Maine Foreign Qualification

Why You Need To Do It – It’s required by law, to put it plainly. Businesses must foreign qualify if they wish to legally have any kind of physical presence within Maine.

When Should You Do It? – It’s important to begin the process as soon as your company finalizes its plans to start business within Maine. The sooner you begin, the less likely it is that you’ll face any kind of delay when it is time to begin operations. Generally, you will need Maine foreign qualification if your company falls under any of the following criteria:

• Has a physical presence in Maine
• Buying a property there
• Have remote employees
• Accepts orders in Maine
• Owns a bank account in Maine

There are several steps that a business must take in order to receive Maine foreign qualification. These include the following.

1. Obtain Certificates – Maine requires LLCs to file a Statement of Foreign Qualification to Conduct Activities. Corporations should file an Application for Authority. You can download both forms from the Maine Secretary of State website. Aside from this form, you will also need to obtain a Certificate of Existence from your home state.

2. Collect And Submit Information – The basic information that will be requested includes things about your business. Fill out the documents as requested, providing all applicable information honestly.

LLC

• Name of LLC in home state
• LLC name following Maine’s requirements
• A fictitious name, if your LLC name is unavailable
• The original date of formation
• Name of home state
• The principal office street address
• The purpose of your LLC’s business in Maine
• Registered agent information
• Names and addresses of each manager, if any
• The date when your LLC will commence activities in Maine
• An authorized signature

Corporation

• The original name of the Corporation
• A fictitious name if the original name is unavailable
• Registered agent information
• Name of the home state
• The original date of formation
• The principal office street address
• A mailing address, if applicable
• The names and addresses of all officers and directors
• An authorized signature

3. Appoint Registered Agent – Next, appoint your registered agent. This is the person or entity responsible who receives documents from the government and handles much of the paperwork involved in compliance. To simplify things for themselves, most businesses rely on third party providers like DoMyLLC to serve as their registered agents.

4. File The Application – Once you fill out the information, you’ll be ready to file the application. Return it to the Secretary of State along with the filing fee of $250.

5. Ongoing Maintenance – Maine requires all businesses to file an annual report to maintain their compliance. This is due by June 1 of each year and can be done by mail or online. There is an $85 filing fee.

We understand that running a business is a huge process. That’s why we work to simplify things for our clients. We do all of the work involving foreign qualification and can serve as your registered agent. This removes the workload and the hassle from you and lets you focus on running your business. We offer:

•     Dedicated account managers
•     Ongoing, unlimited customer support
•     Name availability checks
•     Full filing and registration for foreign qualification

If you’re serious about getting the best results from your Maine foreign qualification, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn more.

Maine Office of Secretary of State
Phone Number:
(207) 624-7736

Address:
Maine State Department
101 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333