Foreign registration · Form 521

Maine LLC Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Maine that wants to do business in Wisconsin files Form 521, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin needs nothing from Maine: no Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services using your Maine records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Maine vs Wisconsin: the paperwork

	Maine formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Maine Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form 521, Foreign Registration Statement
State fee	$30	$100 at order
How it is handled	Maine: online, downloaded from the company's information summary page	Filed online with Wisconsin
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	apps3.web.maine.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $85, every year	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $80, every year
Due	June 1	March 31
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your Maine registered agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

From Maine to Wisconsin, step by step

We prepare and file Form 521
It names us as your Wisconsin registered agent, with your Maine name and formation date. Nothing has to come from Maine first, so the Wisconsin filing can go in right away. After approval, your Maine LLC is registered with Wisconsin.

Will your Maine name work for Wisconsin?

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

Your Wisconsin agent and the Maine one

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

Yearly filings: Wisconsin and Maine

Each year your LLC files Maine's Annual Report ($85) and Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($80). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Maine plus Wisconsin comes to $314 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Maine to Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Maine files Form 21 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30)). After that come Maine's Annual Report ($85) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Wisconsin company in Maine

An LLC formed in Wisconsin that registers with Maine files Form MLLC-12 with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite, plus the Certificate of Status ($10) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Questions Maine owners ask about Wisconsin

Does my Maine company need to register in Wisconsin?

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

How much does the Wisconsin registration cost?

$299 at checkout, with nothing to pay Maine.

Do I need Maine's certificate of good standing?

No, Wisconsin takes Form 521 without it.

What are the yearly costs for Maine and Wisconsin?

$314 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $85 to Maine and $80 to Wisconsin for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

A Maine company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Wisconsin can add up to $97.50 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

Yes: the Maine registered agent stays, and ours covers Wisconsin for year one.

Can I form a new Wisconsin LLC instead?

Yes, but Maine keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25), and the original keeps Maine's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Wisconsin later?

Maine companies leave by filing a Withdrawal of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company; until then, Wisconsin's report stays due alongside Maine's filings.

Official sources

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