Maine Business Entity Search
By Edmond Hui · Last updated October 5, 2026
The short answer. The Maine Department of the Secretary of State (Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions) keeps Maine's register of business entities. The official search is the state's “Corporate Name Search” page, on apps3.web.maine.gov. Searching is free.
Maine Business Entity Search at a Glance
| Register kept by | The Maine Department of the Secretary of State (Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions) |
| Official search | Corporate Name Search |
| Cost to search | Free |
| Search by | Entity name; entity or filing number; fictitious or assumed name |
| Filed documents online | Yes, for a fee |
| Copy fee | $3.00 per document (see Documents) |
| Certifying a copy | Adds $5.00 per request (see Documents) |
| Name reservation | Not confirmed |
| Name reservation fee | $20.00 |
| Bulk data | Available, for a fee |
Read from the government sources listed at the foot of this page, last checked October 5, 2026. See the sources.
How to Search Maine's Register
The official search is the state's “Corporate Name Search” page, on apps3.web.maine.gov. Searching is free. Open the official search.
On the main search page you can search by:
- Entity name
- Entity or filing number
- Fictitious or assumed name
What a Search Result Shows
A Maine result includes the items below, according to the state's own pages or a result page we read. It may show more.
- Status
- Formation or registration date
- Entity type
- Registered agent or registered office
- Principal office address
- Mailing address
- Filing history
- Images of filed documents
What Each Maine Status Means
The status is the label the register puts on each entity. Where the state defines a label, the meaning below restates that definition, with a link to the state page it comes from. Where it does not, we do not guess from the word, because the same word can mean different things in different states.
| Status label | What it means | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| GOOD STANDING In the search tool | The entity has met its statutory filing requirements with the Secretary of State's office. The office does not review or verify the information submitted and does not regulate or investigate business practices or operations. Based on the definition at apps3.web.maine.gov | All entities |
This list is not complete. It holds the labels we found on search results we read, and the register may show others.
If the search shows that your own LLC was dissolved, see how to reinstate an LLC in Maine.
A search result is not a certificate of good standing. If a bank or another state asks for one, see how to get a Maine certificate of good standing.
Viewing and Ordering Documents
Filed documents can be viewed online. The state charges for them.
Downloading a filing image costs $3.00 per filing, and certifying adds $5.00 for each certified order request.
Is the Name Available?
We have not confirmed how Maine wants you to check whether a name is available.
The state's naming standard, in its own words: “distinguishable on the records of the office of the Secretary of State.”
We have not confirmed whether Maine requires a name reservation before you file. A name reservation costs $20.00.
Our free LLC name checker looks up domain and social media handle availability for a name. It does not search Maine's register, so check the state's search as well.
Bulk Business Entity Data
Maine offers bulk business entity data for a fee. InforME, the Maine.gov portal administrator, sells database downloads for the Department, with full corporate and UCC records at $600.00 a month and weekly corporate data updates at $300.00. See the state's bulk data page.
Ready to form? See what goes on the Maine articles of organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 business entity filing office publishes about searching its register, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you whether a particular business is active, authorized or reliable: read the state's own record for that, and search tools, status labels and fees change between our reviews. Confirm anything you rely on with the filing office named on this page before you act on it.
Sources
Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Maine sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so. Where we hold the citation but no stable public link, the citation is printed on its own rather than pointed at a guessed address.
- maine.gov/sos/corporations-commissions/corporations-business-servicesCorporations-Business Services
- apps3.web.maine.gov/nei-sos-icrs/ICRS?MainPage=xCorporate Name Search
- apps3.web.maine.gov/nei-sos-icrs/ICRS?InfoSearch tips and key to abbreviations
- apps3.web.maine.gov/nei-sos-icrs/ICRS?CorpSumm=20223836DCInformation Summary: LB ELLSWORTH, LLC (archived copy)
- legislature.maine.gov/statutes/31/title31sec1508.html31 M.R.S. 1508 Name
- maine.gov/sos/sites/maine.gov.sos/files/inline-files/mllc1.pdfApplication for Reservation of Name (MLLC-1)
- maine.gov/sos/corporations-commissions/bulk-dataBulk Data
- legislature.maine.gov/statutes/31/title31sec1680.html31 M.R.S. 1680 Fees
- Name standard: 31 M.R.S. 1508
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.