Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

Tennessee Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

To do business in Maine, a corporation formed in Tennessee registers there on Form MBCA-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine may ask for Tennessee's Certificate of Existence ($20). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions using your Tennessee records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

What Tennessee and Maine each ask for

	Tennessee formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Tennessee Certificate of Existence	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$20	$250 at order
How it is handled	Tennessee: online or by mail	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	sos.tn.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $20, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due		June 1
Agent	Your Tennessee registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

From Tennessee to Maine, step by step

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

Your Tennessee name and Maine's rules

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

Agents: Maine and Tennessee

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

Staying in good standing in Tennessee and Maine

Each year your corporation files Tennessee's Annual Report ($20) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Tennessee plus Maine comes to $319 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Tennessee to Maine

An LLC formed in Tennessee files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20)). After that come Tennessee's Annual Report ($300) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Maine company in Tennessee

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with Tennessee files Form SS-4431 with $600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30). See that filing.

Questions Tennessee owners ask about Maine

Does my Tennessee company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once a Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Tennessee and Maine?

$319 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $20 to Tennessee and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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