Key Takeaways
- Maine allows incoming LLC domestication directly (31 M.R.S. Ch.21, Subchapter 12, §1645 ("Conversion")) — your LLC keeps its original formation date
- Filing fee: An estimated $175, based on Maine's standard LLC filing fee — the exact fee specific to Form MLLC-CONV wasn't independently confirmed, so verify the current amount directly with the Bureau of Corporations before filing
- No new EIN is expected. Maine's conversion mechanism (not dissolution and reformation) is designed as a continuity-of-existence provision — the IRS should treat your EIN as unchanged, though you should update your address on file with Form 8822-B once your Maine registered agent is set.
- No separate withdrawal filing is required in your old state as a condition of Maine's conversion process itself — but there's an important prerequisite: Maine's own guidance warns that converting INTO Maine is only possible if your original state's law ALSO permits conversion or domestication OUT. If your old state doesn't allow that, the conversion path is unavailable, and the fallback is forming a new Maine LLC, transferring assets into it, and dissolving the old entity — a materially different, taxable-event-heavy process that should involve an accountant and attorney.
- Same-day LLC domestication filing available through LLC Attorney, at no markup on state fees
If your LLC is formed in another state but you've relocated (or your business has) and want Maine to be its new legal home, Maine has a mechanism that does what domestication does elsewhere — it's just called "conversion" on Maine's books, and it only works if your old state's law allows the reverse move.
This guide covers exactly how to convert an LLC into Maine in 2026 — the Statement of Conversion filing, an estimated $175 cost, the reciprocity requirement with your old state, and what happens to your EIN and formation date once it's approved.
What Is LLC Domestication?
Domestication (sometimes called continuance or statutory conversion) lets you move your LLC from one state to Maine without dissolving it and starting over. Done correctly, the LLC keeps its original formation date, its EIN, and its contracts — only its home state changes.
Can You Domesticate an LLC Into Maine?
Yes. Maine's LLC Act includes a statutory domestication provision (31 M.R.S. Ch.21, Subchapter 12, §1645 ("Conversion")), so an out-of-state LLC can become a Maine LLC directly while retaining its original formation date.
How to Domesticate Your LLC in Maine
- Filing agency: Maine Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions
- Form: Statement of Conversion (Form MLLC-CONV) (MLLC-CONV)
- Filing fee: An estimated $175, based on Maine's standard LLC filing fee — the exact fee specific to Form MLLC-CONV wasn't independently confirmed, so verify the current amount directly with the Bureau of Corporations before filing
- Processing time: About 2-4 weeks standard
- Expedited option: 24-hour expedited processing for an additional $50, or same-day for an additional $100
- Certificate of Good Standing: Required from your current state, dated within 90 days of filing.
- Plan of domestication: Maine does not require a separate formal plan document beyond the standard filing.
- Member approval: Maine's conversion statute (§1645) doesn't publish its own domestication-specific approval threshold in the portion available for this research; the LLC Act's general default for structural changes tends toward majority-in-interest approval absent a different provision in your operating agreement — confirm this directly with a Maine attorney or the Bureau of Corporations before filing.
What Happens to Your EIN, Contracts, and Formation Date?
Domesticating to Maine preserves your LLC's original formation date — the entity continues, it doesn't restart.
No new EIN is expected. Maine's conversion mechanism (not dissolution and reformation) is designed as a continuity-of-existence provision — the IRS should treat your EIN as unchanged, though you should update your address on file with Form 8822-B once your Maine registered agent is set.
Existing contracts, bank accounts, licenses, and liabilities are intended to carry over automatically under a conversion — Maine's §1645 treats the converted LLC as the same entity that existed in your old state, just operating under Maine law going forward and under a different statutory label ("conversion" instead of "domestication").
Do I Need to Close My LLC in My Old State?
No separate withdrawal filing is required in your old state as a condition of Maine's conversion process itself — but there's an important prerequisite: Maine's own guidance warns that converting INTO Maine is only possible if your original state's law ALSO permits conversion or domestication OUT. If your old state doesn't allow that, the conversion path is unavailable, and the fallback is forming a new Maine LLC, transferring assets into it, and dissolving the old entity — a materially different, taxable-event-heavy process that should involve an accountant and attorney.
If your business keeps operating in your old state after moving its legal home to Maine — an office, employees, or regular in-state activity — you'll likely need to foreign-qualify there instead of maintaining it as your domestic entity. Check that state's foreign-qualification requirements once the Maine conversion is final.
When Do Maine's Taxes and Filings Start?
Maine's tax and annual-report obligations begin on the date the Statement of Conversion is filed and accepted — Maine LLCs owe an annual report to the Bureau of Corporations, so get that deadline on your compliance calendar right away.
You'll typically owe a final-year return to your old state covering the period before the conversion took effect, prorated to the effective date — confirm the exact requirement with that state's own tax agency, since it depends on where you're moving from.
Maine's registered-agent terminology for this specific filing wasn't independently confirmed to high certainty in this research — verify directly before relying on it. The bigger issue for content accuracy is the same one Maryland has: Maine's LLC Act doesn't use the word "domestication" at all (that label is reserved for the Maine Business Corporation Act, covering corporations only); LLCs use "conversion" under §1645 instead, even though it accomplishes the same practical result.
How to Move Your LLC to Maine Step by Step
If You Do It Yourself
Step 1 — Confirm your LLC is in good standing in its current state.
Maine will require a Certificate of Good Standing from your current state, so resolve any lapsed filings there first.
Step 2 — Get member approval for the move.
Maine's conversion statute (§1645) doesn't publish its own domestication-specific approval threshold in the portion available for this research; the LLC Act's general default for structural changes tends toward majority-in-interest approval absent a different provision in your operating agreement — confirm this directly with a Maine attorney or the Bureau of Corporations before filing.
Step 3 — File the domestication paperwork.
File with Maine Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions using the Statement of Conversion (Form MLLC-CONV), An estimated $175, based on Maine's standard LLC filing fee — the exact fee specific to Form MLLC-CONV wasn't independently confirmed, so verify the current amount directly with the Bureau of Corporations before filing.
Step 4 — Confirm your EIN and contracts carry over.
No new EIN is expected. Maine's conversion mechanism (not dissolution and reformation) is designed as a continuity-of-existence provision — the IRS should treat your EIN as unchanged, though you should update your address on file with Form 8822-B once your Maine registered agent is set. Existing contracts, bank accounts, licenses, and liabilities are intended to carry over automatically under a conversion — Maine's §1645 treats the converted LLC as the same entity that existed in your old state, just operating under Maine law going forward and under a different statutory label ("conversion" instead of "domestication").
Step 5 — Appoint a registered agent in your new state.
Maine calls this role a "Registered Agent" — required before or as part of the domestication filing.
Step 6 — Handle your old state's final obligations.
No separate withdrawal filing is required in your old state as a condition of Maine's conversion process itself — but there's an important prerequisite: Maine's own guidance warns that converting INTO Maine is only possible if your original state's law ALSO permits conversion or domestication OUT. If your old state doesn't allow that, the conversion path is unavailable, and the fallback is forming a new Maine LLC, transferring assets into it, and dissolving the old entity — a materially different, taxable-event-heavy process that should involve an accountant and attorney. You'll typically owe a final-year return to your old state covering the period before the conversion took effect, prorated to the effective date — confirm the exact requirement with that state's own tax agency, since it depends on where you're moving from.
Step 7 — Update your tax and compliance calendar.
Maine's tax and annual-report obligations begin on the date the Statement of Conversion is filed and accepted — Maine LLCs owe an annual report to the Bureau of Corporations, so get that deadline on your compliance calendar right away.
Step 8 — Watch for Maine-specific domestication traps.
The most important Maine-specific quirk has two layers. First, terminology: Maine's LLC statute calls this "conversion," not "domestication" — the same naming mismatch as Maryland. Second, and more consequential: Maine's conversion mechanism only works if your original state's law also permits an outbound conversion or domestication. If it doesn't, you can't use this streamlined path at all — you'd instead need to form a brand-new Maine LLC, transfer your business's assets into it, and formally dissolve the old entity, which is a taxable event in many cases and a meaningfully different (and more expensive) process than a straightforward conversion.
If LLC Attorney Does It for You
- Submit your LLC's current-state details at llcattorney.com — name, formation date, and member information.
- LLC Attorney handles the domestication filing, obtains your Certificate of Good Standing, and serves as your registered agent in Maine once the move is complete.
- Receive confirmation of your completed move, plus access to flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) for any old-state wind-down questions.
When Should You Talk to an Attorney About Moving Your LLC to Maine?
Talk to an attorney before converting your LLC into Maine if you're not certain your old state's law permits an outbound conversion or domestication (since Maine's process depends on that reciprocity), if your operating agreement doesn't clearly set a member-approval threshold, or if you need the fallback path (new Maine LLC plus asset transfer and old-entity dissolution) evaluated because your old state doesn't allow outbound conversion.
What You Actually Get With LLC Attorney's Maine Domestication Service
The part of a Maine LLC move that trips people up is discovering, only after starting the paperwork, that your old state doesn't allow an outbound conversion — which means the whole plan has to shift to forming a new Maine LLC and dissolving the old one. LLC Attorney checks that reciprocity question first, before you spend time on the wrong path.
- LLC domestication to Maine, starting at $149.
- Certificate of Good Standing retrieval, filing prep, and registered agent service all handled in one order.
- Old-state withdrawal and final-tax-obligation guidance specific to your prior state — not a generic multi-state template.
- Access to professionally trained Business Success Advisors at no charge, plus flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) for move-specific questions.
Moving your LLC's legal home to Maine is straightforward once you know which path applies to you — LLC Attorney confirms your old state's reciprocity up front and files the correct paperwork the first time.
Ready to Move Your LLC to Maine?
LLC Attorney handles the domestication filing for LLCs moving to Maine, starting at $149. See our full pricing for all service tiers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in most cases — though Maine calls it "conversion," not "domestication." Maine's LLC Act (31 M.R.S. §1645) lets an out-of-state LLC become a Maine LLC directly while retaining its original formation date, provided your original state's law also permits an outbound conversion or domestication.
Yes, when the conversion path is available. Maine's conversion mechanism is designed as a continuity-of-existence provision, not a dissolution-and-reformation — your original formation date, EIN, and contracts are all intended to carry over, since only the home state changes.
An estimated $175, based on Maine's standard LLC filing fee — the exact fee tied specifically to the Statement of Conversion (Form MLLC-CONV) wasn't independently confirmed, so verify the current amount with the Bureau of Corporations before filing. Expedited service adds $50 (24-hour) or $100 (same-day).
No new EIN should be needed — Maine's conversion is designed to continue the same legal entity rather than create a new one. Update your address with the IRS via Form 8822-B once your Maine registered agent is set.
No separate withdrawal filing is required in your old state as part of Maine's own conversion process — but your old state's law must permit an outbound conversion or domestication in the first place, or the Maine conversion path isn't available to you at all.
Maine's obligations begin on the date the Statement of Conversion is filed and accepted. Maine LLCs owe an annual report to the Bureau of Corporations — get that deadline on your compliance calendar right away.
Maine hasn't published a conversion-specific approval threshold distinct from its general structural-change defaults, which tend toward majority-in-interest approval absent a different provision in your operating agreement — confirm this directly before filing.
About 2-4 weeks standard, or faster with expedited processing — 24-hour service costs an additional $50, and same-day service costs an additional $100.
Yes. LLC Attorney handles the domestication filing for LLCs moving to Maine, starting at $149.