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Founder Mentor Guide

Mentor notes 2 · Maine

Maine Registered Agent Walkthrough (2026): 6 Stages and the 3 Best Agents

For naming a registered agent in Maine in 2026, our mentors would send you to Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Maine Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and ME Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), in that order. Stage 1 is the Maine rule on a registered agent; by stage 6 the appointment is on file.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

What to know before you start

The requirement
Yes
legislature.maine.gov, seen in October 2026
Agent price range
$99 to $149 a year
From company pricing pages
Annual report
$85 a year
maine.gov, seen in August 2026
How many stages
6
First to last

What you will get from this walkthrough

  • What the law says
  • The address and eligibility rules
  • Naming the agent with the state
  • The agents at the top of the list

Our shortlist for Maine

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we score), and three-year cost and work taken off your desk count most.

Our call

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners planning to grow

Our first callYear one $149; then $149

In Maine, Mainstay Filing leads the list: the price is $149 a year whichever of the fifty states you choose.

Next to Maine Registered Agent.co the three-year premium is $150, which the 32% weight on work taken off your desk outweighs.

What you get

  • A real street address in the state
  • Papers served on the company are scanned for you, no charge
  • Up to three government mailings a year are scanned for free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • Works in all fifty states
  • $149 per year

What to watch

  • Higher by $50 a year
  • Agent service and nothing more
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Maine Registered Agent.co: best for owners watching every dollar

Focused on MaineYear one $99; then $99

Pick number 2 is Maine Registered Agent.co, where a street address in the state for $99 a year.

What you get

  • An in-state office address
  • Online copies of legal papers

What works

  • Price $99; renews at $99
  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing

What to watch

  • No help in other states
  • You finish the annual report on your own
Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. ME Registered Agent.org: best for a second Maine choice

Focused on MaineYear one $99; then $99

Pick number 3 is ME Registered Agent.org, where a street address in the state for $99 a year.

On price it is a tie with Maine Registered Agent.co.

What you get

  • An in-state office address
  • Online copies of legal papers

What works

  • Price $99; renews at $99
  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing

What to watch

  • No help in other states
  • You finish the annual report on your own
Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Scores and prices together

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Maine Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3ME Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Maine asks the same either way.

Naming a Maine registered agent, stage by stage

  1. Stage 1

    Know what Maine requires

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

    Check it yourself: legislature.maine.gov, seen in October 2026

  2. Stage 2

    Find out who can serve

    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. Read 5 M.R.S. § 105 for the wording.

  3. Stage 3

    Use an office address that qualifies

    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.

    A service keeps your home address off public records.

  4. Stage 4

    Serve yourself or bring in a pro

    Qualify and you may serve yourself. A professional from our list runs $99 to $149 per year.

  5. Stage 5

    Make the agent official

    A brand-new LLC lists its agent on the Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6), which goes to the Maine Secretary of State. Swapping agents later means filing a change with the same office.

    Check it yourself: legislature.maine.gov, seen in October 2026

  6. Stage 6

    Watch for changes

    Maine checks the agent's details through the annual report ($85, every year, due June 1); letters about it go to your registered agent.

    Check it yourself: maine.gov, seen in August 2026

Maine agent costs

ItemPayeeCost
A professional agentService$99 to $149 a year
Renewing the agentService$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportState office$85 every year
The state's fees come from official pages, listed below. Over three years they add up to the filing, two reports and, in a few states, a minimum tax.

Why the list runs this way

What decided it was work taken off your desk, which carries 32% of the score.

An agent who can follow your LLC into any state scored higher than Maine Registered Agent.co's lower price.

Common questions

Does Maine make every LLC keep 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 eligibility and address tests in stages 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Change it whenever you like through the Maine Secretary of State, as stage 5 describes.

What does a registered agent cost in Maine?

Figure on $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The main cost is the annual report, $85 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

The order runs Mainstay Filing, Maine Registered Agent.co and ME Registered Agent.org, with Mainstay Filing first because a steady $149 per year, with nothing to change if you move into another state.

Where we got the facts

  1. For Maine Secretary of State, open maine.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  2. For Maine Secretary of State, open maine.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  3. For Maine report due date, open maine.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  4. For 31 M.R.S. sec. 1531, open legislature.maine.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  5. For Maine formation fee: Filing fee, official source, open legislature.maine.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  6. For Maine registered agent statute, open legislature.maine.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  7. Mainstay Filing: Maine service page, opened November 13, 2026
  8. Maine Registered Agent.co: pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  9. ME Registered Agent.org: pricing page, opened November 13, 2026