North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

North Carolina Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

A corporation formed in North Carolina 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 North Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions from your North Carolina records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

North Carolina and Maine side by side

	North Carolina formed here	Maine registering here
Document	North Carolina Certificate of Existence	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$10	$250 at order
How it is handled	North Carolina: online as a downloadable electronic certified document, or on paper	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	sosnc.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	15th day of the 4th month following the close of the fiscal year	June 1
Agent	Your North Carolina registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

How North Carolina companies register with Maine

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

Will your North Carolina name work for Maine?

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

Your Maine agent and the North Carolina one

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

Staying in good standing in North Carolina and Maine

Each year your corporation files North Carolina's Annual Report ($25) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, North Carolina plus Maine comes to $324 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, North Carolina to Maine

An LLC formed in North Carolina 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 North Carolina's Annual Report ($203) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Maine into North Carolina

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with North Carolina files Form B-09 with $253 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions North Carolina owners ask about Maine

Does my North Carolina company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once a North Carolina 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 North Carolina corporations once the form is approved.

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

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

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for North Carolina and Maine?

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

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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