Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

Florida Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

Maine registers a corporation from Florida as a foreign corporation on Form MBCA-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine may ask for Florida's Certificate of Status ($8.75). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions from your Florida records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Florida vs Maine: the paperwork

	Florida formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Florida Certificate of Status	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$8.75	$250 at order
How it is handled	Florida: online, emailed as a PDF once payment goes through	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	dos.fl.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $150, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	May 1	June 1
Late yearly filing	$400 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your Florida registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

How Florida companies register with Maine

We prepare and file Form MBCA-12
It lists us as your Maine registered agent, next to your Florida name and formation date. If Maine wants the Florida certificate, it is ordered first. Once Maine approves it, the Florida company can do business there.

Your Florida name and Maine's rules

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

Agents: Maine and Florida

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

Staying in good standing in Florida and Maine

Each year your corporation files Florida's Annual Report ($150) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Florida plus Maine comes to $449 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Florida to Maine

An LLC formed in Florida 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 Florida's Annual Report ($138.75) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Maine company in Florida

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with Florida files Form CR2E007 with $70 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: Florida to Maine

Does my Florida company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once a Florida 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 Florida corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register a Florida corporation in Maine?

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

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Florida and Maine?

$449 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $150 to Florida and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

A Florida 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 Florida registered agent stays, and ours covers Maine for year one.

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

Yes, but Florida keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Maine's Annual Report ($85), and the original keeps Florida's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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