How to Start an LLC in Maine (2026)

From The Business Formation Podcast · 8:15

Show by The Business Formation Podcast

To start an LLC in Maine, you mail a Certificate of Formation, Form MLLC-6, to the Maine Secretary of State and pay $175. Every step for 2026, including why Maine formation goes by mail, the processing times, the $85 annual report due by June 1, and the three best ways to have it filed for you. The 3 best ways to file in Maine (2026) Mainstay Filing (our pick): $199/yr + state fee ($424 at checkout with Maine's $175 fee and the $50 expedite). Includes your Certificate of Formation filed, your EIN application, your registered agent every year and your annual report filed. Checkout also adds the $50 Maine 24-hour expedite. Renews at $199/yr. https://www.mainstayfiling.com/maine/llc/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=pod-llc-maine ME Registered Agent.org: $199 + state fee ($424 at checkout). Prepares and files your Certificate of Formation, with the first year of registered agent service free, then $99/yr. Checkout also adds the $50 Maine 24-hour expedite. https://www.meregisteredagent.org/llc/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=pod-llc-maine Maine Registered Agent.co: $199 + state fee ($424 at checkout). Forms your Maine LLC with the first year of registered agent service free, then $99/yr. Checkout also adds the $50 Maine 24-hour expedite. https://www.maineregisteredagent.co/llc/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=pod-llc-maine Chapters 0:00 The short answer0:29 Step 1: Choose a name1:02 Step 2: Name a registered agent1:38 Step 3: Mail the Certificate of Formation2:21 Step 4: Write an operating agreement2:44 Step 5: Get a free EIN3:06 Step 6: File the annual report3:34 What it costs4:09 Mail and processing time4:46 Picking your registered agent5:05 Why the annual report matters5:32 First-year checklist5:54 The 3 best ways to file in Maine7:20 Three years of service fees7:44 Recap Maine LLC facts (checked October 7, 2026) Filing: Form MLLC-6, Certificate of Formation, mailed to the Maine Secretary of State: $175 (no online formation filing). Standard processing currently 10 to 15 business days; next-business-day expedite $50, same-day $100. Name: must contain "limited liability company," "limited company," "L.L.C.," "LLC," "L.C." or "LC" and be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records. Reservation: 120 days, $20. Registered agent: a commercial registered agent (on the state's CRA list) or a noncommercial agent with a physical Maine address, not a P.O. box; naming the agent affirms it consented. Change: $35. Operating agreement: not filed. EIN: free from the IRS at IRS.gov. Annual report: January 1 to June 1 each year after the formation year, $85 (online or paper). Late: $50 penalty; unfiled reports lead to administrative dissolution; reinstatement $150 (maximum $600) plus the reports. No beneficial ownership (BOI) report for U.S. companies (FinCEN). Sources Maine Form MLLC-6 (PDF): https://www.maine.gov/sos/sites/maine.gov.sos/files/inline-files/mllc6.pdf Maine LLC forms and fees: https://www.maine.gov/sos/corporations-commissions/i-need-a-business-form/limited-liability-company-forms Forming a business (processing time): https://www.maine.gov/sos/corporations-commissions/corporations/forming-a-business Filing an annual report: https://www.maine.gov/sos/corporations-commissions/filing-an-annual-report 31 MRSA § 1680 (fees): https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/31/title31sec1680.html 31 MRSA § 1665 (annual report): https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/31/title31sec1665.html IRS, Get an EIN: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number FinCEN, BOI: https://www.fincen.gov/boi Company prices from each company's own page and checkout, October 7, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.

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