[0:00] The short answer Dan: To start an LLC in Maine, you mail a Certificate of Formation, Form MLLC-6, to the Maine Secretary of State and pay $175. Maya: Mail? Not online? Dan: Maine has no online formation filing, so it goes by mail. Maya: This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Maine for 2026, in six steps, with what it all costs and the three best ways to have it filed for you. Where do we start? [0:29] Step 1: Choose a name Dan: Your name needs limited liability company, limited company, or an abbreviation like LLC or LC. It also has to be distinguishable from names on the Secretary of State's records. Maya: Which endings count? Dan: Limited liability company, limited company, LLC, or LC. Maya: Where do I look? Dan: The state has a free corporate name search. Use it first. Maya: Can I reserve a name? Dan: Yes, for 120 days. That's $20. [1:02] Step 2: Name a registered agent Maya: Who can be my registered agent in Maine? Dan: Either a commercial agent from the state's list, or a noncommercial agent with a physical Maine address. Maya: Where do I find a commercial agent? Dan: The state keeps a list of them. Maya: What about a P.O. box? Dan: Not for a noncommercial agent. It has to be a physical address. Maya: Does the agent have to agree? Dan: Listing the agent confirms they've agreed to serve. Maya: Is that information private? Dan: No, the address is public. That's why many owners use a commercial agent. Changing agents later costs $35. [1:38] Step 3: Mail the Certificate of Formation Maya: Is there an online option for formation at all? Dan: No, not for formation. The annual report you can file online. Maya: So what do I actually send? Dan: Form MLLC-6, the Certificate of Formation, mailed to the Secretary of State with $175. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: Good to meet you, Maya. And again, it goes by mail because Maine has no online formation filing. Maya: How long does it take? Dan: Standard processing is currently 10 to 15 business days. Maya: That's a wait. Can I speed it up? Dan: Yes. For $50 more you get next-business-day service. Same-day is $100. [2:21] Step 4: Write an operating agreement Maya: Do I send the operating agreement in with the form? Dan: No. It isn't filed with the Secretary of State, and there's no state fee. Keep it with your records. Maya: Should it be written down? Dan: Yes, put yours in writing. Maya: What goes in it? Dan: Who owns what, how profits are split, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves. [2:44] Step 5: Get a free EIN Maya: What about the federal side? Dan: Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, after the state files your Certificate. Maya: How fast is it? Dan: If the online application is approved, the IRS issues the number right away. Maya: And the beneficial ownership report? Dan: You can skip it. FinCEN no longer requires it from U.S. companies. [3:06] Step 6: File the annual report Maya: What does Maine want after I'm formed? Dan: An annual report, every year, between January 1 and June 1. Maya: When does the first one come? Dan: The year after you form. It's $85, and you can file it online. Maya: What if I'm late? Dan: There's a $50 penalty on top. Maya: And if I never file? Dan: The state administratively dissolves the LLC. Reinstatement starts at $150, plus the missed reports. [3:34] What it costs Maya: Give me the do-it-yourself number. Dan: $175 to form. Add $50 if you want next-day processing. Maya: And every year after? Dan: $85 for the annual report. Maya: And the EIN? Dan: Free. Maya: Anything else I might pay for? Dan: A name reservation at $20, and $35 if you change agents later. Maya: So what's day one, with next-day processing? Dan: $225 for the Certificate. The first $85 report comes the year after you form. [4:09] Mail and processing time Maya: Let me go back to the mail part. What is the whole path? Dan: You mail Form MLLC-6 with $175. Standard processing is currently 10 to 15 business days. Maya: And the faster options? Dan: $50 more for next business day, or $100 more for same-day. Maya: So the speed is a choice. Dan: It is. Standard costs nothing extra, but you wait. Maya: So the total for next-day is what? Dan: $175 plus $50, so $225. [4:46] Picking your registered agent Maya: Walk me through the agent choices once more. Dan: A commercial agent on the state's list, or a noncommercial agent with a physical Maine address. Maya: And the public part? Dan: The address is public record. Maya: Is a P.O. box ever fine? Dan: No. Not for a noncommercial agent. Maya: What does a change cost? Dan: $35. [5:05] Why the annual report matters Maya: Let me press on the annual report. It's $85 a year. Dan: And it has a firm window, January 1 to June 1. Maya: What happens at the first miss? Dan: A $50 penalty on top of the $85. Maya: And leaving it unfiled? Dan: Administrative dissolution. Reinstatement starts at $150, plus the missed reports. Maya: So filing on time is the easier path. Dan: By a wide margin. [5:32] First-year checklist Maya: Give me the order of operations. Dan: Search the name. Choose your registered agent. Mail Form MLLC-6 with $175. Then get your EIN and write your operating agreement. Maya: And the calendar? Dan: The $85 annual report, between January 1 and June 1, starting the year after you form. [5:54] The 3 best ways to file in Maine Maya: What if I'd rather have someone else file? Dan: Here are the three best ways to file in Maine. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $175 state fee and the $50 expedite, checkout comes to $424. Maya: What does that include? Dan: Your Certificate of Formation filed, your EIN application, and your registered agent every year. It renews at the same $199. Maya: And the annual report? Dan: Mainstay files it by June 1 every year. You pay only the state fee. Maya: Number two? Dan: ME Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Certificate for $199 plus the state fee, also $424 at checkout with the expedite. The first year of agent service is free, then it's $99 a year. Maya: And number three? Dan: Maine Registered Agent.co. Same offer. $199 plus the state fee, first year of agent service free, then $99 a year. Maya: How do I choose? Dan: If you'll file the annual report yourself, numbers two and three cost less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone. The $85 state fee is the same either way. [7:20] Three years of service fees Maya: Give me the three-year view. Dan: Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two or three is $199 in year one, then $99 in each of the next two years, for $397. Maya: A $200 gap. Dan: Yes, and with Mainstay that gap pays for your annual report being filed every year. [7:44] Recap Maya: Can I hear it one more time? Dan: Choose a name with LLC in it, name a commercial or noncommercial registered agent, mail Form MLLC-6 with $175, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and file your $85 annual report by June 1 each year. Maya: The links to all three services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Maine LLC.