How to Reinstate an LLC in Maine

How reinstatement works in Maine

A Maine LLC that is administratively dissolved, usually for skipping annual reports or the late penalty, can apply to the Secretary of State for reinstatement within 6 years of the dissolution date. The application states the LLC's name, the dissolution date, and that the grounds have been cured, which in practice means filing every missed annual report with its $85 fee and $50 late penalty. The reinstatement fee for annual report failures is $150, with a statutory cap of $600 no matter how many years were missed. Once granted, reinstatement relates back to the dissolution date, so the LLC is treated as if it had never been dissolved. The timing gap matters: the name is protected for only 3 years, so an LLC that waits longer may find its name taken and need to amend it. After 6 years, the certificate of formation is cancelled and reinstatement is no longer possible.

Steps to reinstate a Maine LLC

1. File every delinquent annual report with its $85 fee and $50 late penalty
2. Pay the reinstatement fee under 31 M.R.S. 1680(17)
3. State the LLC's name and the effective date of the administrative dissolution
4. State that the grounds for dissolution did not exist or have been cured
5. Confirm the LLC's name still complies with 31 M.R.S. 1508 (or change it)
6. Submit the reinstatement application and back reports to the Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions in Augusta; confirm the current reinstatement form and mailing instructions with the Division at (207) 624-7752 before filing.

What reinstatement costs: a worked example

An LLC dissolved after missing 2 reports:

For dissolution based on failure to file an annual report, the reinstatement fee is $150, capped at $600 regardless of how many reports are delinquent or how long (31 M.R.S. 1680(17)). Separate $150 fees apply where the ground was an unpaid late penalty, no registered agent, or false information. The delinquent annual reports must also be filed with their $85 fees and $50 late penalties. Whether late penalties are charged again at reinstatement varies; the state calculates the exact total when you file. Taxes, interest and tax-clearance costs are extra where they apply.

What happens to the LLC and its name

• Effect: Yes. Under 31 M.R.S. 1593(3), reinstatement relates back to the effective date of the administrative dissolution and the LLC continues as if it had never been dissolved.
• Your LLC name: The name of an administratively dissolved LLC remains on the Secretary of State's records and is protected for 3 years after dissolution (31 M.R.S. 1592(6)). After that, another entity may take it, even though reinstatement remains available until year 6.

The most common cause is a missed Annual Report. See the Maine Annual Report guide for deadlines so it does not happen again.

Reinstatement in Maine and nearby states

Mistakes that slow down a Maine reinstatement

• Waiting more than 3 years to reinstate and losing exclusive rights to the LLC's name.
• Paying only the reinstatement fee without filing every delinquent annual report and its late penalty.
• Letting the 6-year window pass, after which the certificate of formation is cancelled and a new LLC must be formed.