How to Start an LLC in Maine: Secretary of State Steps and Fees (2026)
Maine does one thing differently right out of the gate: the document that creates your LLC is a Certificate of Formation, not "Articles of Organization." Plenty of national guides gloss over that. The certificate is Form MLLC-6, it goes to the Maine Secretary of State's Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions, and the official Maine filing fee is $175. The filing is authorized by 31 M.R.S. § 1531, and the fee is set by 31 M.R.S. § 1680.
The Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6)
One or more authorized persons execute the certificate to bring the LLC into existence. Maine also requires the certificate to carry the registered agent information described in 5 M.R.S. § 105(1): a commercial registered agent is identified by name and CRA public number, while a noncommercial agent is listed by name and a physical Maine street address. The Secretary of State publishes Form MLLC-6 as a PDF on the official forms list.
Maine LLC Fees at the Formation Stage
- Certificate of Formation, Form MLLC-6: $175
- Optional expedited service: $50 for 24-hour handling, $100 for same-day
- Registered agent: required, though the state charges nothing for the appointment itself
That is the entire list at formation. After that, plan on the $85 annual report each year (step 7 below).
Filing Steps for a Maine LLC
Ready to get started?
Get Started- Check the name. It needs an LLC designator ("Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C.") and must be distinguishable from entities already on record. Run it through the Secretary of State's corporate name search before printing anything.
- Appoint a registered agent. Maine follows the Model Registered Agents Act, so your agent is either a commercial registered agent listed with the state or a noncommercial agent with a physical Maine street address, never just a PO box. Our registered agent page walks through the rules.
- Complete Form MLLC-6. The company name, the agent details 5 M.R.S. § 105(1) requires, and the signature of an authorized person.
- Submit the certificate with the $175 fee. Add $50 for 24-hour handling or $100 for same-day service if the timeline is tight.
- Adopt an operating agreement. Maine never sees this document, but your bank will ask for it, and it settles ownership questions before they become disputes.
- Request an EIN from the IRS. Free at IRS.gov, usually issued on the spot. Skip any service that charges for this.
- Put June 1 on the calendar. Every Maine LLC files an annual report, Form MLLC-13, for $85, in a window that opens January 1. The annual requirements page has the details.
Keeping the LLC in Good Standing
Two obligations never go away: a registered agent must stay on file, and the annual report must land by June 1 each year. Let either lapse and the Secretary of State can start the written notice and cure process that ends in administrative dissolution.
Have Us File It
Our formation service is $199. That covers preparing and filing Form MLLC-6 and includes your first year of registered agent service; the agent renews at $99 per year afterward. Maine's $175 fee passes through at face value.