Foreign registration · Form MLLC-12

Delaware LLC Foreign Registration in Maine

An LLC formed in Delaware that wants to do business in Maine files Form MLLC-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine also asks for Delaware's Certificate of Good Standing ($50), no older than 90 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions from your Delaware records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Delaware and Maine side by side

	Delaware formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Delaware Certificate of Good Standing	Form MLLC-12, Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities
State fee	$50	$250 at order
How it is handled	Delaware: through the Division of Corporations request service, sent by first-class mail unless a FedEx or UPS account is supplied	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	corp.delaware.gov	maine.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 90 days
Yearly filing	Annual LLC Tax, $400, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	On or before June 1	June 1
Late yearly filing	$200 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate comes by mail	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your Delaware registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

How Delaware companies register with Maine

Order the Delaware certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($50) is ordered from Delaware separately; it is not part of our Maine order. It comes as a short form ($50) or a long form ($175). Delaware mails it, and Maine counts the 90 days from issue, so it is ordered with transit in mind.
We prepare and file Form MLLC-12
It lists us as your Maine registered agent, next to your Delaware name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Delaware certificate takes days to arrive, so the Maine filing waits for it. After approval, your Delaware LLC is registered with Maine.

Maine costs for Delaware companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$250
Required expedite (24 hours), paid at order	$50
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Delaware	$50
Our service, with a year of Maine registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Delaware certificate included	$549

Faster state options are not in the total.

Will your Delaware name work for Maine?

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

Agents: Maine and Delaware

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

Staying in good standing in Delaware and Maine

Each year your LLC files Delaware's Annual LLC Tax ($400) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Delaware plus Maine comes to $699 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Delaware to Maine

A corporation formed in Delaware files Form MBCA-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same). After that come Delaware's Annual Franchise Tax Report ($50) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Maine company in Delaware

An LLC formed in Maine that registers with Delaware files Delaware's registration (no form number) with $200 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Delaware to Maine

Does my Delaware company need to register in Maine?

Yes, once a Delaware business operates there; Maine law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does it cost to register a Delaware LLC in Maine?

$499 at checkout plus $50 to Delaware for the Certificate of Good Standing, $549 in all (checkout is $250 in state fees, the $50 required expedite and our $199).

Do I need Delaware's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Maine wants it ($50), no more than 90 days old at filing.

How long does the Maine registration take?

24 hours with Maine's required expedite, plus mail time for Delaware's certificate before filing. Faster state options: same-day $100.

What are the yearly costs for Delaware and Maine?

$699 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $400 to Delaware and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

Delaware companies leave by filing a Statement of Cancellation of Foreign Qualification; until then, Maine's report stays due alongside Delaware's filings.

Official sources

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