.gov, opened October 2026
  6. Official page for Maine registered agent statute: legislature.maine.gov, opened October 2026
  7. Official page for Maine Secretary of State, foreign entities: maine.gov, opened October 2026
  8. Official page for Form MLLC-12: maine.gov, opened October 2026
  9. Official page for 31 MRSA § 1622, foreign qualification: legislature.maine.gov, opened October 2026
  10. Official page for 31 MRSA § 1623, activities that do not: legislature.maine.gov, opened October 2026
  11. Official page for 31 MRSA § 1629, consequences of not qualifying: legislature.maine.gov, opened October 2026
  12. Official page for Vermont Secretary of State, foreign registration: sos.vermont.gov, opened October 2026
  13. Official page for Vermont Secretary of State, fees and statutes: sos.vermont.gov, opened October 2026
  14. Official page for 11 V.S.A. § 4112, application for certificate of: legislature.vermont.gov, opened October 2026
  15. Official page for 11 V.S.A. § 4113, activities that are not: legislature.vermont.gov, opened October 2026
  16. Official page for 11 V.S.A. § 4033, annual report: legislature.vermont.gov, opened October 2026
  17. Official page for Form 08-0497, Certificate of Registration: commerce.alaska.gov, opened October 2026
  18. Official page for Alaska Statutes, AS 10.50.600 to 10.50.670: akleg.gov, opened October 2026
  19. Official page for Alaska Statutes, AS 10.50.675 to 10.50.720: akleg.gov, opened October 2026
  20. Official page for Alaska Statutes, AS 10.50.750 to 10.50.765: akleg.gov, opened October 2026
  21. Official page for Alaska Statutes, AS 43.70.020 to 43.70.030: akleg.gov, opened October 2026
  22. Official page for Arkansas Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms and: sos.arkansas.gov, opened October 2026
  23. Official page for Form FL-01: sos.arkansas.gov, opened October 2026
  24. Official page for Act 1041 of 2021, Uniform LLC Act: arkleg.state.ar.us, opened October 2026
  25. Official page for 2026 LLC franchise tax report and instructions: sos.arkansas.gov, opened October 2026
  26. Official page for Form FL-04, application for cancellation: sos.arkansas.gov, opened October 2026
  27. Official page for Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings: sos.ky.gov, opened October 2026
  28. Official page for Form FBE, Certificate of Authority: web.sos.ky.gov, opened October 2026
  29. Official page for KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority: apps.legislature.ky.gov, opened October 2026
  30. Official page for KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required: apps.legislature.ky.gov, opened October 2026
  31. Official page for KRS 14A.6-010, annual report: apps.legislature.ky.gov, opened October 2026
  32. Official page for Kentucky Secretary of State, fee schedule: sos.ky.gov, opened October 2026
  33. Official page for Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official: revenue.ky.gov, opened October 2026
  34. The pricing page for Maine Registered Agent.co, as published November 12, 2026
  35. The Maine service page for Mainstay Filing, as published November 12, 2026
  36. The pricing page for ME Registered Agent.org, as published November 12, 2026