No.1
Best here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
Service charge $199, with the state fee separate ($499 due at checkout in all); the agent costs $149 a year from the second year
Score9.5out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 covers the Maine registration and the registered agent role is free the first year, then $149 annually.
After the free first year, the agent is $149 annually, whichever state the company chooses.
Its three-year total exceeds Maine Registered Agent.co's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- Registration paperwork handled for you
- Registered agent service is free in year one
- Service of process scanned and uploaded within the same business day, at no charge
Why pick it
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- One price in each of the fifty states
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than Maine Registered Agent.co
No.2
Lower renewal than Mainstay
2. Maine Registered Agent.co: best for companies that only add Maine
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score9.3out of 10
Second place: Maine Registered Agent.co. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Maine, and the agent renews at $99.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- The registration filing
- The first year of registered agent service
Why pick it
- Registration at $199, with the state fee extra
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
Weak spots
- Serves Maine only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Best local option
3. ME Registered Agent.org: best for Maine registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score9.2out of 10
Third place: ME Registered Agent.org. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Maine, and the agent renews at $99.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The published prices and features of Maine Registered Agent.co and ME Registered Agent.org are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- The registration filing
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- The first year as registered agent is free
- Second-year agent charge: $99
- $199 for the registration, before state fees
Weak spots
- Serves Maine only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.5 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | Maine Registered Agent.co | 9.3 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | ME Registered Agent.org | 9.2 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Maine foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
|---|
| Maine Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| ME Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Maine's $250 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The basis for the order
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In Maine, work taken off the founder was the criterion that tipped it.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of Maine Registered Agent.co.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Maine: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions using the Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities (Form MLLC-12). The state fee is $250. Maine also requires certificate of existence, issued no more than 90 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the Annual report for a foreign LLC, priced at $150, with a due date of June 1.
Items to gather before filing
- Certificate of existence, no older than 90 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $250 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the Annual report for a foreign LLC, which carries a $150 fee.
Consequences of operating in Maine unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Maine courts (31 MRSA 1629(1)).
Questions on Maine foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Maine?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Maine run in total?
The state fee is $250; service charges run $199.
What does Maine call its foreign registration form?
The Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities (Form MLLC-12), lodged with the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Maine accepts it?
It must. Certificate of existence, issued no more than 90 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Maine?
Mainstay Filing, since $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as registered agent is included.
The record
- Maine Secretary of State, on the record as of August 2026
- Maine Secretary of State, on the record as of August 2026
- Maine report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- 31 M.R.S. sec. 1531, on the record as of August 2026
- Maine formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Maine registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Maine Secretary of State, foreign entities, on the record as of October 2026
- Form MLLC-12, on the record as of October 2026
- 31 MRSA § 1622, foreign qualification, on the record as of October 2026
- 31 MRSA § 1623, activities that do not require qualification, on the record as of October 2026
- 31 MRSA § 1629, consequences of not qualifying, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Maine service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Maine Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: ME Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026