South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

South Carolina Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

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

What South Carolina and Maine each ask for

	South Carolina formed here	Maine registering here
Document	South Carolina Certificate of Existence	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$10	$250 at order
How it is handled	South Carolina: online	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	South Carolina Secretary of State	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	businessfilings.sc.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S), fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year	June 1
Agent	Your South Carolina agent for service of process	Our Maine registered agent

From South Carolina to Maine, step by step

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

Your South Carolina name and Maine's rules

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

Agents: Maine and South Carolina

Maine calls it a registered agent; South Carolina says agent for service of process. Maine papers come to us; South Carolina's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in South Carolina and Maine

South Carolina wants the Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) every year; Maine wants the Annual Report every year ($150). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, South Carolina to Maine

An LLC formed in South Carolina files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Maine company in South Carolina

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with South Carolina files Form F0002 with $110 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30). See that filing.

Common questions: South Carolina to Maine

Does my South Carolina company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once a South 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 South Carolina 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 South 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 South Carolina's certificate if Maine asks for it. Faster state options: same-day $100.

What are the yearly costs for South Carolina and Maine?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), South Carolina's report (fee set by the state) and Maine's report ($150).

What if I don't register with Maine?

A South 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 South Carolina agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Maine for year one.

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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