Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

South Dakota Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

A corporation formed in South Dakota 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 Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions from your South Dakota records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

South Dakota and Maine side by side

	South Dakota formed here	Maine registering here
Document	South Dakota Certificate of Good Standing/Existence	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$20	$250 at order
How it is handled	South Dakota: online	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	South Dakota Secretary of State	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	sosenterprise.sd.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	By the first day of the registration anniversary month each year (form opens that day	June 1
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$50 late fee
Agent	Your South Dakota registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

From South Dakota to Maine, step by step

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

Will your South Dakota name work for Maine?

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

Your Maine agent and the South Dakota one

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

Staying in good standing in South Dakota and Maine

South Dakota wants the Annual Report every year; Maine wants the Annual Report every year ($150). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, South Dakota to Maine

An LLC formed in South Dakota files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20)). After that come South Dakota's Annual Report ($55) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Maine into South Dakota

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with South Dakota files South Dakota's registration (no form number) with $750 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30). See that filing.

Common questions: South Dakota to Maine

Does my South Dakota company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once a South Dakota 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 Dakota corporations once the form is approved.

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

$499 at checkout, including the $50 required expedite; Maine may also want South Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for South Dakota and Maine?

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

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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