All Maine business entity information, including entity name, filing type, charter number, and formation date, is available through the Maine Secretary of State's Interactive Corporate Services (ICRS) business search portal. This free database provides the key details you need for onboarding, compliance, or business transactions.

One housekeeping note before you search: the current portal runs at apps3.web.maine.gov/nei-sos-icrs/ICRS. The older icrs.informe.org address is no longer the correct one, so any saved bookmarks or internal procedures pointing to it need updating.

Summary table: finding your Maine entity information

The table below shows where each data point appears in Maine's system and what format it takes.

How to search for Maine business entities

Access the Maine business entity search through the ICRS search portal to look up any registered business by name or charter number. The portal offers two search methods:

• Name search: enter the exact text of the business name or mark, or a keyword with the wildcard (%), in the "Keyword from name to be searched:" field. The state recommends narrowing results with less common words or a word combination, per the ICRS help page.

• Charter number search: enter the charter number or mark number in the "Charter number:" field, which accepts up to 11 characters.

Once you've entered your criteria, click "Click here to search" to run the query.

What you'll see in search results

Each entity's information summary displays:

• Legal name, plus any former, assumed, or fictitious names

• Charter number (the unique state identifier)

• Filing date (original registration date)

• Filing type (LLC, Corporation, LP, LLP, etc.)

• Jurisdiction and status

Scroll to the bottom of the summary and select "view list of filings" to see the entity's filing history.

How to find your charter number in Maine

Your Maine charter number is a unique identifier assigned by the Maine Secretary of State when your entity is formed. Per the state's charter number format guide, it is a "unique and constant identifier" consisting of 8 or 9 digits plus an entity-type suffix.

Where to locate your Maine charter number

The charter number appears in three places, in order from fastest to slowest to check.

1. Maine business search (fastest method)

   • Located: displayed in search results and on the entity information summary

   • Labeled as: "Charter Number"

   • Official SOS filing forms use the compound label "entity/charter number"

2. Certificate of Formation for Maine LLCs and other formation documents

   • The Secretary of State assigns the charter number upon filing

   • Appears on filed documents returned by the SOS

3. Annual reports and state correspondence

   • Appears on official Maine Secretary of State documents

   • Annual reports are filed online using the entity's charter number, per SOS online services

   • Referenced in compliance notifications and renewal notices

Maine charter number format

The suffix encodes both the entity class and whether the entity is domestic or foreign. Reading it lets you verify entity class without a full portal lookup.

Your charter number stays constant across the entity's entire lifecycle and is required for state filings and correspondence.

How to find your entity type in Maine

Business entities filed with the Maine Secretary of State are business corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and LLPs, per the SOS types of businesses page. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships are not filed with the Secretary of State, so they won't appear in the search.

Where to find your Maine entity type

Your entity type appears in the same three places as your charter number.

1. Maine business search (most accessible)

   • Displayed: in search results and on the entity information summary

   • Listed as: "Filing Type" (ICRS uses this label, not "Entity Type")

   • Shows designations like LLC, Corporation, LP, or LLP

2. Certificate of Formation, Organization, or Incorporation

   • The document title states the entity type; for example, Form MLLC-6 is titled "State of Maine Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation"

   • Uses the formal legal designation for your business structure

3. Maine annual report filings

   • Listed in the entity information section

   • Cannot be changed without a formal amendment filing

   • Must match your original formation documents

How to find your formation date in Maine

Your formation date, the date the Maine Secretary of State filed your business entity, appears in Maine business search results and on your formation certificate.

Where your Maine formation date appears

Your formation date is documented in the same three places as well.

1. Maine business search (easiest access)

   • Listed as: "Filing Date" in the entity information summary

   • Location: displayed alongside the charter number and filing type

2. Certificate of Formation, Organization, or Incorporation

   • Form MLLC-6 asks filers to select either the "Date of this filing" or a "Later effective date" in its filing date section

   • The filed document carries the Secretary of State's endorsement

3. Annual report timing

   • Your first annual report is due between January 1 and June 1 of the year after the calendar year of formation, generally tracking 13-C M.R.S. §1621(3) for corporations and 31 M.R.S. §1665(3) for LLCs; confirm current requirements against the official statute each year

   • Every subsequent report is due by June 1 each year, per the SOS filing reminders page

Formation date vs. effective date

Maine allows businesses to specify a future effective date when filing, up to the 90th day after the filing date. That creates two dates worth tracking:

• Formation date (filing date): by default, a document takes effect at the date and time of filing as endorsed by the Secretary of State

• Effective date: the later date you specified, if any

If you specify a delayed date without a time, the moment of effectiveness differs by entity type. Corporations become effective at the close of business on the specified date under 13-C M.R.S. §125(2). LLCs become effective at 12:01 a.m. under 31 M.R.S. §1674, and limited partnerships follow a parallel 12:01 a.m. rule under 31 M.R.S. §1326(3)(C). For most Maine entities that never elect a delayed date, the formation and effective dates are the same.

Automate Maine annual reports with Discern

Once you've pulled your charter number and filing date from ICRS, Discern puts them to work. The platform pre-fills Maine annual reports from a centralized data model, creates filings ahead of the June 1 deadline automatically, and most filings complete in seconds. Discern also provides registered agent service in Maine, entity formations at $99 plus state fees, and foreign registrations completed in under an hour, so every entity subject to Maine compliance requirements stays in good standing without manual tracking.

For teams managing entities beyond Maine, Discern covers 51+ jurisdictions with registered agent coverage, autofilings that run in perpetuity, and automatic certificate of good standing acquisition for new foreign registrations. Customers with 200+ state registrations spend 5 to 10 minutes annually on compliance, and the subscription runs $350 per state registration per year, including annual report filing and free change of agent filings.

Book a demo with Discern to see how the platform handles Maine annual reports and multi-state compliance from one place.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Maine business entity search free?

Yes. Basic searches by name or charter number through the ICRS portal are free, and viewing an entity's information summary carries no charge.

What does Maine call the number other states might call an "entity number" or "file number"?

Maine calls it the "charter number." It's the same concept as an entity number or file number elsewhere: a unique, permanent identifier assigned when the entity is formed, consisting of 8 or 9 digits plus an entity-type suffix.

Can I search Maine's database by owner, officer, or registered agent name instead of the business name?

No. The ICRS portal searches by business name (or partial name/keyword) or by charter number only. It does not offer a direct search by officer, member, or registered agent name.

Do I need to create an account to search Maine business entities?

No. Basic name and charter number searches don't require an account. A paid InforME subscriber account exists for businesses that need bulk or repeated professional access, but it isn't required for a standard onboarding lookup.