Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

Washington Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

Maine registers a corporation from Washington as a foreign corporation on Form MBCA-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine may ask for Washington's Certificate of Existence ($20). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions from your Washington records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Washington and Maine side by side

	Washington formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Washington Certificate of Existence	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$20	$250 at order
How it is handled	Washington: online as an instant Express download, also emailed	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	ccfs.sos.wa.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $70, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	Last day of the entity's anniversary month	June 1
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your Washington registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

From Washington to Maine, step by step

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

Your Washington name and Maine's rules

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

Your Maine agent and the Washington one

Washington and Maine both call it a registered agent. Maine papers come to us; Washington's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Washington and Maine

Each year your corporation files Washington's Annual Report ($70) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Washington plus Maine comes to $369 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Washington to Maine

An LLC formed in Washington 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 Washington's Annual Report ($70) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Maine company in Washington

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with Washington files Washington's registration (no form number) with $200 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Washington to Maine

Does my Washington company need to register in Maine?

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

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Washington and Maine?

$369 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $70 to Washington and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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