Maine LLC

What is a Maine LLC?

A Maine LLC is formed by filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State and paying the appropriate filing fee. A Maine LLC is governed by its Operating Agreement, which is written and agreed upon by its members, and which lays out the management structure of the company. Each member offers a capital contribution in return for an ownership percentage.

Learn more below about the structure of a Maine LLC and how one is formed.

Maine LLC Requirements

1. Maine Articles of Organization (Limited Liability Company).
2. State Filing Fee of $175.
3. A Registered Agent located in Maine. See our service here.
4. Filer Contact Cover Letter.
5. Beneficial Ownership Information Report filing. Your report must be submitted after company formation starting January 1, 2024.

Maine LLC Structure

ME Limited Liability Companies are structured legally with the Maine Articles of Organization for a Limited Liability Company. Like many states, the document for an LLC is short and simple.

The required information to be listed:

• Name
• Filing Date
• LLC Type
• Registered Agent
• Cover Letter

Name

Your new Maine LLC must contain the words “Limited Liability Company”, “Limited Company” or the abbreviation “L.L.C”, “LLC” or “LC”. If the LLC you are filing is a low-profit LLC, “L3C” or “l3c” is permissible.

Date

The LLC can start when the Certificate of Formation is filed or at a later date, the choice is yours.

Type

You have options in Maine when it comes to choosing a type of LLC. You can elect to have the LLC be a low profit LLC or a Professional LLC.

Registered Agent

The Registered Agents information will be listed as a requirement.

Cover Letter

The cover letter will include:

• Name of LLC
• Type of Filing Enclosed
• Any Handling Instruction
• Contact Information

How to File a Maine LLC

Steps in forming a Maine LLC:

1. Name Your Maine LLC: You must select a name for your company that is not already in use by another entity within the state. You must use a company identifier: Limited Liability Company, Limited Company, LLC, L.L.C., LC or L.C.
2. File Certificate of Formation: To form an LLC, you must file a Certificate of Formation with the Division of Corporations. There is a $175 filing fee. You must include a Filer Contact Cover Letter with the filing.
3. Appoint Commercial Clerk: All business entities are required to appoint a Maine commercial clerk (or noncommercial clerk) on their Certificate of Formation filing. A commercial clerk accepts service of process on behalf of the business.
4. Write Operating Agreement: An Operating Agreement is the document which lays out the ownership and management of your LLC. It is not filed with any government agency.
5. Open Business Accounts: To manage your LLC’s monetary transactions, you will need to open business bank accounts. A bank will need to see copies of your Certificate of Formation, Operating Agreement, and an initial resolution authorizing the opening of the accounts.
6. File Annual Report: After you form an LLC, you are required by law to file an Annual Report every year by June 1. The filing fee for Annual Reports is $85.
7. Submit Beneficial Ownership Information Report: You must a file a BOI report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network after formation, starting January 1, 2024. The BOI report is free to file and must be submitted online.

What is a Filer Contact Letter?

The Filer Contact Letter is an attachment to the Certificate of Formation. The Letter states the name of your entity, the type of filing, any expedite options, and contact information. You must completely fill out the Letter or your Certificate of Formation will not be accepted.

When Is My First Annual Report Due?

You file your first Annual Report between January 1 and June 1 the year after formation. If you formed your LLC in 2015, you would file the first Annual Report between January 1 and June 1 of 2016.

Am I Required to File An Annual Report?

Any entity that is conducting business in the state is required to file an Annual Report.

If your LLC is not conducting business, and you wish to be listed as inactive, you may file an Application for Excuse. If accepted, your company will not have to file an Annual Report until business resumes.

Maine Commercial Clerk Duties

A Maine commercial clerk is required to fulfill the following duties:

• Maintain a registered office (physical street address, not a PO box) within the state
• Maintain regular business hours
• Accept service of process and official business mail on behalf of clients
• Contact clients when documents are accepted on their behalf
• Forward all documents to clients in a timely manner

Maine LLC Annual Report

After you form a Maine LLC, you are required to file an Annual Report each year. The Annual Report can be filed online with the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions. The filing fee is $85. The filing deadline is June 1.

Federal Beneficial Ownership Information Report Filing

As a newly-formed LLC, you’ll probably need to submit a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The BOI report provides the federal government with basic information about your LLC and the people with the most power over your business decisions and profits. Starting January 1, 2024, this report is due following company formation. This report is a little complicated, but we can make filing painless with our $25 BOI report filing service.

Why Hire Corporate Filing Solutions to Form Your Maine LLC?

Starting your LLC in Maine shouldn’t be a hassle or a time consumer. That’s why we offer Filings Made Easy™ to make starting an LLC in Maine super easy.

Hire us and relax while our filing experts form your new Maine LLC. Our staff will process orders the same business day as they are received. To make things even easier, we bundle the first year of Registered Agent service and ensure your Maine LLC comes fully equipped and ready to do its job.

Start your LLC in Maine and get Registered Agent service for as low as $55 a year.