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Maine

Maine Business Search

Written byRegistryWise Editorial TeamFact-checked against the Maine Secretary of State · How we research

The short answer

Maine business entities are searched for free on the Secretary of State's Corporate Name Search by a keyword from the name or by charter number, and the Information Summary for each entity is free to view and print. Filing images cost $3 each, and a certificate of existence (good standing) is $30.

On this page
  1. LLC lookup, step by step
  2. What the status means
  3. Agent, filings, owners
  4. Your Charter Number
  5. Is the name available?
  6. DBA and UCC search
  7. Fees and deadlines
  8. Questions
  9. Sources

Maine at a glance

Who runs it
Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
Corporate Name Search
Cost to search
Free
The Information Summary is free. Filing images are $3 each, a certified order adds $5, and a certificate of existence (good standing) is $30.
Account needed
No
Search without signing up
Search by
Keyword from name to be searched, Charter number

State fees

  • Form an LLC$175Certificate of Formation (MLLC-6)Official source
  • Annual Report$85Between January 1 and June 1 every year, starting the year after the LLC is formed.Official source
  • Certificate of Existence$30Downloaded from the Information Summary page.Proof the business is currentOfficial source
  • Change registered agent$35Statement of Appointment or Change of Commercial or Noncommercial Registered Agent (CLKRA-3).Every LLC must have oneOfficial source

An LLC lookup in Maine is the same search as a business search. The Corporate Name Search, kept by the Maine Secretary of State, lists LLCs alongside corporations and other registered businesses. You can search by keyword from name to be searched or charter number. It's free, and you don't need an account.

  1. Open the Corporate Name Search. Type a word from the name in "Keyword from name to be searched", or type the 10 or 11 character "Charter number". Add % after a partial word to use it as a wildcard.
  2. Click "Click Here to Search". Complete the CAPTCHA if the page asks for one.
  3. Click a name in the results to open its "Information Summary". It's free to view and print.
  4. Select "View List of Filings" to see the entity's filings. Each filing image you download costs $3, and a certified order adds $5.
  5. For a certificate, scroll to "Certificate of Existence (Good Standing)" on the Information Summary and choose "Short Form Without Amendments" or "Long Form with Amendments". It costs $30.

Good to know in Maine: One keyword box searches the legal name, former names, and assumed and fictitious names all at once, and it also searches registered marks. You can use % as a wildcard, for example a partial word followed by %. The Division prohibits data mining and automated searching, and the search may ask you to complete a CAPTCHA before it shows results.

What the search shows you

  • Legal name, former names, and assumed and fictitious names
  • Charter number
  • Filing date, filing type, and jurisdiction
  • Status
  • Clerk or registered agent name and address
  • Principal home office address
  • "View List of Filings" link to the entity's filings

What the status words mean

Maine uses its own words for a company's status, and they don't always mean the same thing as in other states. Here's what you'll see on the Corporate Name Search, in the state's own wording.

StatusWhat it means
Good StandingThe Secretary of State's search help says this means statutory filing requirements have been met with the office. The office doesn't review or verify the information submitted, and it doesn't regulate business practices.
Administratively DissolvedUnder 31 MRSA §1591, the Secretary of State can dissolve an LLC that doesn't pay fees or penalties, doesn't file its annual report or pay the late penalty, has no registered agent, or doesn't report an agent change. The reinstatement fee for missed annual reports is $150, capped at $600.
RevokedUsed for a foreign LLC. Under 31 MRSA §1667, the Secretary of State revokes a foreign LLC's authority to do business in Maine when it fails to file its annual report and pay the fee or penalty.
ExcusedAn LLC that has stopped doing business and owes nothing can file a Certificate of Excuse ($40) and stop filing annual reports. Its name stays protected for 5 years. A Certificate of Resumption ($100) brings it back.

For how these compare across states, see what business entity status means.

Finding the registered agent, filing history and owners

Registered Agent

The Information Summary shows the clerk or registered agent's name and address. Maine agents are either commercial registered agents, who have a CRA public number, or noncommercial registered agents.

Filing history

"View List of Filings" lists the entity's filings. Images cost $3 each. For filings with no image online, call the Reporting and Information Section at 207-624-7752.

Owners, managers and officers

The Information Summary doesn't list members or managers. Maine law requires each annual report to give the name and address of at least one member, manager or other authorized person, so the latest annual report image is the place to look. If the state record doesn't name anyone, our guide on how to find the owner of an LLC covers where else to look.

Finding a Maine Charter Number

Maine gives every business on its register a Charter Number. It's the quickest way to pin down the right company when names are alike.

What it looks like
The search help asks for 10 or 11 characters. Charter numbers in the state's own record links are 8 digits followed by the entity type code from the search's key, such as DC for a domestic LLC (for example 20240701DC).
Where to find yours
On the entity's Information Summary page in the Corporate Name Search.
Search by it
Yes. The Corporate Name Search accepts it.

Your federal EIN is a different number again. See which business number a form is asking for.

Checking whether a business name is available in Maine

  1. The keyword search checks legal names, former names, assumed and fictitious names, and registered marks at the same time.
  2. Maine uses a "distinguishable upon the record" standard. A name that doesn't meet it is refused.
  3. Trade names filed with a town or city clerk aren't checked by the Division, so the state search won't show them.
  4. Reserve a name for 120 days with an Application for Reservation of Name (MLLC-1) for $20.

A clear result on the state search isn't a trademark clearance. If the name matters to you, also search the USPTO trademark database and check the domain. More in our business name search guide.

DBA and UCC search in Maine

DBAs and assumed names

What it's called
Assumed Name
Where they're filed
An LLC files its assumed name with the Secretary of State, and the Corporate Name Search covers assumed and fictitious names. Sole proprietors and general partnerships using a trade name file with the clerk of the town or city where the business is located instead.
State fee
$125. Statement of Intention to do Business under an Assumed Name (ASUM-5). A foreign LLC whose own name isn't available files a fictitious name (FICT-4) for $40.

Town and city trade name filings aren't checked for availability by the state and won't show in the state search.

UCC liens

Lenders file UCC financing statements with the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions. The online search is free. Our Maine UCC search guide has the steps and fees.

Maine fees and deadlines

These are the state's own fees, before any service charges. Each row links to the official page we took it from.

Form an LLC

$175
  • Certificate of Formation (MLLC-6).
  • Corporate filings take 2 to 7 business days.
  • Faster options: 24-hour expedited filing (next business day) is $50 extra. Immediate expedited filing (same business day) is $100 extra. One expedite fee covers several documents for the same entity filed together.
File online Fee source

Annual Report

$85
  • Due: Between January 1 and June 1 every year, starting the year after the LLC is formed.
  • If you're late: A $50 late filing penalty on top of the $85 fee. An LLC that doesn't file and pay is administratively dissolved, and the reinstatement fee for missed annual reports is $150, capped at $600.
  • A foreign LLC's annual report is $150. The Secretary of State advises paper filers mailing near June 1 to get a manual postmark or use certified mail.
File the report Fee source

Change your registered agent

$35
  • Every Maine LLC must have one.
  • Statement of Appointment or Change of Commercial or Noncommercial Registered Agent (CLKRA-3).
Fee source

Certificate of Existence

$30
  • Proof the company exists and is current, from the Maine Secretary of State.
  • Downloaded from the Information Summary page.
Order one Fee source

12,796 new business applications were filed in Maine from January to September 2026, up 18.2% on last year, according to the Census Bureau. See every state.

Starting a business in Maine?

A lot of people search the Corporate Name Search to see if a name is taken before they file. If that's you, here's the order to do things in.

  1. 1Check the name is free in MaineTakes two minutes, steps on this page
  2. 2File your LLC with the stateCertificate of Formation, $175 state fee
  3. 3Or let a service file it for youCompared on what you pay in year two

Step 3 goes to our comparison page, which has sponsored links. We earn a commission if you buy, and it doesn't change our rankings. How that works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I look up an LLC in Maine?

Search the Corporate Name Search, the official database kept by the Maine Secretary of State. You can search by keyword from name to be searched or charter number. It's free, and you don't need an account. Open the matching record to see the LLC's status, registered agent and filing history.

Is the Maine business entity search free?

Yes. Searching and viewing the Information Summary are free. Filing images cost $3 each, certification adds $5, and a certificate of existence (good standing) is $30.

Can I find out who owns a Maine LLC?

Not from the summary page, which shows the registered agent and principal home office address. Each annual report must name at least one member, manager or other authorized person, so the latest annual report image can tell you more.

What does "Good Standing" mean in Maine?

It means the business has met its statutory filing requirements with the Secretary of State. The office doesn't verify what was filed or regulate how the business operates.

When is the Maine LLC annual report due?

Between January 1 and June 1 each year, starting the year after formation. The fee is $85, a late report adds a $50 penalty, and an LLC that never files can be administratively dissolved.

Sources

We take every fee, deadline and rule on this page from these pages and nowhere else. Rules change, so open the source before you pay anything.

  1. 1.Corporate Name SearchChecked November 8, 2026
  2. 2.Corporate Name Search: search tips and key to abbreviationsChecked November 8, 2026
  3. 3.Secretary of State: Limited Liability Company forms and feesChecked November 8, 2026
  4. 4.Form MLLC-6, Certificate of Formation (PDF, expedite fees)Checked November 8, 2026
  5. 5.Secretary of State: Filing an Annual ReportChecked November 8, 2026
  6. 6.Annual Reports OnlineChecked November 8, 2026
  7. 7.31 MRSA §1665 (annual report and certificate of excuse)Checked November 8, 2026
  8. 8.31 MRSA §1667 (failure to file annual report)Checked November 8, 2026
  9. 9.31 MRSA §1680 (LLC fees and penalties)Checked November 8, 2026
  10. 10.31 MRSA §1591 (grounds for administrative dissolution)Checked November 8, 2026
  11. 11.31 MRSA §1510 (assumed and fictitious names)Checked November 8, 2026
  12. 12.Secretary of State: Trade Name ProtectionChecked November 8, 2026
  13. 13.Secretary of State: Search for a UCC FilingChecked November 8, 2026
  14. 14.UCC Filing and Search Fees (PDF)Checked November 8, 2026

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