Alabama

Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

Alabama Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

A corporation formed in Alabama that wants to do business in Maine files Form MBCA-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine may ask for Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions from your Alabama records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Alabama vs Maine: the paperwork

	Alabama formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$25	$250 at order
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT), fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due		June 1
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

From Alabama to Maine, step by step

We prepare and file Form MBCA-12
It lists us as your Maine registered agent, next to your Alabama name and formation date. If Maine wants the Alabama certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Alabama corporation is registered with Maine.

Your Alabama name and Maine's rules

We search Maine's records for Alabama's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: Maine and Alabama

Alabama and Maine both call it a registered agent. Maine papers come to us; Alabama's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Alabama and Maine

Alabama wants the Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) every year; Maine wants the Annual Report every year ($150). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to Maine

An LLC formed in Alabama files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($25)). After that come Alabama's Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Maine into Alabama

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Alabama owners ask about Maine

Does my Alabama company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; Maine law lists 13 activities that do not count on their own.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Maine issues one to Alabama corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the Maine registration cost?

$499 at checkout, including the $50 required expedite; Maine may also want Alabama's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the Maine registration take?

24 hours with Maine's required expedite, plus time for Alabama's certificate if Maine asks for it. Faster state options: same-day $100.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and Maine?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Alabama's report (fee set by the state) and Maine's report ($150).

What if I don't register with Maine?

An Alabama company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Maine can add up to $500 for each year or part of a year.

Does Maine require a registered agent?

Yes: the Alabama registered agent stays, and ours covers Maine for year one.

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Maine's Annual Report ($85), and the original keeps Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT).

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

Alabama companies leave by filing an Application of Withdrawal; until then, Maine's report stays due alongside Alabama's filings.

Official sources

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