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Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Lab sheet 2 · Maine

The Maine Registered Agent (2026): 6 Procedures and the 3 Best Agents

For appointing a registered agent in Maine in 2026, the lab recommends Maine Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), ME Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), highest reading first. Complete the 6 procedures below and the registered agent is appointed correctly.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

Key facts

Registered agent required?
Yeslegislature.maine.gov (observed October 2026)
Agent service
$99 to $149 a yearListed prices
Annual report
$85 a yearmaine.gov (observed August 2026)
Procedures on this sheet
6Listed below

After reading you will know

  • The Maine agent rule
  • Who qualifies and the address rule
  • How to name or change the agent
  • Which agents measured best and why

Best reading

Who we would engage in Maine

Cost over three years comes first, then procedures performed, renewal, Maine fit and price legibility (method page).
Begin here

1. Maine Registered Agent.co: best for LLCs that never leave Maine

$99/yr (renewal $99)

Top of the Maine readings is Maine Registered Agent.co: a one-state plan reading $99 a year and $99 at renewal.

On three-year cost it reads below Mainstay Filing, a large part of the measurement.

What the price performs

  • An in-state office address
  • Online copies of served documents

Measured strengths

  • A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 yearly

Measured limits

  • A single-state service
  • Filing the annual report is outside its service
Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Maine focus

2. ME Registered Agent.org: best for a local alternative

$99/yr (renewal $99)

ME Registered Agent.org follows in second place: a one-state plan reading $99 a year and $99 at renewal.

Its prices equal Maine Registered Agent.co's, so either is acceptable.

What the price performs

  • An in-state office address
  • Online copies of served documents

Measured strengths

  • $99 yearly
  • A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing

Measured limits

  • A single-state service
  • Filing the annual report is outside its service
Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
All fifty states

3. Mainstay Filing: best for owners planning expansion

$149/yr (renewal $149)

Mainstay Filing follows in third place: $149 a year, $149 at renewal, with the same plan observed in all fifty states.

Maine Registered Agent.co measures $150 lower over three years, which keeps this service out of first place.

What the price performs

  • A Maine street address on record
  • Papers served on the company are scanned free on the same business day
  • Three government letters a year are scanned at no charge
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Measured strengths

  • The same price in all fifty states
  • Annual price $149; renewal $149

Measured limits

  • Maine Registered Agent.co costs $50 a year less
  • Agent service only
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The 3 ranked services side by side

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Maine Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2ME Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Posted prices, observed November 13, 2026. The state charges the same whichever agent is named.

How a Maine agent is set up

  1. Procedure 1: Begin with the rule

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

    Specimen: legislature.maine.gov (observed October 2026)

  2. Procedure 2: Eligible agents

    A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual or entity serving as agent in Maine, or the holder of a named position in the company. (5 M.R.S. § 105)

  3. Procedure 3: Choose a compliant address

    A noncommercial agent lists a physical street address in Maine, not a P.O. box. Commercial agents keep their address on file with the state.

    TipWith a service, the record shows its address instead of the owner's.

  4. Procedure 4: Self-service or a professional agent

    Eligible owners may name themselves, and the ranked agents charge $99 to $149 annually.

  5. Procedure 5: Place the agent on the public record

    New companies list the agent on the Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6); a later replacement means a new filing with the Maine Secretary of State.

    Specimen: legislature.maine.gov (observed October 2026)

  6. Procedure 6: Track the recurring filing

    State correspondence about the annual report arrives with the registered agent. Its price is $85 every year, with the due date given as June 1.

    Specimen: maine.gov (observed August 2026)

What the agent costs in Maine

ItemGoes toTotal
The agentThe engaged service$99 to $149 a year
RenewalThe engaged service$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportState$85 every year
The state's fees were read from official pages, which are listed below. Over three years they come to the filing, two reports and, in some states, a minimum tax.

Why Maine Registered Agent.co comes first

moved ahead of on measured cost over three years, which counts for 36%.

Maine Registered Agent.co totals $297 over three years, a difference of $150 from Mainstay Filing.

Maine questions

Is an LLC in Maine permitted to operate without a registered agent?

Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Can I be my own registered agent?

Yes, if you pass the tests on who may serve and on the address, in procedures 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes, at any time. Procedure 5 explains how to file the change with the Maine Secretary of State.

What does a registered agent cost in Maine?

The ranked agents charge $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Chiefly the annual report, $85 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Maine Registered Agent.co, because $99 a year supplies a Maine agent with an office inside the state. Next: ME Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.

Further reading

Specimens and records

  1. Control source for Maine Secretary of State: maine.gov, observed again August 2026.
  2. Control source for Maine Secretary of State: maine.gov, observed again August 2026.
  3. Control source for Maine report due date: maine.gov, observed again August 2026.
  4. Control source for 31 M.R.S. sec. 1531: legislature.maine.gov, observed again August 2026.
  5. Control source for Maine formation fee: Filing fee, official source: legislature.maine.gov, observed again October 2026.
  6. Control source for Maine registered agent statute: legislature.maine.gov, observed again October 2026.
  7. Recorded November 13, 2026 from the pricing page of Maine Registered Agent.co
  8. Recorded November 13, 2026 from the pricing page of ME Registered Agent.org
  9. Recorded November 13, 2026 from the Maine service page of Mainstay Filing