Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

Montana Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

A corporation formed in Montana 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 Montana's Certificate of Existence ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions using your Montana records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Montana vs Maine: the paperwork

	Montana formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Montana Certificate of Existence	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$5	$250 at order
How it is handled	Montana: online	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Montana Secretary of State, Business Services	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	biz.sosmt.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, no fee, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	April 15	June 1
Late yearly filing	$15 late fee	$50 late fee
Agent	Your Montana registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

From Montana to Maine, step by step

We prepare and file Form MBCA-12
It names us as your Maine registered agent, with your Montana name and formation date. If Maine wants the Montana certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Montana corporation is registered with Maine.

Your Montana name and Maine's rules

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

Your Maine agent and the Montana one

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

Yearly filings: Maine and Montana

Each year your corporation files Montana's Annual Report (no fee) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Montana plus Maine comes to $299 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Montana to Maine

An LLC formed in Montana files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($5)). After that come Montana's Annual Report ($20) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Maine company in Montana

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with Montana files Montana's registration (no form number) with $70 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Montana owners ask about Maine

Does my Montana company need to register in Maine?

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

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

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

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Montana and Maine?

$299 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, nothing to Montana and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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