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Ask and see · Maine

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Maine (2026): Your Questions Answered

For foreign registration services in Maine, we would ask Mainstay Filing ($199), ME Registered Agent.org ($199) and Maine Registered Agent.co ($199) in 2026, in that order. The state fee is $250, the same for everyone, and three years of service fees run $397 to $497.

Answered by the Ask About LLC editorial team ·

Four quick answers

What does the state charge to register?
$250
Do you bring a certificate from home?
Yes, attach it (90 days old at most)
Afterward
$150, Annual report for a foreign LLC
Who to ask
Mainstay Filing, ME Registered Agent.org then Maine Registered Agent.co

Maine: the ranking

Prices come from each company's own pricing. Here is how we choose.

1Our first answer

1. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in many states

Service $199 plus $250 to the state; agent renewal $149

Mainstay Filing is the one to ask first in Maine because you pay $199 plus Maine's fee, owe nothing for the registered agent in year one and then $149 a year.

Is it the smallest bill? No: ME Registered Agent.org is $100 less over three years, but it works in Maine only.

There is no registered agent fee the first year, then $149 a year.

What the price covers

  • Out-of-state registration handled
  • Registered agent, no charge the first year
  • One service fee for all fifty states

Good news

  • A free first year of agent service
  • $199 on top of Maine's fee
  • Ready for the next state you add

The catch

  • Pay $50 more a year for the agent
Go to Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Maine only

2. ME Registered Agent.org: best for adding only this state

Service $199 plus $250 to the state; agent renewal $99

ME Registered Agent.org is the second answer because it charges $199 with the first year of agent service included, then $99 annually.

What the price covers

  • Foreign filing submitted
  • A year of agent service to start

Good news

  • Agent renews at $99 afterward
  • First-year agent service is covered
  • Service fee of $199

The catch

  • Nothing beyond this state
Go to ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Maine only

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

Service $199 plus $250 to the state; agent renewal $99

Maine Registered Agent.co is the third answer because it charges $199 with the first year of agent service included, then $99 annually.

It charges the same as ME Registered Agent.org, which makes the order between them a close call.

What the price covers

  • Foreign filing submitted
  • A year of agent service to start

Good news

  • First-year agent service is covered
  • Service fee of $199
  • Agent renews at $99 afterward

The catch

  • Nothing beyond this state
Go to Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

How do they compare?

#CompanyFirst yearEvery year after3-year totalWhat the price covers
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Out-of-state registration handled; registered agent, no charge the first year; one service fee for all fifty statesGo to Mainstay Filing
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2ME Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397foreign filing submitted; A year of agent service to startGo to ME Registered Agent.org
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Maine Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397foreign filing submitted; A year of agent service to startGo to Maine Registered Agent.co
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read on November 13, 2026; three years means year one plus two renewals.

Questions owners ask

Does my LLC from another state have to register?

Register with the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions before your LLC starts doing business in Maine.

Skip it and the LLC may face the state's courts will not hear its claims (31 MRSA 1629(1)).

legislature.maine.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

How much does registration cost?

$250 goes to the state and $199 to a service.

Over three years the state's fees reach $550, counting any recurring report. maine.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

Which form do I file, and with whom?

You need one document, the Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities (Form MLLC-12), and the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions is where it is sent.

Enclose certificate of existence dated no earlier than 90 days.

What do I owe once the LLC is registered?

Down the road there is the Annual report for a foreign LLC, which costs $150.

When the filing is due, per the state: June 1.

Why is the list in this order?

Mainstay Filing does best on chores the price takes care of, which carries 29% of our score.

62% of the score comes from what you pay over three years and chores the price takes care of.

An LLC that registers out of state already works in two states, and the first pick can serve both.

How we choose

Maine: the registration checklist

QuestionAmount or ruleLook it up
Registration fee$250maine.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
Certificate from homeYes, attach it, 90 dayslegislature.maine.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
Annual report for a foreign LLC$150legislature.maine.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
What the state collects in three years$550Our sum of the rows above
Every line above points to the state's own page. The total under them is ours, and it covers the filing, two reports and any minimum tax, nothing that varies by newspaper or county.

Questions people also ask

Does the state where I formed the LLC still need an agent?

Yes, and the two states do not share a rule book. Mainstay Filing works in both, so one account can cover the home state and this one.

How do the three-year totals compare?

Three-year totals: Mainstay Filing $497, ME Registered Agent.org $397, Maine Registered Agent.co $397, with state fees on top.

Where do these numbers come from?

Official Maine sources back the state side, and posted company prices back the service side.

Do I have to use a service?

No. What the law asks for is a filing, and it does not say who has to send it.

Will a service file the registration for me?

Yes, filing is part of what each company on this page sells, and the state's fee is identical whoever sends it.

What is the best foreign registration service for Maine?

Mainstay Filing, because registering costs $199 and the registered agent is free until year two. After that, ME Registered Agent.org and Maine Registered Agent.co.

Where did we look this up?

  1. Our answer on Maine Secretary of State rests on maine.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
  2. Our answer on Maine Secretary of State rests on maine.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
  3. Our answer on Maine report due date rests on maine.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
  4. Our answer on 31 M.R.S. sec. 1531 rests on legislature.maine.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
  5. Our answer on Maine formation fee: Filing fee rests on legislature.maine.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  6. Our answer on Maine registered agent statute rests on legislature.maine.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  7. Our answer on Maine Secretary of State, foreign rests on maine.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  8. Our answer on Form MLLC-12 rests on maine.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  9. Our answer on 31 MRSA § 1622, foreign rests on legislature.maine.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  10. Our answer on 31 MRSA § 1623, activities rests on legislature.maine.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  11. Our answer on 31 MRSA § 1629, consequences rests on legislature.maine.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  12. The Mainstay Filing Maine service page, as it stood on November 13, 2026
  13. The ME Registered Agent.org pricing page, as it stood on November 13, 2026
  14. The Maine Registered Agent.co pricing page, as it stood on November 13, 2026