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How to start an LLC in Maine

Every step to form your LLC in Maine, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$175
Regular report
$85
What you file
Certificate of Formation
Where
The Maine Secretary of State

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in Maine

Filing Certificate of Formation with the Maine Secretary of State$175
The regular report that keeps it in good standing$85
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the Maine Secretary of State's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    A Maine corporation names a clerk and an LLC names a registered agent. Either can be a commercial clerk or agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial one with a physical Maine address (not a PO box); a noncommercial clerk for a corporation must be a Maine resident. The filing states that they've agreed to serve.

  3. With the state

    File your Certificate of Formation

    File it with the Maine Secretary of State's Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions on the state's paper form (MLLC-6), paying by check or by credit card with the state's card voucher. The state's fee is $175. Expedited service costs $50 (next business day) or $100 (same day), but it isn't required. Once it's filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  5. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Certificate of Formation are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  6. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    If you'll sell taxable goods or services, or hire employees, register with Maine Revenue Services online through the Maine Tax Portal (Register a New Business). Employers also register with the Maine Department of Labor for an unemployment tax account, through ReEmployME.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  7. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    Maine's Business Answers service (1-800-872-3838) can tell you which state licenses or permits apply to your business, and your city or town may need its own licenses, permits or zoning approval.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  8. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Certificate of Formation and your EIN.

  9. With the state

    Put the yearly report in your calendar

    Every LLC in Maine files an annual report with the Secretary of State between January 1 and June 1 each year, starting the year after it's formed; you can file online. The fee is $85, and a late report adds a $50 penalty. The state administratively dissolves an LLC that doesn't file and pay.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in Maine

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Maine?

The state's fee to file Certificate of Formation is $175. To stay in good standing, it also files a regular report, which costs $85. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does Maine require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. Maine asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It costs $85, and the step below says when it's due and where to file it.

Can I form an LLC in Maine myself?

Yes. You file Certificate of Formation with the Maine Secretary of State and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from Maine's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

Maine's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states