Foreign registration · Form S&DC-S/N

Maine Corporation Foreign Registration in California

California registers a corporation from Maine as a foreign corporation on Form S&DC-S/N, with $100 in state fees. California may ask for Maine's Certificate of Existence ($30). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities from your Maine records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Maine vs California: the paperwork

	Maine formed here	California registering here
Document	Maine Certificate of Existence	Form S&DC-S/N, Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation
State fee	$30	$100 at order
How it is handled	Maine: online, downloaded from the company's information summary page	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	apps3.web.maine.gov	sos.ca.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $85, every year	Statement of Information (Form SI-550), $25, every year
Due	June 1	Last day of the corporation's registration-anniversary month, annually
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$250 late fee
Agent	Your Maine registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Maine to California, step by step

We prepare and file Form S&DC-S/N
It lists us as your California agent for service of process, next to your Maine name and formation date. If California wants the Maine certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Maine corporation is registered with California.

Will your Maine name work for California?

If another California company uses the Maine name, an alternate name is allowed. California can hold a name for 60 days for $10 before you file.

Agents: California and Maine

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

Yearly filings: California and Maine

Each year your corporation files Maine's Annual Report ($85) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). With our $149 agent for service of process renewal, Maine plus California comes to $259 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Maine to California

An LLC formed in Maine files Form LLC-5 with California ($70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30)). After that come Maine's Annual Report ($85) and California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20). See the LLC filing.

Registering a California company in Maine

A corporation formed in California that registers with Maine files Form MBCA-12 with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. See that filing.

Common questions: Maine to California

Does my Maine company need to register in California?

Yes, once a Maine business operates there; California registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

California calls it registration for Maine corporations; other states say certificate of authority.

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

$299 at checkout; California may also want Maine's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the California registration take?

California's online processing takes 5 days or less, plus time for Maine's certificate if California asks for it. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Maine and California?

$259 a year: our $149 agent for service of process renewal, $85 to Maine and $25 to California for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with California?

California can charge a Maine company a penalty of $20 a day.

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Maine name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Maine name at home.

Can I form a new California corporation instead?

Yes, but Maine keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25), and the original keeps Maine's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

Maine companies leave by filing Form CORP-SURC, Certificate of Surrender; until then, California's report stays due alongside Maine's filings.

Official sources

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