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Founder Primer

LLC paperwork, boiled down for founders.

Guide 2 · Maine

Maine Registered Agent Primer (2026): 6 Moves and the 3 Best Agents

If you are hiring for appointing a registered agent in Maine in 2026, we rank Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Maine Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and ME Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), in that order. Make the 6 moves below and your registered agent is set up properly.
From the Founder Primer desk

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Required by law?
Yes
legislature.maine.gov, read October 2026
Yearly cost of our picks
$99 to $149 a year
Posted prices
Annual report
$85 a year
maine.gov, read August 2026
Move count
6
First to last

What you get

  • Why Maine wants an agent on file
  • Eligibility and the address test
  • How the agent gets on record
  • Which agents we pick and why

Our picks for Maine

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we score); three-year cost and to-dos cleared count most.

First choice $149 yearly, then $149

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies in more than one state

First place goes to Mainstay Filing because $149 a year, $149 when it renews, same plan in all fifty states.

You pay $150 more than at Maine Registered Agent.co across three years and keep less of the paperwork.

Inside the price
  • A Maine street address on file
  • Served papers scanned free, the same business day
  • Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs
In its favor
  • Follows you into any state
  • $149 yearly, no increase
Against it
  • Maine Registered Agent.co costs $50 less a year
  • You still file reports yourself
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Maine specialist $99 yearly, then $99

2. Maine Registered Agent.co: best for LLCs that stay in Maine

Second place is Maine Registered Agent.co, because $99 a year with scans of served papers in an online account.

Inside the price
  • A Maine address for the registered office
  • Online copies of served documents
In its favor
  • Less per year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 a year, no increase
Against it
  • A one-state service
  • The annual report is yours to finish
Visit Maine Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Maine specialist $99 yearly, then $99

3. ME Registered Agent.org: best for a local backup

Third place is ME Registered Agent.org, because $99 a year with scans of served papers in an online account.

Maine Registered Agent.co and this service charge alike.

Inside the price
  • A Maine address for the registered office
  • Online copies of served documents
In its favor
  • Less per year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 a year, no increase
Against it
  • A one-state service
  • The annual report is yours to finish
Visit ME Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Maine picks compared

# Service Annual price Renewal price Three-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $149 $149/yr $447 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Maine Registered Agent.co $99 $99/yr $297 Visit Maine Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 ME Registered Agent.org $99 $99/yr $297 Visit ME Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Posted prices, read November 13, 2026. State fees do not change with the agent.

The moves

  1. Move 1

    Rule first

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

    Where this comes from: legislature.maine.gov, read October 2026

  2. Move 2

    Who may 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. Source in law: 5 M.R.S. § 105.

  3. Move 3

    Use an 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.

    Every pick supplies the Maine office address.

  4. Move 4

    Serve yourself or hire one

    Qualifying owners can name themselves. The recommended agents cost $99 to $149 annually.

  5. Move 5

    Name the agent in the filing

    New companies list the agent on the Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6). Replacing the agent later means filing again with the Maine Secretary of State.

    Where this comes from: legislature.maine.gov, read October 2026

  6. Move 6

    Update when things change

    File the annual report on time ($85, June 1) and the agent record stays right.

    Where this comes from: maine.gov, read August 2026

The cost of this primer

Move Payee Figure
Hiring an agent Service company $99 to $149 a year
Renewal Service company $99 to $149 a year
Annual report To the state $85 every year

We get the three-year state number by adding the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax. Service fees stay separate.

The logic behind the order

edged out on to-dos the price takes off you, worth 38%.

Covering all fifty states outweighed Maine Registered Agent.co in our scoring.

Maine questions

Does Maine force an LLC to 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?

Often. Run the two tests in moves 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

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

What does a registered agent cost in Maine?

Prices here run $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

$85 every year for the annual report.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing, since $149 a year for an agent that goes wherever the company goes next. Then Maine Registered Agent.co and ME Registered Agent.org.

See also

Sources, so you can check us

  1. For Maine Secretary of State the primer cites maine.gov, a page we went back to in August 2026.
  2. For Maine Secretary of State the primer cites maine.gov, a page we went back to in August 2026.
  3. For Maine report due date the primer cites maine.gov, a page we went back to in August 2026.
  4. For 31 M.R.S. sec. 1531 the primer cites legislature.maine.gov, a page we went back to in August 2026.
  5. For Maine formation fee: Filing fee, official source the primer cites legislature.maine.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  6. For Maine registered agent statute the primer cites legislature.maine.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  7. The Maine service page from Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
  8. The pricing page from Maine Registered Agent.co, November 13, 2026
  9. The pricing page from ME Registered Agent.org, November 13, 2026