Rhode Island

Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

Rhode Island Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

To do business in Maine, a corporation formed in Rhode Island registers there on Form MBCA-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine may ask for Rhode Island's Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing ($22). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions using your Rhode Island records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Rhode Island vs Maine: the paperwork

	Rhode Island formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Rhode Island Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$22	$250 at order
How it is handled	Rhode Island: online in about two business days, the same day in person, or in 5 to 7 business days by mail	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	sos.ri.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report for a Corporation (Form 630), $50, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	May 1	June 1
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate takes a few days	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your Rhode Island resident agent	Our Maine registered agent

From Rhode Island to Maine, step by step

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

Will your Rhode Island name work for Maine?

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

Your Maine agent and the Rhode Island one

Maine calls it a registered agent; Rhode Island says resident agent. Maine papers come to us; Rhode Island's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Rhode Island and Maine

Each year your corporation files Rhode Island's Annual Report for a Corporation (Form 630) ($50) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Rhode Island plus Maine comes to $349 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Rhode Island to Maine

An LLC formed in Rhode Island files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing ($22)). After that come Rhode Island's Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company (Form 632) ($50) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Maine company in Rhode Island

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with Rhode Island files Form 150 with $319 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30). See that filing.

Questions Rhode Island owners ask about Maine

Does my Rhode Island company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once a Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island's Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing, at extra cost.

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Rhode Island and Maine?

$349 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $50 to Rhode Island and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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