Foreign registration · Form MBCA-12

Wisconsin Corporation Foreign Registration in Maine

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

Wisconsin and Maine side by side

	Wisconsin formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Wisconsin Certificate of Status	Form MBCA-12, Application for Authority to do Business
State fee	$10	$250 at order
How it is handled	Wisconsin: online, emailed as soon as it is requested	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	dfi.wi.gov	maine.gov
Yearly filing	Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report, $25, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	End of the calendar quarter containing the anniversary of the articles' effective date	June 1
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your Wisconsin registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

From Wisconsin to Maine, step by step

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

Your Wisconsin name and Maine's rules

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

Agents: Maine and Wisconsin

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

Yearly filings: Maine and Wisconsin

Each year your corporation files Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Wisconsin plus Maine comes to $324 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Wisconsin to Maine

An LLC formed in Wisconsin files Form MLLC-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Status ($10)). After that come Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Maine into Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Maine that registers with Wisconsin files Form 21 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Wisconsin to Maine

Does my Wisconsin company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once a Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin corporations once the form is approved.

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

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

How long does the Maine registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Wisconsin and Maine?

$324 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to Wisconsin and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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