Maine · Start a business

How to start a business in Maine

Maine handles general business licenses and sole proprietor trade names locally, through towns and municipal clerks.

As of 4 min readVermilion Vitez Team

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STATE FILING FEE$178FILEDSECRETARY OF STATEEINJUNOPENMAINE · 10 STEPSFrom structure to open door

Short answer

To start a business in Maine, pick a structure and file with the Secretary of State: $178 for an LLC, $145 for a corporation's articles. Then name a registered agent, get an EIN and register for state taxes.

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What do you file before you open in Maine?

  1. Pick a structure

    Most owners choose an LLC or a corporation; the S corp or C corp tax choice comes later. See Maine LLC guide, Maine corporation guide, S corp or C corp in Maine. By trade: cleaning business, handyman.

  2. Check and register the name

    Search the Secretary of State records before you pick a name: state name search. Maine has no state filing for trade names of sole proprietorships or general partnerships, which instead file with the municipal clerk where the business is located. 1 See Maine name search guide.

  3. File with the state

    Maine charges the state filing fee once: an LLC costs $178 2 and a corporation's articles of incorporation cost $145 3. See LLC cost.

  4. Name a registered agent

    Maine calls the registered agent a clerk, and you appoint either a commercial clerk (commercial registered agent) or a noncommercial clerk. 4 Our registered agent service runs through our partner Registered Agents Inc (RAI), the registered agent of record. See Maine registered agent rules.

Which accounts do you open after you file in Maine?

  1. Get an EIN

    An EIN is the business's federal tax ID. The IRS issues it online, for free, and warns about websites that charge for one. 5

  2. Open your state tax accounts

    Maine Revenue Services offers a Register a New Business link in its Maine Tax Portal. 6 See Sales tax permit.

  3. Register as an employer

    Maine employers register for unemployment insurance tax with the Maine Department of Labor through ReEmployME, and become liable on paying workers $1,500 or more in gross wages in a calendar quarter, or on having work done in 20 weeks of the year. 7 Maine employers report each newly hired or rehired employee to the Department of Health and Human Services within 7 days of the date of hire. 8 Maine law requires almost all public and private employers to have workers' compensation coverage, though a sole proprietor without employees is not required to, and the Workers' Compensation Board may impose penalties for failure to have coverage. 9

What keeps your Maine business in good standing?

  1. Check licenses and permits

    Maine manages general licenses to operate a business at the town and city level, and certain professions and types of businesses need additional state permits and licenses. 10

  2. Calendar the yearly filings

    Maine annual report: $85, due June 1 every year. 11 See Maine annual report.

  3. Use free local help

    Small business advising in Maine runs through the Maine Small Business Development Centers. 12 Maine Business Answers, a service of the Department of Economic and Community Development, helps new owners determine the business licenses and permits they need. 13

What it costs to start a business in Maine

$178to file an LLC 2
$145to file a corporation's articles 3
$125for a trade name 2
$85each year, annual report 11
14,258business applications filed in Maine in 2025 14

Do you need a business license in Maine?

It depends on the trade and the place. The U.S. Small Business Administration says most small businesses need a combination of licenses and permits from federal and state agencies, and that requirements and fees depend on the business activity and the issuing agency. 15 Maine's own rule is in step 8. 10 Where to look up licenses: Maine Business Answers.

How to register a business name in Maine

QuestionMaine
Where it is filedWith the municipality 1
Officemunicipal clerk
What it is calledtrade name

Check that the name is free first: state name search.

Also in Maine

  • Paid Family and Medical Leave registration. The Maine Department of Labor requires employers to register through the Maine Paid Leave Portal for Paid Family and Medical Leave contributions, and liable employers file quarterly wage reports there. 16
  • Earned paid leave. The Maine Department of Labor applies earned paid leave to a business that employs more than 10 employees in Maine for more than 120 days in a calendar year. 17

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Common questions

What are the steps to start a business in Maine?

Pick a structure, file with the Secretary of State, name a registered agent, get an EIN, register for state taxes with Maine Revenue Services, then handle hiring, licenses, yearly filings and local help.

What does it cost to register a business in Maine?

In Maine, an LLC filing is $178 and a corporation's articles of incorporation are $145. The annual report is $85 each year.

Can I start a business in Maine with no money?

Maine charges $178 to file an LLC, and the annual report is $85 each year. An EIN is the business's federal tax ID. The IRS issues it online, for free, and warns about websites that charge for one. The Maine SBDC is a program of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development and the University of Southern Maine, and it offers no-cost confidential business advising and training.

Are there small business grants in Maine?

The Maine Technology Institute, listed on the Resource Compass funding page of the Department of Economic and Community Development, offers grants, loans, equity investments and services to support Maine's innovation economy.

What is the Maine SBDC?

The Maine SBDC is a program of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development and the University of Southern Maine, and it offers no-cost confidential business advising and training.

Sources 18 links, checked Nov 13, 2026
  1. DBA or trade name registration maine.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  2. Official state fee schedule for LLC filings maine.gov, checked Oct 17, 2026
  3. Corporation filing legislature.maine.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
  4. Registered agent rule maine.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
  5. IRS: employer identification number irs.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
  6. State tax registration maine.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  7. Unemployment insurance registration maine.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  8. New hire reporting maine.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  9. Workers' compensation coverage maine.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  10. General business license maine.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  11. Maine annual report maine.gov, checked Sep 1, 2026
  12. Small Business Development Center mainesbdc.org, checked Nov 13, 2026
  13. State business portal maine.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  14. US Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly file, 2025 added up) census.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
  15. SBA: licenses and permits sba.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
  16. Paid Family and Medical Leave registration maine.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  17. Earned paid leave maine.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  18. State small business funding maine.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026

Last verified Nov 13, 2026.

This page explains the rules; it is not legal or tax advice.

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