Foreign registration · Form MLLC-12

Wisconsin LLC Foreign Registration in Maine

An LLC formed in Wisconsin that wants to do business in Maine files Form MLLC-12, with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maine also asks for Wisconsin's Certificate of Status ($10), no older than 90 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions using your Wisconsin records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Wisconsin and Maine side by side

	Wisconsin formed here	Maine registering here
Document	Wisconsin Certificate of Status	Form MLLC-12, Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities
State fee	$10	$250 at order
How it is handled	Wisconsin: online, emailed as soon as it is requested	Filed with Maine
Required expedite		$50 at order (24 hours)
Faster options		same-day $100
Office	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Official page	dfi.wi.gov	maine.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 90 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $25, every year	Annual Report, $150, every year
Due	End of the calendar quarter containing the LLC's anniversary date	June 1
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Required expedite processing: 24 hours
Agent	Your Wisconsin registered agent	Our Maine registered agent

From Wisconsin to Maine, step by step

Order the Wisconsin certificate
The Certificate of Status ($10) is ordered from Wisconsin separately; it is not part of our Maine order. An instant Wisconsin certificate reaches Maine only hours old, well inside the limit of 90 days.
We prepare and file Form MLLC-12
It names us as your Maine registered agent, with your Wisconsin name and formation date and the certificate attached. Wisconsin issues the certificate instantly, so the Maine filing can go in the same day. Once Maine approves it, the Wisconsin company can do business there.

First-year cost, Wisconsin to Maine

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

Faster state options are not in the total.

Your Wisconsin name and Maine's rules

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

Agents: Maine and Wisconsin

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

Yearly filings: Maine and Wisconsin

Each year your LLC files Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25) and Maine's Annual Report ($150). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Wisconsin plus Maine comes to $324 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Wisconsin to Maine

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

The other way: Maine into Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Maine that registers with Wisconsin files Form 521 with $100 in state fees; no Maine certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Wisconsin owners ask about Maine

Does my Wisconsin company need to register in Maine?

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

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

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

Do I need Wisconsin's certificate of good standing?

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

How long does the Maine registration take?

24 hours with Maine's required expedite; Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin and Maine?

$324 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to Wisconsin and $150 to Maine for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maine?

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

Can I form a new Maine LLC instead?

Yes, but Wisconsin keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Maine's Annual Report ($85), and the original keeps Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5).

How do I withdraw from Maine later?

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

Official sources

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