Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

California Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

To do business in Maine, a corporation formed in California registers there on Form MBCA-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine may ask for California's Certificate of Status ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions using your California records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

California and Maine side by side

	California formed here	Maine registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$5	$250 at order
How it is handled	California: online as a PDF within minutes, or on paper by mail or drop-off in Sacramento	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Statement of Information (Form SI-550), $25, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	Last day of the corporation's registration-anniversary month, annually	June 1
Late yearly filing	$250 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our Maine registered agent

From California to Maine, step by step

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

Will your California name work for Maine?

We check your exact California name against Maine's records before filing.

Agents: Maine and California

Maine calls it a registered agent; California says agent for service of process. Your current agent for service of process stays for California; ours takes Maine's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in California and Maine

Each year your corporation files California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, California plus Maine comes to $324 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, California to Maine

An LLC formed in California files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Status ($5)). After that come California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Maine company in California

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with California files Form S&DC-S/N with $100 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: California to Maine

Does my California company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once a California 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 California 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 California's Certificate of Status, at extra cost.

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for California and Maine?

$324 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to California and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

A California 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 California agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Maine for year one.

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Maine's Annual Report ($85), and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550).

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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