ME registered agent
Maine registered agent service, $2.50 a year
Maine requires every corporation and LLC on its books to keep a registered agent at a real address in the state. Here is what Maine law says about who that agent has to be and where it has to be.
What Maine requires of a registered agent
The requirement
Maine splits the function. A domestic business corporation must maintain a CLERK 'who is a natural person resident in this State' (13-C M.R.S. §511); the clerk may be a director, officer, or a person holding no other position with the corporation, and is also governed by the Model Registered Agents Act. LLCs (31 M.R.S. §1661) and foreign corporations (13-C M.R.S. §1507-A-A-A) must maintain a registered agent under the Model Registered Agents Act (5 M.R.S. ch. 6-A), which may be a commercial registered agent (an individual or domestic/foreign entity listed with the Secretary of State under 5 M.R.S. §106), a noncommercial registered agent (an individual or domestic/foreign entity serving in Maine as agent for service of process), or the individual holding a designated office or position with the entity (5 M.R.S. §102(5), (17); §105(1)). Filings must state an actual street address in Maine (5 M.R.S. §104).
Each domestic corporation to which this Act applies shall maintain in this State a clerk, who is a natural person resident in this State. The clerk may be, but is not required to be, one of the directors or officers of the corporation, or the clerk may be a person holding no other position with the corporation. ... The clerk required under this section is also governed by Title 5, chapter 6-A.
Source: state statute, via FACTS: 13-C M.R.S. §511; 31 M.R.S. §1661; 5 M.R.S. §102(5), (17) and §105(1)
How we comply
We don't.
What Maine does to your company when we don't
Here is what the state does to an entity that has no agent, or whose agent is us.
Administrative dissolution
The Secretary of State may administratively dissolve a corporation that is without a clerk in Maine, or that fails to notify the Secretary of State of a change of clerk, change of the clerk's address, or the clerk's resignation. The corporation has 60 days after notice to cure before dissolution (13-C M.R.S. §1421(2)); once dissolved it may not transact business except to wind up (§1421(3)), and its name is protected for only 3 years (§1421(5)).
4. Failure to maintain clerk. The corporation is without a clerk in this State as required by Title 5, section 105, subsection 1; 5. Failure to notify of change of clerk or change of clerk's address. The corporation does not notify the Secretary of State that its clerk has changed as required by Title 5, section 108, subsection 1 or the address of its clerk has been changed as required by Title 5, section 109 or 110 or that its clerk has resigned as required by Title 5, section 111;
Source: state statute, via FACTS: 13-C M.R.S. §1420(4)-(5)
Administrative dissolution
The Secretary of State may administratively dissolve an LLC that is without a registered agent in Maine or that fails to notify the Secretary of State of an agent change, address change, or resignation, after a 60-day notice-and-cure period (31 M.R.S. §1592(2)).
4. Failure to maintain registered agent. The limited liability company is without a registered agent in this State as required by section 1661 and Title 5, section 105, subsection 1; 5. Failure to notify of change of registered agent or address. The limited liability company does not notify the Secretary of State that its registered agent has changed as required by Title 5, section 108, subsection 1 or the address of its registered agent has been changed as required by Title 5, section 109 or 110 or that its registered agent has resigned as required by Title 5, section 111;
Source: state statute, via FACTS: 31 M.R.S. §1591(4)-(5)
Revocation (foreign entities)
The Secretary of State may revoke a foreign corporation's authority to transact business if it is without a registered agent in Maine or fails to notify the Secretary of State of agent changes or resignation; upon revocation the Secretary of State becomes the corporation's agent for service of process for causes of action that arose while it was authorized (13-C M.R.S. §1532(4)). Parallel grounds exist for foreign LLCs (31 M.R.S. ch. 21).
4. Failure to maintain registered agent. The foreign corporation is without a registered agent in this State as required by Title 5, section 105, subsection 1; 5. Failure to notify of change of registered agent or address. The foreign corporation does not notify the Secretary of State that its registered agent has changed as required by Title 5, section 108, subsection 1 or the address of its registered agent has been changed as required by Title 5, section 109 or 110 or that its registered agent has resigned as required by Title 5, section 111;
Source: state statute, via FACTS: 13-C M.R.S. §1531-A(4)-(5)
And also
An administratively dissolved corporation continues to exist but may not transact any business in Maine except as necessary to wind up and liquidate its business and affairs and notify claimants.
A corporation administratively dissolved continues its corporate existence but may not transact any business in this State except as necessary to wind up and liquidate its business and affairs under section 1406 and notify claimants under sections 1407 and 1408.
Source: state statute, via FACTS: 13-C M.R.S. §1421(3)
The bill to come back
Reinstatement fee
Reinstatement of a corporation administratively dissolved for failure to appoint or maintain a clerk costs $150; reinstatement for failure to notify of clerk changes or resignation also costs $150. Application must be made within 6 years of dissolution (13-C M.R.S. §1422(1)).
W. For an application for reinstatement following administrative dissolution for failure to appoint or maintain a clerk, the fee is $150. X. For an application for reinstatement following administrative dissolution for failure to notify the Secretary of State that its clerk or the address of its clerk has been changed or that its clerk has resigned, the fee is $150.
Source: state statute, via FACTS: 13-C M.R.S. §123(1)(W)-(X)
Reinstatement fee
For LLCs, reinstatement after administrative dissolution for failure to appoint or maintain a registered agent costs $150; failure to notify of agent changes or to appoint a replacement after resignation also costs $150 (annual-report reinstatement is $150 per report to a $600 maximum).
For failure to file an annual report, a fee of $150, to a maximum fee of $600, regardless of the number of delinquent reports or the period of delinquency; for failure to pay the annual report late filing penalty, a fee of $150; for failure to appoint or maintain a registered agent, a fee of $150; for failure to notify the Secretary of State that the registered agent or the address of the registered agent has been changed or failure to appoint a replacement registered agent after the registered agent has resigned, a fee of $150
Source: state statute, via FACTS: 31 M.R.S. §1680(17)
What happens to the lawsuit you never saw
Substituted service
Under the Model Registered Agents Act (which 13-C M.R.S. §512 and 31 M.R.S. §1662 incorporate for corporations and LLCs), if an entity no longer has a clerk or registered agent, or the agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served, service may be made by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the entity's governors by name at its principal office; if that fails, by handing a copy to the manager, clerk, or other person in charge of any regular place of business. Separately, after revocation of a foreign corporation's authority, the Secretary of State is its agent for service of process (13-C M.R.S. §1532(4)).
If an entity that previously filed a clerk or registered agent filing with the Secretary of State no longer has a clerk or registered agent, or if its clerk or registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served, the entity may be served by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the governors of the entity by name at its principal office in accordance with any applicable judicial rules and procedures. ... If process, notice or demand cannot be served on an entity pursuant to subsection 1 or 2, service of process may be made by handing a copy to the manager, clerk or other person in charge of any regular place of business or activity of the entity
Source: state statute, via FACTS: 5 M.R.S. §113(2)-(3)
Statutory text as captured by FACTS (retrieved 2026-08-01, verified word-for-word against the state code 2026-08-10). Laws change. The statute governs; this page does not.