How to Start an LLC in Maine

What it costs to start an LLC in Maine

The one cost nobody can avoid is the state's filing fee: $175. It goes to Maine whether you file the Certificate of Formation yourself or pay someone to do it. After that, the cost that matters most is the recurring one, because it comes back every year for as long as the LLC exists.

State fees verified October 2026 and charged by the state, not by us. Our fee is separate and optional. If the state's fee changes before we file, we refund or invoice the difference.

So the minimum to form a Maine LLC is $175, paid to the state. If we file it, our flat service fee is added on its own line. For how Maine compares with other states, see LLC cost by state.

How to start an LLC in Maine, step by step

Six steps take you from an idea to an LLC that is formed and in good standing. The first three happen before Maine approves anything; the last three start once you have the approved Certificate of Formation.

1. Choose a name and check it's available

Your LLC's name must end with a designator such as "LLC", "L.L.C." or "Limited Liability Company", and it must be distinguishable from every other business already on Maine's records. Words that suggest a regulated business, such as "bank" or "insurance", usually need extra approval.

Search the name in Maine's business records on maine.gov before you file. A name that is taken or too close to an existing one is the most common reason a filing comes back. Our guide to LLC name rules covers the details.

2. Name a registered agent

Every Maine LLC needs a registered agent: a person or company with a street address in Maine who accepts lawsuits and state notices on the company's behalf during business hours. The agent's name and address go on the Certificate of Formation and become public.

• Can you be your own agent? Yes, if you have a Maine street address and are there during business hours.
• On the filing: Certificate states (Article SIXTH) that the agent has consented; filing is the entity's affirmation of consent (5 MRSA 105.2). No agent signature.

More on the trade-offs in Do you need a registered agent?

3. File the Certificate of Formation

The Certificate of Formation is the document that creates your LLC. Maine takes it online at maine.gov, and the filing fee is $175. It asks for the company name, the registered agent, a mailing address, and the people forming the company. Whoever signs it as organizer does not have to be an owner, which is how filing services sign on your behalf.

What becomes public: Only the authorized person who signs (name and title); no members, managers or principal office on the certificate.

Once Maine approves the filing, your LLC exists. Keep the approved Certificate of Formation; banks ask for it.

4. Adopt an operating agreement

The operating agreement sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions get made, how profits are split, and what happens if an owner leaves. It is not filed with the state. Even a single-owner LLC benefits from one, because it shows the company is run as a separate business, and banks often ask for it.

You can write your own, use an attorney for complex ownership, or add our self-help template from your order page after checkout. See Do you need an operating agreement?

5. Get an EIN from the IRS

An Employer Identification Number is your LLC's federal tax ID. Banks ask for it to open a business account, and you need it to hire employees. Apply directly with the IRS at irs.gov once Maine has approved your LLC, so the name on the application matches the state record exactly. The IRS does not charge for it.

6. Meet Maine's after-formation requirements

These are the filings and registrations Maine expects after formation. Put each one on a calendar the day your LLC is approved.

• Annual report (MLLC-13). When: June 1 of the year after formation, then yearly; non-waivable late penalty. Cost: $85.

Beyond the state, most new LLCs also open a business bank account and check for state tax registrations and local licenses that fit their line of business. Our checklist, what to do after forming your LLC, walks through them.

How long it takes to form an LLC in Maine

Two clocks run here: the time it takes to get the Certificate of Formation submitted, and the time Maine takes to review it.

• Maine's review: varies with the state's workload; Maine does not post a fixed turnaround in the research we use.
• State expedite: +$50 24-hour (next business day); +$100 same business day.
• Our submission: standard orders go to the state within 3 business days. Maine files on paper, so we don't offer same-day submission there.

State expedite fees, where Maine offers them, are separate charges paid to the state. More in how long it takes to form an LLC.

Maine LLC requirements at a glance

• A name ending in "LLC" or an equivalent designator, distinguishable from names already on file.
• A registered agent with a Maine street address.
• A Certificate of Formation filed with Maine, with the $175 state fee.
• An operating agreement kept in your records (not filed, but recommended).
• Maine's recurring requirement: $85/year, due June 1.

File it yourself or have us file it

Both routes give you the same Maine LLC, and the state fee is the same either way. The difference is who does the work and who you call when something comes back.

Filing it yourself

1. Search your name in Maine's records on maine.gov.
2. Line up a registered agent.
3. Complete the Certificate of Formation online at maine.gov and pay $175 to the state.
4. Watch for approval and save the filed document.
5. Calendar Maine's after-formation deadlines.

Cost: $175. If your details are straightforward and you are comfortable with state forms, this is a perfectly good way to do it.

Having us file it

People choose a service when they want the filing right the first time without learning Maine's form, or when their time is worth more than the fee. For a flat service fee on top of the state fee we:

• check the name against Maine's records before anything is filed;
• prepare the Certificate of Formation from a short online application;
• submit it within 3 business days;
• email you the approved documents and Maine's next deadlines;
• answer questions by email and phone.

Cost: the $175 state fee, passed through at cost on its own line, plus our flat service fee.

Start your Maine LLC or read more about our Maine LLC filing service.