Foreign registration · Form MLLC-12

West Virginia LLC Foreign Registration in Maine

Maine registers an LLC from West Virginia as a foreign LLC on Form MLLC-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine also wants West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10), dated within 90 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions from your West Virginia records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

West Virginia and Maine side by side

	West Virginia formed here	Maine registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence	Form MLLC-12, Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities
State fee	$10	$250 at order
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	sos.wv.gov	maine.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 90 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $26, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	July 1 each year	June 1
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate takes a few days	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Maine registered agent

How West Virginia companies register with Maine

Order the West Virginia certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from West Virginia separately; it is not part of our Maine order. With West Virginia taking days and Maine counting 90 days from issue, the order is timed for both.
We prepare and file Form MLLC-12
It names us as your Maine registered agent, with your West Virginia name and formation date and the certificate attached. Allow for the days West Virginia takes to send the certificate before the Maine filing goes in. After approval, your West Virginia LLC is registered with Maine.

Maine costs for West Virginia companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$250
Required expedite (24 hours), paid at order	$50
Certificate of Existence, paid to West Virginia	$10
Our service, with a year of Maine registered agent service	$199
First-year total, West Virginia certificate included	$509

Faster state options are not in the total.

Will your West Virginia name work for Maine?

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

Your Maine agent and the West Virginia one

Maine calls it a registered agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. Maine papers come to us; West Virginia's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in West Virginia and Maine

Each year your LLC files West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, West Virginia plus Maine comes to $325 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Maine

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

The other way: Maine into West Virginia

An LLC formed in Maine that registers with West Virginia files Form LLF-1 with $151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30). See that filing.

Questions West Virginia owners ask about Maine

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Maine?

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

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

$499 at checkout plus $10 to West Virginia for the Certificate of Existence, $509 in all (checkout is $250 in state fees, the $50 required expedite and our $199).

Do I need West Virginia's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Maine wants West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10), no more than 90 days old at filing.

How long does the Maine registration take?

24 hours with Maine's required expedite, plus a few days for West Virginia's certificate before filing. Faster state options: same-day $100.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Maine?

$325 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $26 to West Virginia and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

A West Virginia 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 West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Maine for year one.

Can I form a new Maine LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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