The requirements for a registered agent in Maine might seem simple on the surface, but in reality this role has some nuance involved. Rather than spending hours researching the rules and regulations yourself, we’ve created a guide to help you access this information easily.
Knowing exactly what is required from a registered agent is essential to your business remaining in compliance with your state’s laws. Whether you take on this role yourself or outsource it to another person or business entity, the Maine registered agent must keep on top of things in order for your company to stay compliant.
Below is a complete picture of the 4 best Maine registered agent services and what they offer. We will outline each option and make independent recommendations based on what you are looking for.
Before we get started with the review, here is a deal many of our readers have taken advantage of:
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Maine Registered Agent Services & Description
A registered agent service is a company that specializes in being a registered agent for a wide variety of businesses across the country, bringing tons of expertise and a healthy dose of reliability to the role.
What’s great is that the personal addresses of home-based entrepreneurs remain private when you hire a professional registered agent service. There are quite a few of these companies out there, and most of them make it quite easy to enlist their services.
Registered agent services usually include some additional features, which vary depending on which company you choose. In general though, you’ll often see these services offer a compliance calendar to help you track your important filing deadlines, and you’ll always receive access to their helpful customer support teams.
Here are the 4 best registered agent services in Maine:
1. Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent: Northwest charges $125 per year, and they’re the only major national registered agent service that locally scans every document they receive as your agent. They also have personalized customer support that assigns a dedicated account representative to each client.
If you also need to form your business, Northwest offers a $79 formation package that includes a year of registered agent at no extra charge.
2. Zen Business
Zen Business: Zen Business has a lower $99 rate that Northwest offers, with an extra focus on making the process less stressful and an easier to use website. You’ll receive their outstanding customer support, as well as access to helpful software that allows you to track and file your company’s annual reports.
3. Incfile
Incfile: They are one of the most well known LLC and registered agent services available, with rates that start at just $119 per year. Plus they offer an awesome free LLC formation service if you haven’t created a business yet and would like a free registered agent service in the process.
4. LegalZoom
LegalZoom: This is another very popular option that more-or-less does the same thing as the other services, but charges $299 per year. In our opinion, the affordable registered agent services above are far better deals and more than half the cost.
What Is a Maine Registered Agent?
Every business entity in the state of Maine is required to have a registered agent. In fact, you will not be allowed to finish the formation process for your company until you designate your registered agent.
The most important aspect of this role is receiving document deliveries from the state government, then alerting your business of the delivery, before forwarding the documents to you. The role of the registered agent is so important because it establishes a point of contact for your business with the state, so that they have a reliable place to get in touch with an official representative of your company at any time.
The Maine Secretary of State website provides a list of registered agents that are active in the state. This list does not indicate any sort of recommendation or endorsement from the state, but is provided solely to assist Maine business owners with the process of finding a registered agent.
Who Can Be a Maine Registered Agent?
A Maine registered agent is a person or business entity that has a physical address in the state. You or one of your co-owners can serve as your own registered agent, you can designate a friend or family member for this role, you can hire a lawyer or accountant as your agent, or you can hire an online business services company to provide registered agent service.
No matter who you choose to be your registered agent, they need to be physically present at the address provided to the state during all standard business hours. This person or entity does not need to have any prior experience being a registered agent, but it’s wise to choose a registered agent who is familiar with the serious responsibilities that come with this role.
There is no minimum age requirement to serve as a registered agent in Maine. When it comes to the rules and regulations regarding who can be a registered agent, Title 5, Section 106 of the Maine Revised Statutes gives the following guidelines regarding the role in this state:
- “An individual or a domestic or foreign entity may become listed as a commercial clerk or commercial registered agent by filing with the Secretary of State a commercial clerk or commercial registered agent listing statement signed by or on behalf of the person that states:
- The name of the individual or the name, type and jurisdiction of organization of the entity;
- That the person is in the business of serving as a commercial clerk or commercial registered agent in this State; and
- The address of a place of business of the person in this State to which service of process and other notice and documents being served on or sent to entities represented by it may be delivered.”
What Does a Registered Agent Do?
A registered agent performs several modest tasks that accumulate into a larger role of significant importance. They are essentially the liaison between your business and the state you are conducting business in.
Legal Matters
First and foremost, a registered agent must act as the designated recipient of any tax or legal documents sent by the state of Maine. In the case of legal matters, the registered agent must be physically present to receive hand-delivered service of process (SOP) paperwork regarding legal action being taken against your company. After the handoff, the registered agent then needs to effectively report this delivery to your business, and forward the documents to you.
The registered agent and the business they represent should have a previously agreed-upon order of operations for the intake and delivery of these documents. For example, they should determine whether the documents will be delivered from the registered agent to the business via fax, mail, or email.
Ongoing Maine Business Compliance
The registered agent also typically helps ensure that your business remains current and compliant on all state-required ongoing maintenance filings. Each state has its own set of laws regarding which maintenance filings are required, which usually refers to annual reports and/or franchise tax payments. These rules are subject to change at any time, so the registered agent must stay up to date in order to ensure your business remains in good standing with the state, and avoids fines or a business dissolution.
All business entities in the state of Maine must file an annual report. The report must be filed with the Office of the Secretary of State by June 1st of each year. Maine makes it quite easy to do this online using a simple step-by-step filing process that is available via the Secretary of State website. If you prefer to file by paper, you can create an annual report form for your business.
The fees for all business entity annual reports in Maine are $85 for domestic and $150 for foreign. The only exception is nonprofits, which pay just $35. Your registered agent should be aware of the schedule and help you file your annual report in order to stay in good standing with the state.
What If I Want to Change My Maine Registered Agent?
While the role of the registered agent is vitally important for any American business entity, this role can always be changed, and there are different rules for how to change your agent depending on which state your business operates in.
In Maine, businesses can change their registered agent by filing a Statement of Appointment or Change for a $35 fee. Each business entity has its own version of this document ― here’s the form for corporations, and the form for limited liability companies. Expedited filings can be completed in 24 hours for an additional $50, and immediate expedited service can be purchased for $100.
For step-by-step instructions to change a registered agent in Maine, please check out our guide.
Choosing the Best Registered Agent in Maine
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The role of a Maine registered agent is critical to your company’s compliance and legal standing. This position requires dealing with seemingly simple tasks, yet if they’re handled incorrectly, they could cost you a considerable amount of money in fines, and could even potentially see the state dissolve your business.
While you can always change your registered agent down the line, we think it’s essential to pick the right registered agent for your business starting at the formation phase. You should also keep an eye on your compliance standing to ensure nothing goes awry along the way.