State submitting payment: $175 (Certificates of Formation, filed with the Maine Secretary of State). Annual Report, due June 1 annually. Late penalty: $50. Price: $85 (home LLC). Prime choose: Northwest Registered Agent, $39 service payment + $175 state payment = $214 yr one, registered agent included free yr one, then $125/yr. Funds various: Bizee, $0 formation payment + $175 state payment. Be aware: Bizee shares buyer knowledge with advertising companions.
Greatest LLC Service in Maine (2026): Prime Picks for ME Formation
Greatest total: Northwest Registered Agent – $39 + $175 state payment = $214. Consists of free yr of registered agent, working settlement template, compliance reminders. Privateness-focused, no knowledge promoting.
Funds choose: Bizee – $0 service payment + $175 state payment. Free yr of registered agent. Shares knowledge with advertising companions.
Northwest Registered Agent – Best for Maine LLCs
$39 service payment + $175 state payment = $214 complete yr one. Registered agent service included free for yr one, then $125/yr. Privateness-focused, family-owned, in enterprise since 1998. Doesn’t promote your knowledge.
Form Your Maine LLC with Northwest →Lowest 3-year price we discovered: Northwest $289 vs Bizee $298 vs ZenBusiness $497 (service charges; state charges further). Northwest additionally places its deal with in your public filings as an alternative of yours the place the state permits.
Maine LLC At a Look
| Merchandise | Element |
|---|---|
| Formation doc | Certificates of Formation |
| Submitting company | Maine Secretary of State |
| State submitting payment | $175 |
| Processing time | Mail solely (5-10 enterprise days); expedited out there |
| Annual/biennial requirement | Annual Report, due June 1 annually. Late penalty: $50. |
| Annual/biennial payment | $85 (home LLC) |
| State revenue tax | Graduated: 5.80% to 7.15% |
| Franchise tax | No franchise tax for LLCs |
| Registered agent required | Sure, bodily Maine deal with required |
Maine compliance observe: Maine is a mail-only submitting state – no on-line formation possibility. An excellent formation service ought to handle the mail cycle, observe the submission, and warn you when processing is full. The $85 annual report due June 1 annually needs to be tracked by your registered agent service.
Maine LLC Formation Companies In contrast
| Service | ME Service Price | State Price | RA Yr 1 | RA Renewal | Yr-1 Complete | 3-Yr Complete |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest | $39 | $175 | $0 (included) | $125/yr | $214 | ~$634 |
| ZenBusiness Starter | $0 | $175 | $99 (add-on) | $199/yr | $175 + $99 RA | Larger |
| Bizee Fundamental* | $0 | $175 | $0 (included) | $149/yr | $175 | Average |
| Inc Authority | $0 | $175 | $0 (included) | $249/yr | $175 | Average |
| LegalZoom Professional | $249 | $175 | Not included | $249/yr | Highest | Highest |
*Bizee Fundamental: articles of group submitting solely. RA free yr one, then $149/yr. Bizee shares buyer knowledge with advertising companions. LegalZoom RA not included at any value level; auto-renewal applies on add-on companies. Charges verified October 2026.
Northwest Registered Agent: Prime Choose for Maine
Northwest Registered Agent
Service payment: $39 • State payment: $175 • Yr-1 complete: $214
Northwest has shaped LLCs since 1998. Household-owned, A+ BBB ranking, bodily workplaces in all 50 states. They don’t promote buyer knowledge, a significant distinction from most opponents. The $39 formation payment features a free yr of registered agent service (then $125/yr), an working settlement template, and same-day submitting.
For Maine particularly: Northwest information the Certificates of Formation with the Maine Secretary of State and sends compliance reminders for Annual Report. Their staff is skilled with Maine’s mail-only course of and manages the timeline. Their Enterprise Id suite (added January 2026) contains enterprise deal with and cellphone companies.
Not included: EIN help is a $50 add-on. Get your EIN free at IRS.gov in quarter-hour.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness
Service payment: $0 (Starter) • State payment: $175 • RA: $99 add-on in yr 1, then $199/yr (auto-renewing)
ZenBusiness gives $0 formation on its Starter plan, however registered agent service shouldn’t be included: it prices $99 for the primary yr, then $199/yr. On a 3-year foundation, most Maine LLC house owners needing registered agent service pay extra with ZenBusiness than with Northwest. ZenBusiness has an excellent dashboard and compliance alert system; the auto-renewing subscriptions require cautious consideration at checkout.
Bizee (previously Incfile)
Bizee
Service payment: $0 (Fundamental) • State payment: $175 • RA: Free yr 1, then $149/yr
Bizee gives $0 formation with a free first yr of registered agent service (then $149/yr). Essential caveat: Bizee shares buyer knowledge with advertising companions. If knowledge privateness is necessary to you or your purchasers, it is a significant disadvantage. Bizee is an inexpensive finances possibility for price-focused formation however falls brief on privateness.
Inc Authority
Inc Authority
Service payment: $0 • State payment: $175 • RA: Free yr 1, then $249/yr
Inc Authority gives $0 formation with free registered agent for yr one. The year-two renewal at $249/yr is increased than each Bizee ($149) and Northwest ($125), making it costlier long-term. Inc Authority upsells aggressively on add-on packages throughout checkout.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom
Service payment: $249+ • State payment: $175 • RA: $249/yr, by no means included
LegalZoom’s Professional plan prices $249 and registered agent service isn’t included at any value, including one other $249/yr. Auto-renewal traps on bookkeeping and lawyer trial add-ons are a identified problem. LegalZoom’s model recognition doesn’t translate to higher formation high quality than Northwest at $39. Not really helpful for Maine LLC formation on a price foundation.
DIY Submitting in Maine
You’ll be able to file your Certificates of Formation straight with the Maine Secretary of State and not using a formation service:
- Search the Maine enterprise entity database for title availability
- Full the Certificates of Formation and mail it to the Bureau of Firms in Augusta
- Pay the $175 submitting payment
- Designate your self or a service as registered agent
DIY saves the $39 service payment however requires managing compliance deadlines independently. For many new LLC house owners, the $39 Northwest payment is price it for same-day submitting, compliance monitoring, and a yr of included registered agent service.
Regularly Requested Questions
The state submitting payment for a Certificates of Formation is $175, paid to the Maine Secretary of State. Submitting is by mail solely in Maine – there isn’t a on-line submitting possibility. Utilizing Northwest Registered Agent provides a $39 service payment, bringing the year-one complete to $214, which features a free first yr of registered agent service.
No. Maine is without doubt one of the few states that doesn’t settle for on-line LLC formation filings. All Certificates of Formation paperwork have to be submitted by mail or delivered in individual to the Bureau of Firms, Elections, and Commissions in Augusta. Commonplace processing takes 5-10 enterprise days after receipt.
Maine LLC annual experiences are due by June 1 annually. The primary annual report is due June 1 of the yr following formation. The submitting payment is $85. A $50 late penalty applies to filings submitted after June 1.
No. Maine doesn’t impose a franchise tax on LLCs. Your main recurring state prices are the $85 annual report and Maine state revenue tax on LLC pass-through revenue (graduated from 5.80% to 7.15%).
Commonplace mail submitting takes 5-10 enterprise days after the Secretary of State receives your paperwork. Expedited service is accessible: $50 for 24-hour processing, $100 for same-day processing when submitted by 2 PM. Permit extra time for mail supply in each instructions.
