Foreign registration · Form MLLC-12

Montana LLC Foreign Registration in Maine

An LLC formed in Montana that wants to do business in Maine files Form MLLC-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine also wants Montana'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 Montana records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Montana vs Maine: the paperwork

	Montana formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Montana Certificate of Existence	Form MLLC-12, Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities
State fee	$5	$250 at order
How it is handled	Montana: online	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Montana Secretary of State, Business Services	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	biz.sosmt.gov	maine.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 90 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $20, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	April 15	June 1
Late yearly filing	$15 late fee	$50 late fee
Agent	Your Montana registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

How Montana companies register with Maine

Order the Montana certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($5) is ordered from Montana separately; it is not part of our Maine order. Maine accepts it within 90 days of Montana's issue date, so it is ordered shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form MLLC-12
It lists us as your Maine registered agent, next to your Montana name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Montana certificate comes first; then the Maine filing goes in. Once Maine approves it, the Montana company can do business there.

First-year cost, Montana to Maine

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

Faster state options are not in the total.

Will your Montana name work for Maine?

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

Your Maine agent and the Montana one

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

Yearly filings: Maine and Montana

Each year your LLC files Montana's Annual Report ($20) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Montana plus Maine comes to $319 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Montana to Maine

A corporation formed in Montana files Form MBCA-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same). After that come Montana's Annual Report (no fee) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Maine company in Montana

An LLC formed in Maine that registers with Montana files Montana's registration (no form number) with $70 in state fees; no Maine certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Montana owners ask about Maine

Does my Montana company need to register in Maine?

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

How much does the Maine registration cost?

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

Do I need Montana's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Maine wants Montana'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, once Montana's certificate is in hand. Faster state options: same-day $100.

What are the yearly costs for Montana and Maine?

$319 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $20 to Montana and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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