Use Maine’s Certificate of Formation, MLLC-6, to create a domestic LLC. Its annual report is a separate filing.
This guide covers forming a new Maine LLC. If your LLC already exists in another state or country, use the foreign-registration process instead.
Maine LLC at a glance
- Official filing website
- Maine Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions
- Business name check
- Search business namesA name search does not reserve or approve the name.
- Formation document
- Certificate of Formation (MLLC-6)
- State filing fee
- $175Formation filing only; other required costs and optional services are separate.
- Processing time
- OnlineThe cited guide lists paper formation onlyPaperAgency corporate-filing target: 2–7 business daysAgency information + guide estimate · Additional guide source. Current SOS forms page supplies the processing target; the online-availability statement is the guide estimate. Check the office for submission options.
- Ongoing report or tax
- Domestic LLC Annual Report
- Report / renewal charge
- $85Fee for this filing only.
- Frequency / due date
- Annually; check the state’s reporting window
- Sales tax base rate
- 5.5%July 1, 2026 snapshot; not an address-specific rate. General rate for ordinary taxable sales; exemptions, special products and local rules can change the result.Official tax agency ↗
- Names in formation records
- No management roster requiredThe ordinary certificate identifies the registered agent and authorized signer. A professional LLC has additional requirements; the annual report is a separate filing. Other filings and private bank/tax records may identify owners.
Before you file in Maine
For an ordinary LLC, prepare the name, Maine agent, authorized signer and return address. Select a professional or low-profit structure only if the business meets that structure’s legal requirements.
File the Certificate of Formation (MLLC-6)
- Download MLLC-6 and the required cover information from the state’s LLC forms page.
- Enter the name and agent, record agent consent and complete special-purpose sections only if they apply.
- Sign and submit using the form’s delivery/payment instructions. Save the accepted certificate and charter number.
What to enter in the form
- Agent type
- Use the commercial-agent or other agent section that matches the appointment.
- Professional / low-profit
- These are legal entity choices, not labels for a small business or a business with a social mission.
- Authorized signer
- An authorized person signs the certificate.
- Return contact
- Enter a reachable contact and the address where the filed document should be sent.
After approval in Maine
- Keep the charter number available for annual filings. Check professional and business licensing for the work you will do.
Domestic LLC Annual Report
- Find the LLC in Maine’s annual-report service using its charter number and choose the report year.
- Confirm or update the office, agent and required management details. Use the domestic LLC report fee, not the foreign-LLC fee.
- Sign, submit and save the accepted report and next due date.
Compare the filing cycles in our annual report and recurring-fee table.
Next steps: operating agreement · get an EIN · starting checklist.
Sources and filing links
Sources checked . Confirm the state’s current fees and instructions before filing.
Research and walkthrough references
These references provide background and filing walkthroughs. Follow current state instructions if an older walkthrough differs.
See our editorial policy for the research process and contact page for correction information.