Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

Illinois Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

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

Illinois vs Maine: the paperwork

	Illinois formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Illinois Certificate of Good Standing	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$25	$250 at order
How it is handled	Illinois: online as an instant PDF, printed from the receipt page or sent by email link	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	ilsos.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05), $75, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	Before the first day of the entity's anniversary month each year	June 1
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your Illinois registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

From Illinois to Maine, step by step

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

Your Illinois name and Maine's rules

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

Your Maine agent and the Illinois one

Illinois and Maine both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Illinois; ours takes Maine's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Illinois and Maine

Each year your corporation files Illinois's Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05) ($75) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Illinois plus Maine comes to $374 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Illinois to Maine

An LLC formed in Illinois files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($25)). After that come Illinois's Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form LLC-50.1) ($75) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

Common questions: Illinois to Maine

Does my Illinois company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once an Illinois 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 Illinois corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register an Illinois corporation in Maine?

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

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Illinois and Maine?

$374 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $75 to Illinois and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

An Illinois 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 Illinois registered agent stays, and ours covers Maine for year one.

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

Yes, but Illinois keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Maine's Annual Report ($85), and the original keeps Illinois's Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05).

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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