Ohio

Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

Ohio Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

Maine registers a corporation from Ohio as a foreign corporation on Form MBCA-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine may ask for Ohio's Certificate of Good Standing ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions using your Ohio records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

What Ohio and Maine each ask for

	Ohio formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Ohio Certificate of Good Standing	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$5	$250 at order
How it is handled	Ohio: online or by mail	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	cogs.ohiosos.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	No annual report	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due		June 1
Agent	Your Ohio statutory agent	Our Maine registered agent

How Ohio companies register with Maine

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

Your Ohio name and Maine's rules

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

Agents: Maine and Ohio

Maine calls it a registered agent; Ohio says statutory agent. Maine papers come to us; Ohio's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Ohio and Maine

Ohio has no annual report for corporations; Maine wants the Annual Report every year ($150). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Ohio to Maine

An LLC formed in Ohio files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($5)). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Maine company in Ohio

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with Ohio files Form 530A with $99 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Ohio owners ask about Maine

Does my Ohio company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once an Ohio 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 Ohio corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the Maine registration cost?

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

What are the yearly costs for Ohio and Maine?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), no Ohio yearly report and Maine's report ($150).

What if I don't register with Maine?

An Ohio 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 Ohio statutory agent stays, and ours covers Maine for year one.

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

Yes, but Ohio keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Maine's Annual Report ($85), and Ohio has no yearly report for the original.

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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