How to File Maine's Certificate of Formation
Maine calls its articles of organization a Certificate of Formation. What goes on it, what is filed with it and what it costs, read from Maine government sources.
The short answer. To form an LLC in Maine, you file the Certificate of Formation with the state. The state filing fee is $175. Of the 15 items this page tracks, the form requires 4, asks for 2 only in some cases, makes 1 optional and leaves out 7. Of the rest, 1 goes on a filing made with it.
The Maine Certificate of Formation at a Glance
| What Maine calls it | Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6) |
| State filing fee | $175 |
| Processing time | 40-55 business days |
| Where to file | Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions |
| File online | No, paper only |
| Blank form | Download it from the state |
| Law that sets its contents | 31 M.R.S. § 1531 |
| Filed with it or right after | 1 filing, listed below |
Read from a Maine government source, last checked September 23, 2026. The filing fee and processing time come from our Maine cost record. See the sources.
What Goes on Maine's Certificate of Formation
Each row is one of the 15 items this page tracks, with what Maine's Certificate of Formation asks for. A row that names another filing is asked on that filing, not on the Certificate of Formation. "Not on the form" means we checked and found no place for it on the Certificate of Formation. "Not checked" means we have not confirmed it either way.
| Item | On the form |
|---|---|
| LLC name | Required |
| Registered agent's name | Required |
| Registered office address | Only when the registered agent is a noncommercial registered agent. A commercial registered agent is named without an address. |
| Principal office address | Not on the form |
| Mailing address | Not on the form |
| Organizer's name | Required |
| Members' names | Not on the form |
| Managers' names | Not on the form |
| Member-managed or manager-managed | Not on the form |
| Business purpose | Only for a professional LLC, which states the type of professional services, or a low-profit LLC, which lists the charitable or educational purposes it will further. |
| Duration | Not on the form |
| Effective date | Optional |
| County | Not on the form |
| Email address | Optional, on the Customer Contact Cover Letter |
| Registered agent's consent | Required |
These entries are confirmed public record: LLC name and registered agent's name.
The registered agent rows are covered in more depth in Maine's registered agent requirements, and the steps before and after this filing are in how to start an LLC in Maine.
What the LLC's Name Must Include
The LLC's name must include an LLC ending. Accepted endings include "Limited Liability Company", "Limited Company", "L.L.C.", "LLC", "L.C.", "LC", "Ltd. Liability Company", "Limited Liability Co.", "Ltd. Liability Co.", "Ltd. Company", "Limited Co." and "Ltd. Co.", and the law allows others as well.
Rule: 31 M.R.S. § 1508(1).
File These With It or Right After
Maine has one more filing that goes with it or follows it.
| Filing | Required? | When |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Contact Cover Letter | Optional | Filed together with the Certificate of Formation |
Draft Your Certificate of Formation
The generator below starts with Maine selected and drafts the document from what you enter. Compare the draft with the state's current form before you file.
MyStateLLC.com is not a law firm, not an attorney, and not a document preparation service. This is a self-service tool: it formats information you enter into a state template, and no one at MyStateLLC reviews, corrects, or files it for you. This tool and the document it generates are informational and are not legal, financial, or tax advice, and are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. MyStateLLC cannot give legal advice, does not prepare or file documents itself, and communications with MyStateLLC are not privileged. Using this tool does not create an attorney-client relationship. LLC laws vary by state and this document is not reviewed by anyone before you file it. Consult a licensed attorney or CPA in your state before you sign or file it.
Where are you forming your LLC?
After It Is Approved
| Certified copy of the filed Certificate of Formation | See note below |
| Changing it later (Certificate of Amendment) | $50 |
Where these fees come from: the sources.
Professional LLCs in Maine
In Maine, a professional LLC is formed with the same Certificate of Formation. Also required: The certificate must state the type of professional services the LLC will provide. Your profession's licensing board may have requirements of its own, so check with it before you file.
Worth Knowing in Maine
A certified copy costs $5 for the certification plus $2 per page copied. The Certificate of Formation is completed, printed and mailed or delivered to the Secretary of State with the fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- maine.gov/sos/sites/maine.gov.sos/files/inline-files/mllc6.pdfMaine Form MLLC-6, Certificate of Formation (with Customer Contact Cover Letter)
- maine.gov/sos/corporations-commissions/i-need-a-business-form/limited-liability-company-formsMaine SOS, Limited Liability Company Forms and fees
- legislature.maine.gov/statutes/31/title31sec1531.html31 M.R.S. § 1531, Formation of limited liability company; certificate of formation
- legislature.maine.gov/statutes/31/title31sec1508.html31 M.R.S. § 1508, Limited liability company name
- legislature.maine.gov/statutes/31/title31sec1680.html31 M.R.S. § 1680, Filing and copying fees
- legislature.maine.gov/statutes/5/title5sec105.html5 M.R.S. § 105, Appointment of clerk or registered agent
- legislature.maine.gov/statutes/13/title13sec723.html13 M.R.S. § 723, Professional service definitions
- maine.gov/sos/sites/maine.gov.sos/files/inline-files/mllc9.pdfMaine Form MLLC-9, Certificate of Amendment
The rows and fees on this page were read from the Maine government sources above, not from a formation service, and anything we could not confirm there is marked Not checked. See our editorial policy for how these are verified and corrected.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's filing office publishes about the document that forms an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity or a separate professional form, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.