Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

Michigan Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

A corporation formed in Michigan that wants to do business in Maine files Form MBCA-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine may ask for Michigan's Certificate of Good Standing ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions from your Michigan records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Michigan and Maine side by side

	Michigan formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Michigan Certificate of Good Standing	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$10	$250 at order
How it is handled	Michigan: online, emailed to the MiLogin for Business account	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	michigan.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, Form CSCL/CD-2500, $25, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	May 15	June 1
Late yearly filing	$10 late fee	$50 late fee
Agent	Your Michigan resident agent	Our Maine registered agent

From Michigan to Maine, step by step

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

Will your Michigan name work for Maine?

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

Your Maine agent and the Michigan one

Maine calls it a registered agent; Michigan says resident agent. Your current resident agent stays for Michigan; ours takes Maine's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Maine and Michigan

Each year your corporation files Michigan's Annual Report, Form CSCL/CD-2500 ($25) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Michigan plus Maine comes to $324 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Michigan to Maine

An LLC formed in Michigan files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($10)). After that come Michigan's Annual Statement ($25) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Maine company in Michigan

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with Michigan files Form CSCL/CD 560 with $60 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Michigan owners ask about Maine

Does my Michigan company need to register in Maine?

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

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

$499 at checkout, including the $50 required expedite; Maine may also want Michigan'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 Michigan's certificate if Maine asks for it. Faster state options: same-day $100.

What are the yearly costs for Michigan and Maine?

$324 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to Michigan and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

A Michigan 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 Michigan resident agent stays, and ours covers Maine for year one.

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

Yes, but Michigan keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Maine's Annual Report ($85), and the original keeps Michigan's Annual Report, Form CSCL/CD-2500.

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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