Are you unsatisfied with your Maine registered agent? Or perhaps you’re currently serving as your own registered agent, but would rather hire a professional registered agent service instead?
The state of Maine makes it rather easy to change your registered agent, but there are some details involved in the process that are worth reviewing.
In this guide, we’ll discuss all the relevant details of changing a registered agent in Maine.
Rocket Tip: If you would prefer to have a professional service deal with the paperwork and take over registered agent duties, hire a Maine registered agent service. It’s just a small annual fee.
What Is a Maine Registered Agent?
Why is a registered agent required for every limited liability company (LLC) or corporation? It all comes down to the fact that the state needs to be able to contact an official representative of your business if they need to deliver important documents to you, especially service of process.
Without a registered agent, you could remain unaware of a lawsuit against your business progressing through the court system.
Who Can Be a Maine Registered Agent?
If you’re looking to change your company’s registered agent, it’s a good idea to know who is eligible to serve as one.
In Maine, a resident agent may be either an individual who is a resident of the state, a domestic business entity that’s in good standing, or a foreign business entity that is authorized to do business in Maine and also has a physical street address in the state.
If you wish, you may seek out and hire a pre-existing registered agent (otherwise referred to as a “commercial agent” or a “commercial clerk”) for an annual fee. For the convenience of those establishing new businesses, Maine’s Secretary of State keeps a full list of these entities on file at this link.
How to Change Your Registered Agent in Maine
If you would like to change your registered agent for any reason, the process is simple.
You only need to fill out the appropriate Statement of Appointment of Change. Which form is right for you will depend on whether you are using a commercial or noncommercial registered agent/clerk and whether your company is an LLC or a corporation.
If you’re currently using the services of a commercial registered agent/clerk (which means to say you’ve hired the services of a pre-existing registered agent) then you’ll need to complete and submit either the Statement of Appointment or Change of Commercial Registered Agents specified for LLCs or the Statement of Appointment or Change of Commercial Clerk intended for corporations.
On the other hand, if your registered agent/clerk is not a commercial agent that you hired, you’ll be required to make the change using either the Statement of Change of Noncommercial Clerk for corporations or the Statement of Appointment or Change of Noncommercial Agents for LLCs.
Regardless of which form is the appropriate one for your business, you’ll be required to enter the following information:
- The name of the business
- The name and address of the current registered agent
- The name and address of the new registered agent
- Confirmation that the registered agent has consented to the appointment
- Your signature or the signature of an authorized person
Change of Registered Agent Fee: $35
Should You Hire a Professional Maine Registered Agent Service?
Hiring a registered agent service like Northwest Registered Agent has some distinct advantages. First and foremost, compared to serving as your own agent, professional registered agent services allow you to keep your personal address private. They’re also much less expensive than hiring a lawyer or accountant to provide registered agent service.
An often-overlooked benefit is how easy it is to expand your Maine business into other states if you choose a professional registered agent. They typically have offices in all 50 states, so if you begin transacting business in an additional state, your same registered agent service can handle that for you.
If you’re interested in hiring a professional registered agent service, take a look at our guide to the top service providers.
Conclusion
The process for changing a registered agent in Maine isn’t a complicated one, but it’s certainly advisable to know exactly what you want to do ahead of time. If you know what you want going in, you’ll find that the process is really quite painless.
We hope this article answered your questions about changing your Maine registered agent!