Foreign registration · Form MLLC-12

North Dakota LLC Foreign Registration in Maine

To do business in Maine, an LLC formed in North Dakota registers there on Form MLLC-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine also wants North Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing ($20), dated within 90 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions from your North Dakota records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

North Dakota vs Maine: the paperwork

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

From North Dakota to Maine, step by step

Order the North Dakota certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($20) is ordered from North Dakota separately; it is not part of our Maine order. Maine counts 90 days from the day North Dakota issues it, so the order goes in shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form MLLC-12
It lists us as your Maine registered agent, next to your North Dakota name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Once North Dakota's certificate is in hand, Maine's filing goes in. Once Maine approves it, the North Dakota company can do business there.

Maine costs for North Dakota companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$250
Required expedite (24 hours), paid at order	$50
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to North Dakota	$20
Our service, with a year of Maine registered agent service	$199
First-year total, North Dakota certificate included	$519

Faster state options are not in the total.

Your North Dakota name and Maine's rules

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

Your Maine agent and the North Dakota one

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

Staying in good standing in North Dakota and Maine

Each year your LLC files North Dakota's Annual Report ($50) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, North Dakota plus Maine comes to $349 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, North Dakota to Maine

A corporation formed in North Dakota files Form MBCA-12 with Maine ($250 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same). After that come North Dakota's Annual Report ($25) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Maine into North Dakota

An LLC formed in Maine that registers with North Dakota files North Dakota's registration (no form number) with $135 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30). See that filing.

Questions North Dakota owners ask about Maine

Does my North Dakota company need to register in Maine?

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

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

$499 at checkout plus $20 to North Dakota for the Certificate of Good Standing, $519 in all (checkout is $250 in state fees, the $50 required expedite and our $199).

Do I need North Dakota's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Maine wants it ($20), no more than 90 days old at filing.

How long does the Maine registration take?

24 hours with Maine's required expedite, once North Dakota's certificate is in hand. Faster state options: same-day $100.

What are the yearly costs for North Dakota and Maine?

$349 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $50 to North Dakota and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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