Foreign registration · Form MLLC-12

Iowa LLC Foreign Registration in Maine

Maine registers an LLC from Iowa as a foreign LLC on Form MLLC-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine also wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5), dated within 90 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions using your Iowa records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Iowa vs Maine: the paperwork

	Iowa formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence	Form MLLC-12, Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities
State fee	$5	$250 at order
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	maine.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 90 days
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $30, every two years	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	April 1 of odd-numbered years	June 1
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your Iowa registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

From Iowa to Maine, step by step

Order the Iowa certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($5) is ordered from Iowa separately; it is not part of our Maine order. An instant Iowa certificate reaches Maine only hours old, well inside the limit of 90 days.
We prepare and file Form MLLC-12
It lists us as your Maine registered agent, next to your Iowa name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Iowa issues the certificate instantly, so the Maine filing can go in the same day. Once Maine approves it, the Iowa company can do business there.

First-year cost, Iowa to Maine

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$250
Required expedite (24 hours), paid at order	$50
Certificate of Existence, paid to Iowa	$5
Our service, with a year of Maine registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Iowa certificate included	$504

Faster state options are not in the total.

Your Iowa name and Maine's rules

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

Your Maine agent and the Iowa one

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

Staying in good standing in Iowa and Maine

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($30); Maine wants the Annual Report every year ($150). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to Maine

A corporation formed in Iowa files Form MBCA-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($60) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Maine into Iowa

An LLC formed in Maine that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0010 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Questions Iowa owners ask about Maine

Does my Iowa company need to register in Maine?

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

How much does it cost to register an Iowa LLC in Maine?

$499 at checkout plus $5 to Iowa for the Certificate of Existence, $504 in all (checkout is $250 in state fees, the $50 required expedite and our $199).

Do I need Iowa's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Maine wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5), no more than 90 days old at filing.

How long does the Maine registration take?

24 hours with Maine's required expedite; Iowa's certificate is an instant download, so there is no wait before filing. Faster state options: same-day $100.

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and Maine?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($30, every two years) and Maine's report ($150).

What if I don't register with Maine?

An Iowa 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 Iowa registered agent stays, and ours covers Maine for year one.

Can I form a new Maine LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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