Start a Free LLC in Maine

Per the Maine Department of the Secretary of State, as of September 2026, Maine charges $175 to file the Certificate of Formation. After that, the Annual Report (Form MLLC-13) costs $85 every year. With LLC Register, formation is included in the $99-a-year Maine registered agent service, so year one costs $274.

Processing takes 40–55 business days, according to the Secretary of State's LLC forms page. Expedited filing is available for $50 extra (next business day) or $100 extra (same business day). Your LLC exists once the state accepts your filing.

To start an LLC in Maine, choose an available name, appoint a Maine registered agent, and file the Certificate of Formation with the Maine Department of the Secretary of State for $175. Then sign an operating agreement, get a free EIN from the IRS, open a business bank account and register for any state taxes. LLC Register files it for you as part of the $99-a-year registered agent service.

No. You can file by mail or in person with the paper Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6), which you complete on screen and print; Maine does not offer online LLC formation. The Certificate of Formation costs $175.

In Maine you form an LLC by filing the Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6) with the Maine Department of the Secretary of State. Other states call this document the articles of organization or the certificate of formation. The filing fee is $175.

Yes. Expedited filing is available for $50 extra (next business day) or $100 extra (same business day). Processing takes 40–55 business days, according to the Secretary of State's LLC forms page.

Use the Maine Department of the Secretary of State's free online business name search to check whether your LLC name is available. Your Maine LLC name must include "limited liability company", "limited company" or an abbreviation such as "LLC", "L.L.C.", "LC" or "L.C.". It must be distinguishable from every other name on record with the Secretary of State, ignoring words like "company", punctuation and capitalization.

Your Maine LLC name must include "limited liability company", "limited company" or an abbreviation such as "LLC", "L.L.C.", "LC" or "L.C.". It must be distinguishable from every other name on record with the Secretary of State, ignoring words like "company", punctuation and capitalization. The rules are set by the Maine Limited Liability Company Act, Title 31 M.R.S.A. Chapter 21.

Yes. You can reserve a name for $20 with Form MLLC-1; the reservation lasts 120 days and cannot be renewed. A reservation is optional; filing the formation document also secures the name.

Yes. Every Maine LLC must have a registered agent. Your registered agent can be a commercial agent listed with the Maine Secretary of State or a noncommercial agent, such as a member, with a physical street address in Maine. A P.O. box is not accepted, and the agent must consent to serve.

Yes. A member or manager can serve as the LLC's noncommercial registered agent if they have a physical street address in Maine and consent to serve. Your address becomes public record, and someone must be there during business hours to accept legal papers.

Not as your registered agent's address. Your registered agent can be a commercial agent listed with the Maine Secretary of State or a noncommercial agent, such as a member, with a physical street address in Maine. A P.O. box is not accepted, and the agent must consent to serve. A PO box can usually serve as a mailing address, but the registered agent needs a physical address in Maine.

File the CLKRA-3 Statement of Appointment or Change of Registered Agent with the Maine Department of the Secretary of State. The fee is $35.

Serving as your own Maine registered agent is free if you qualify. Commercial registered agents charge a yearly fee. LLC Register's Maine registered agent service is $99 a year and includes LLC formation and annual report filing.

Yes. Maine LLCs must file the Annual Report (Form MLLC-13) every year. The state fee is $85.

The Annual Report (Form MLLC-13) is due between January 1 and June 1 every year. Your first one is due between January 1 and June 1 of the year after your LLC is formed. It is filed with the Maine Department of the Secretary of State.

Per the Maine Department of the Secretary of State, as of September 2026, the Annual Report (Form MLLC-13) state fee is $85. It is due between January 1 and June 1 every year. LLC Register files it for you at no extra service fee while your registered agent service is active.

Filing after June 1 adds a $50 late penalty to the $85 fee. An LLC that does not file or pay is administratively dissolved. File as soon as possible to keep your LLC in good standing.

Maine has no franchise or privilege tax on LLCs. The Maine franchise tax applies only to banks and financial institutions.

Maine taxes an LLC the same way the IRS does, so by default its profits pass through to the members' Maine income tax returns. LLCs with Maine income and nonresident members must withhold Maine tax for them and file Form 941P-ME. Federally, a single-member LLC is taxed like a sole proprietorship and a multi-member LLC like a partnership, unless it elects to be taxed as a corporation.

If you sell taxable goods or services, register for a Retailer Certificate (sales and use tax) with Maine Revenue Services through the Maine Tax Portal. Online registration is free.

Before you hire, register for unemployment insurance with the Maine Department of Labor through ReEmployME, and for income tax withholding with Maine Revenue Services. You also need an EIN from the IRS before you run payroll.

It depends on your industry and location: Maine regulates some professions and activities through state licenses, and many cities and counties require local business licenses. Start with the Maine Business Answers (Department of Economic and Community Development).

Maine does not require an operating agreement, and you never file one with the state. Maine law recognizes written, oral and implied agreements, even for a single-member LLC. LLC Register includes an operating agreement with every Maine LLC it forms.

You need an EIN if your LLC has employees or more than one member, and most banks ask for one to open a business account. A single-member LLC without employees can use the owner's Social Security number for federal taxes, but an EIN keeps it off business paperwork.

Apply for free on the IRS website once the state has approved your LLC; online applicants receive the EIN immediately. Owners without a Social Security number can apply with Form SS-4 by fax or mail.

Yes. You do not have to live in Maine or be a U.S. citizen to form a Maine LLC. You do need a registered agent with a physical address in Maine. Non-U.S. owners without a Social Security number apply for an EIN with IRS Form SS-4.

Yes. Maine allows an LLC with a single owner. By default the IRS taxes a single-member LLC like a sole proprietorship, reported on the owner's personal return.

No. Maine's LLC Act does not provide for series LLCs.

Yes. Licensed professionals such as accountants, attorneys, dentists and veterinarians can form a professional LLC under Title 13, chapter 22-A, by checking the professional designation on Form MLLC-6.

No. Maine does not require newspaper publication to form an LLC.

Order a Certificate of Existence (good standing) from the Maine Department of the Secretary of State for $30. Banks, lenders and other states often ask for one as proof your LLC is current with the state.

An LLC formed in another state registers to do business in Maine by filing the Statement of Foreign Qualification (Form MLLC-12) with the Maine Department of the Secretary of State. The fee is $250, and the LLC needs a Maine registered agent.

File the Certificate of Amendment (Form MLLC-9) with the Maine Department of the Secretary of State for $50. Amend when you change your LLC's name or other information in the formation document.

File the Certificate of Cancellation (Form MLLC-11C) with the Maine Department of the Secretary of State for $75. Before you file, wind up the business: pay debts, close tax accounts and distribute what is left to the members.

File a Statement of Intention to Transact Business Under an Assumed Name (Form ASUM-5) with the Maine Secretary of State for $125 before you use the name. A DBA lets your LLC trade under another name without forming a new company.

Yes. An eligible LLC can elect S corporation tax status by filing IRS Form 2553. The election can reduce self-employment tax once profits are high enough to pay yourself a reasonable salary. Maine taxes an LLC the same way the IRS does, so by default its profits pass through to the members' Maine income tax returns. LLCs with Maine income and nonresident members must withhold Maine tax for them and file Form 941P-ME.

An LLC separates your personal assets from business debts and lawsuits, keeps pass-through taxation, and needs less paperwork than a corporation. In Maine it costs $175 to form and the Annual Report (Form MLLC-13) is $85 every year.

A sole proprietorship costs nothing to start, but you are personally liable for the business's debts. A Maine LLC costs $175 to form and protects your personal assets, with the same pass-through taxes by default.

Usually not if your business operates in Maine. An out-of-state LLC doing business here must also register as a foreign LLC in Maine for $250 and keep a Maine registered agent, so you pay two states' fees.

No. Formation is included in the $99-a-year Maine registered agent service. The state still charges its $175 filing fee, which we pass through at cost.

For $99 a year plus the $175 state fee: Maine LLC formation in year one, a Maine registered agent, an operating agreement, and filing of your Annual Report (Form MLLC-13) every year. Renewal is $99 a year. State fees are passed through at cost.

No. FinCEN has exempted companies created in the United States from beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting. Only foreign companies registered to do business in a U.S. state still have to report.

The Maine Department of the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions, handles LLC formations, amendments and annual filings. Its office is at 101 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0101 (courier/FedEx/UPS: 6 E. Chestnut Street, 5th Floor, Augusta, ME 04330).

Yes, you should. Mixing business and personal money can weaken the liability protection your LLC gives you. Banks usually ask for your filed Certificate of Formation, your EIN and your operating agreement.