How to Start an LLC in Maine

Within the state of Maine, business owners can take advantage of several tax incentives and credits made available by the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development, provided your LLC meets the specific criteria. For example, the Small Enterprise Growth Fund provides initial investments, typically between $150,000 and $350,000, in patient capital to small businesses that demonstrate a potential for high growth and public benefit.

For entrepreneurs looking to start a business in Maine, creating a Maine Limited Liability Company (LLC) is generally the fastest and easiest way. With more simplified rules and regulations, an LLC is an ideal business entity for startups and small to medium-sized businesses, granting you the advantages and protections that larger Maine corporations benefit from.

Learn more about the benefits of the LLC business structure.

In this guide, you’ll find information on naming your LLC, getting a Registered Agent, the fees you’ll need to pay, Maine business taxes, and much more. We also cover your registration needs, filing your Maine LLC, and how you'll correspond with the Maine Secretary of State (SOS) Bureau of Corporations, Elections, and Commissions (BCEC).

Step 1: Complete a Maine LLC Search and Choose a Unique Business Name

To start the process, you’ll need a name for your LLC that’s unique and stands out, but one that’s not used by any other business or formed entity in the state. If you’re having trouble coming up with a name, try using Bizee’s Business Name Generator to brainstorm ideas. You'll also need to follow a few naming rules, which you can read about in detail on the Maine Business Names page. Once you’ve chosen a name, you’ll need to make sure it’s available in Maine. To find out whether another company in the state is already using your preferred business name, use our tool to do a business name search. You can also carry out a name search on the Maine Secretary of State's corporate name search.

Step 2: Provide an Official Business Address for your LLC

Regardless of whether your business is in an office building, a home (if the company is run from a residence), or any other physical location, every Maine LLC must have a designated street address. It can be located outside the state of Maine, but it cannot be a P.O. Box.

Step 3: Assign a Registered Agent

A Registered Agent is someone who receives official legal and tax correspondence and is responsible for filing reports with the Maine Secretary of State (SOS) Bureau of Corporations, Elections, and Commissions (BCEC). Every LLC in Maine is required to have a Registered Agent.

This position can be filled by you, another manager in your business, or a dedicated Registered Agent service. If your Maine Registered Agent is a person, they must have a physical street address in Maine and must be present during business hours to receive important documents on behalf of your business.

In Maine, you appoint your Registered Agent when you file your Certificate of Formation and formally create your business. All of Bizee’s packages include Registered Agent service. It’s free for the first year and just $119 per year after that. You can also log in to our dashboard and easily view any document we've received on your behalf.

Step 4: File Your Certificate of Formation With the Maine Secretary of State

Once you've gathered all the information for your Maine LLC, you’ll need to file your Certificate of Formation with the Maine SOS BCEC.

Your Certificate of Formation should be filed by mail or in person with the Maine Secretary of State BCEC. The Maine LLC filing fee is $175.

You only need to file your Certificate of Formation once, but must file an annual report every year. The periodic report can be filed online, and the filing fee for an annual report, set by the Maine Secretary of State BCEC, is $85. Bizee can remind you about this every year, or we can do it for you if you have us handle the paperwork.

What Are the Fees and Requirements to Form a Business in Maine?

Annual Report

Step 5: Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service

You’ll need an EIN to identify your business to the IRS. You use this number when filing and paying taxes or when submitting payroll information and payments for your employees. An EIN is also required to open a business bank account. You can obtain one directly from the IRS, or you can have Bizee obtain one for you as part of the Maine LLC formation process.

Step 6: Create an Operating Agreement

A kind of "instruction manual" that explains how you'll run your business, an LLC Operating Agreement details key components of your business — how decisions will be made, how the business is divided among members, and what will happen if a member leaves the company.

Maine is one of the few states that require LLCs to have an LLC Operating Agreement. The operating agreement is an internal document, so there is no need to file it with the Maine Secretary of State, BCEC. Simply keep it with all your pertinent business documents.

Other Maine LLC Types

Professional LLC

Professional Limited Liability Companies (PLLCs) are different from professional corporations in that they typically have licensing requirements applicable to certain fields, such as law and medicine. In order to form a PLLC, you may need a state license to practice.

Learn more about PLLC vs. LLC and which one is right for your business.

Foreign LLC

If your business operates in another state and you want to expand into Maine — or vice versa — you’ll need to form a Foreign LLC.

Learn more about Maine Foreign LLC registration.

Helpful Resources from the State of Maine

More Information in This Guide

You’ll find plenty more insight and guidance on the other pages of this guide, including: