Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

Kentucky Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

To do business in Maine, a corporation formed in Kentucky registers there on Form MBCA-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine may ask for Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions using your Kentucky records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Kentucky vs Maine: the paperwork

	Kentucky formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Kentucky Certificate of Existence	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$10	$250 at order
How it is handled	Kentucky: online as a printable certificate, or by mail or fax	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	web.sos.ky.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	On or before June 30	June 1
Agent	Your Kentucky registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

From Kentucky to Maine, step by step

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

Will your Kentucky name work for Maine?

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

Your Maine agent and the Kentucky one

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

Yearly filings: Maine and Kentucky

Each year your corporation files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Kentucky plus Maine comes to $314 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Kentucky to Maine

An LLC formed in Kentucky files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Maine into Kentucky

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with Kentucky files Form FBE with $90 in state fees; no Maine certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Kentucky owners ask about Maine

Does my Kentucky company need to register in Maine?

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

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

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

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Kentucky and Maine?

$314 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $15 to Kentucky and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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