Foreign registration · Form 21

Maine Corporation Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Maine that wants to do business in Wisconsin files Form 21, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin also wants Maine's Certificate of Existence ($30), dated within 60 days. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services from your Maine records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Maine vs Wisconsin: the paperwork

	Maine formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Maine Certificate of Existence	Form 21, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$30	$100 at order
How it is handled	Maine: online, downloaded from the company's information summary page	Filed on Wisconsin's paper form
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	apps3.web.maine.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $85, every year	Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report, $65, every year
Due	June 1	March 31 each year after qualification
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your Maine registered agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How Maine companies register with Wisconsin

Order the Maine certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($30) is ordered from Maine separately; it is not part of our Wisconsin order. Wisconsin counts 60 days from the day Maine issues it, so the order goes in shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form 21
It names us as your Wisconsin registered agent, with your Maine name and formation date and the certificate attached. Once Maine's certificate is in hand, Wisconsin's filing goes in. After approval, your Maine corporation is registered with Wisconsin.

Wisconsin costs for Maine companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$100
Certificate of Existence, paid to Maine	$30
Our service, with a year of Wisconsin registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Maine certificate included	$329

Wisconsin's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Your Maine name and Wisconsin's rules

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

Agents: Wisconsin and Maine

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

Yearly filings: Wisconsin and Maine

Each year your corporation files Maine's Annual Report ($85) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Maine plus Wisconsin comes to $299 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Maine to Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Maine files Form 521 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Maine's Annual Report ($85) and Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($80). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Wisconsin into Maine

A corporation formed in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin

Does my Maine company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once a Maine business operates there; Wisconsin does not count a one-off deal finished within 30 days.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Wisconsin issues one to Maine corporations once the form is approved.

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

$299 at checkout plus $30 to Maine for the Certificate of Existence, $329 in all (checkout is $100 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Maine's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Wisconsin wants Maine's Certificate of Existence ($30), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Maine and Wisconsin?

$299 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $85 to Maine and $65 to Wisconsin for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

Wisconsin can charge a Maine company up to $65 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Wisconsin corporation instead?

Yes, but Maine keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Maine's Annual Report.

Official sources

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