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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Maine

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Maine (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Maine the order reads Maine Registered Agent.co ($199), ME Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199). Maine Registered Agent.co posts the top score: $199 plus the state fee and a year of registered agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Top pick on this page

1. Maine Registered Agent.co: best for companies that add just Maine

9.5 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

Maine Registered Agent.co leads the card: the Maine registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

It pulls ahead of Mainstay Filing on three-year cost.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Year-one registered agent service included

Strengths

  • $99 per year for the agent after the first
  • Registered agent service for year one is in the price
  • $199 to register, state fee extra

Watch for

  • Limited to Maine; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Maine Registered Agent.co: the full write-up
Rank #2 Best local option

2. ME Registered Agent.org: best for registrations in Maine only

9.1 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

ME Registered Agent.org takes second spot: the Maine registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Price for price and feature for feature, Maine Registered Agent.co and ME Registered Agent.org match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Year-one registered agent service included

Strengths

  • Year one as your registered agent is included
  • $199 service fee plus the registration fee
  • Second-year agent cost: $99

Watch for

  • Limited to Maine; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. ME Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #3 Fifty-state coverage

3. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

8.8 Editor score out of 10
$199 on top of the state fee ($499 due at checkout), then the agent at $149 a year from year two

Mainstay Filing takes third spot: it files the Maine registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.

After the free first year the agent costs $149 a year, in this state or any other.

Maine Registered Agent.co undercuts Mainstay Filing by $100 over three years, and that gap costs Mainstay points on cost.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and submitted
  • The first registered agent year at no charge
  • Served papers scanned and uploaded the day they arrive, free

Strengths

  • Registered agent free for year one
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • Same price across all fifty states
  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than Maine Registered Agent.co charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Maine Registered Agent.co 9.5 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 ME Registered Agent.org 9.1 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Mainstay Filing 8.8 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The marks out of 10 come from our editors and follow the weights on How we rank; none of them is a customer rating.

Maine foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
Maine Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
ME Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Maine's $250 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

The case for Maine Registered Agent.co in first

Points here: 25% for cost across three years, 25% for coverage of the price and 50% across renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity. Maine came down to cost across three years.

Maine Registered Agent.co tallies $397 across three years, $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both include the first agent year, so the renewal price after year one broke the tie.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Maine: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities (Form MLLC-12) to the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions, with a $250 state fee. Maine additionally requires certificate of existence, dated no more than 90 days before filing.

Once registered, the company files the Annual report for a foreign LLC ($150), due June 1.

Gather these before filing

  • Certificate of existence, issued no earlier than 90 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $250, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the Annual report for a foreign LLC and its $150 fee.

The price of ignoring Maine registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Maine courts until it registers (31 MRSA 1629(1)).

Maine foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Maine make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Maine?

Expect $250 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Maine?

The form goes to the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions; its exact name is in the facts above.

Is a home-state certificate part of the Maine filing?

Yes, the state wants certificate of existence, no older than 90 days.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Maine?

Maine Registered Agent.co, since $199 beyond the state fee to register in Maine, agent renewing at $99.

Read next

Where the figures come from

  1. Maine Secretary of State, as of August 2026
  2. Maine Secretary of State, as of August 2026
  3. Maine report due date, as of August 2026
  4. 31 M.R.S. sec. 1531, as of August 2026
  5. Maine formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  6. Maine registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  7. Maine Secretary of State, foreign entities, as of October 2026
  8. Form MLLC-12, as of October 2026
  9. 31 MRSA § 1622, foreign qualification, as of October 2026
  10. 31 MRSA § 1623, activities that do not require qualification, as of October 2026
  11. 31 MRSA § 1629, consequences of not qualifying, as of October 2026
  12. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Maine Registered Agent.co
  13. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for ME Registered Agent.org
  14. Read on November 12, 2026: Maine service page for Mainstay Filing