Every business entity registered in Maine files an annual report with the Secretary of State between January 1 and June 1 each year. Maine annual report filing costs $35 for nonprofits, $85 for domestic corporations and LLCs, and $150 for foreign entities, and the fastest way to submit it is through the state’s online portal.1Maine Secretary of State. Filing an Annual Report2Maine Secretary of State. Filing Requirement Reminders The report updates the state’s records with your current contact information, leadership, and registered agent. It is not a tax return or financial disclosure.
Who Has to File
Domestic and foreign business corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and nonprofit corporations authorized to do business in Maine all file annual reports.3Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 13-C Section 1621 – Annual Report of Domestic and Foreign Corporations; Excuse4Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 31 Section 1665 – Annual Report for Secretary of State5Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 31 Section 1330 – Annual Report and Amended Annual Report of Domestic and Foreign Limited Partnerships If your entity is on the state’s rolls, assume you need to file.
Two exceptions matter. Religious, charitable, educational, and benevolent corporations organized under certain older chapters of Maine law are exempt. A domestic corporation that has genuinely stopped doing business can apply for a certificate of excuse, which suspends the filing requirement as long as the corporation stays inactive.3Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 13-C Section 1621 – Annual Report of Domestic and Foreign Corporations; Excuse
What to Have Ready Before You File
You’ll need your entity’s charter number, which is the state’s unique identifier for your business. If you don’t have it, the Corporate Name Search tool on the Secretary of State’s website will look it up by legal business name.6Maine Department of the Secretary of State. Corporate Name Search
The report itself asks for your entity’s legal name, its state of formation, its principal office address, and the name and address of your Maine registered agent.3Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 13-C Section 1621 – Annual Report of Domestic and Foreign Corporations; Excuse Corporations list principal officers and directors with mailing addresses.7Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 13-B Section 1301 – Annual Report of Domestic and Foreign Corporations; Excuse LLCs list at least one member, manager, or authorized person.4Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 31 Section 1665 – Annual Report for Secretary of State You’ll also give a brief description of your Maine business activity. Everything must be current as of the date you sign.
When It’s Due
The filing window opens January 1 and closes June 1. That window applies to every entity type.1Maine Secretary of State. Filing an Annual Report
New entities get a one-year grace period. Your first annual report is due between January 1 and June 1 of the year after you formed the entity or qualified to do business in Maine. If you filed formation documents any time in 2025, your first report is due by June 1, 2026.2Maine Secretary of State. Filing Requirement Reminders
Filing Fees by Entity Type
Fees depend on entity type and whether your business is domestic or foreign:2Maine Secretary of State. Filing Requirement Reminders
- Domestic corporations and LLCs: $85
- Foreign business entities: $150
- Nonprofit corporations, domestic and foreign: $35
How to Submit the Report
File online through Annual Report Online, the Secretary of State’s portal. Enter your charter number, complete the form, and pay by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. Subscribers to the state’s filing service can use their subscriber accounts, which helps when filing for multiple entities.8Maine Secretary of State. Annual Report Online Save the receipt the system generates after payment.
Paper filing is available. Download the preprinted form from the Secretary of State’s website and mail it with your fee to the Division of Corporations, UCC & Commissions.1Maine Secretary of State. Filing an Annual Report Corporate filings currently take 40 to 55 business days to process, and even expedited requests are running behind due to high volume.9Maine Secretary of State. Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions If June 1 is close, mail is not a safe option.
If You Miss the June 1 Deadline
Missing the deadline triggers a $50 late penalty on top of your regular filing fee.10Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 31 Section 1680 – Filing and Copying Fees; Penalties You can still file the report and pay the penalty as long as the state hasn’t started dissolution or revocation proceedings.11Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 13-C Section 1622 – Failure to File Annual Report
There is a narrow excusable-neglect exception. If the report was lost in the mail or something comparable happened, you can avoid the penalty by demonstrating the circumstances to the Secretary of State and submitting the report within 30 days of learning it wasn’t received.11Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 13-C Section 1622 – Failure to File Annual Report
Ignore both the deadline and the penalty and the Secretary of State will administratively dissolve a domestic entity or revoke a foreign entity’s authority to do business in Maine. No court order is required.11Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 13-C Section 1622 – Failure to File Annual Report For domestic corporations, the Secretary of State first sends written notice identifying the problem. The corporation then has 60 days to file the overdue report and pay all fees. Miss that, and dissolution takes effect automatically.12Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 13-C Section 1421 – Procedure for and Effect of Administrative Dissolution Foreign corporations face a parallel revocation procedure.13Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 13-C Section 1531-A – Grounds for Revocation
A dissolved entity loses good standing immediately. That can block loans, contracts, and lawsuits in Maine courts. The entity still exists for winding-up purposes only.
Getting Reinstated After Dissolution
You have six years from the effective date of dissolution to apply for reinstatement.14Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 13-C Section 1422 – Reinstatement Following Administrative Dissolution After that, the door closes.
The application must show the grounds for dissolution no longer exist, meaning every overdue report is filed and every outstanding fee and penalty is paid. Your entity name must still meet Maine’s naming requirements; if another business claimed the name while you were dissolved, you’ll file an amendment adopting a new one as part of the reinstatement. A reinstatement fee accompanies the application.
For questions about reinstatement or any other filing issue, the Division of Corporations, UCC & Commissions can be reached at (207) 624-7752.9Maine Secretary of State. Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions