Last updated May 30, 2020
Maine LLC
Business Licenses and Permits
How to form an LLC in Maine
This Quick Start Guide is a brief overview of how to form an LLC in Maine.
Detailed Lessons:
5. EIN Number
6. Annual Report
7. Business License ← you are here
8. Taxes
Maine LLC costs:
LLC formation cost: $175 (one-time fee)
Annual report: $85 (every year)
Need help?
Hire a company to form your Maine LLC:
Northwest ($39 + state fee) or LegalZoom ($149 + state fee)
★ Check out Northwest vs LegalZoom
After you form your Maine LLC, you need to comply with city and county license and permit requirements.
Your requirements are determined by the industry you are in and where your business is located.
Not complying with license and permit requirements is risky and can result in penalties and fines, or worse, not being able to conduct business in Maine.
Types of licenses & permits you may need in Maine
Below are some license and permit examples:
- City business licenses/tax permits
- Building permit
- Health permit
- Occupational permit
- Signage permit
- Alarm permit
- Zoning permit
- Alcohol & tobacco permit
- Liquor license
- Sales and use tax permit
- Seller/reseller permit
Do it yourself in Maine
Contact your County
http://www.maine.gov/local/
Guide to Different Maine Business Licenses and Permits
The state website contains a resources page on the different licenses and permits your Maine LLC might need: http://www.maine.gov/portal/business/licensing.html
Business Answers Program
Maine has an interactive Business Licensing Assistant to help you through the process of getting your LLC’s business license and permit: http://www.maine.gov/portal/business/licensing.html
Our Recommendation
There are nearly 20,000 licensing and permit jurisdictions in the United States and each has its own rules and regulations.
If you want to save time, we recommend hiring a professional service company (like IncFile) to do the research and prepare your applications.
They will provide you with a comprehensive package of all the licenses, permits and tax registrations required for your Maine LLC, as well as the necessary application forms:
Next Step
After you’ve researched and obtained the proper licenses and permits for your Maine LLC, you can then proceed to the next lesson: Maine LLC Taxes.
References
http://www.maine.gov/portal/business/starting.html
http://www.mainesbdc.org/new-business/new-business-faq/
