Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

West Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

Maine registers a corporation from West Virginia as a foreign corporation on Form MBCA-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine may ask for West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions using your West Virginia records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

West Virginia vs Maine: the paperwork

	West Virginia formed here	Maine registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$10	$250 at order
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	sos.wv.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every two years	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	July 1 each year	June 1
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate takes a few days	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Maine registered agent

From West Virginia to Maine, step by step

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

Will your West Virginia name work for Maine?

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

Your Maine agent and the West Virginia one

Maine calls it a registered agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. Your current agent for service of process stays for West Virginia; ours takes Maine's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in West Virginia and Maine

West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25); Maine wants the Annual Report every year ($150). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Maine

An LLC formed in West Virginia files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Maine into West Virginia

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with West Virginia files Form CF-1 with $101 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: West Virginia to Maine

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once a West Virginia 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 West Virginia corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register a West Virginia corporation in Maine?

$499 at checkout, including the $50 required expedite; Maine may also want West Virginia's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Maine?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), West Virginia's report ($25, every two years) and Maine's report ($150).

What if I don't register with Maine?

A West Virginia 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 West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Maine for year one.

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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