Starting a Business in Portland: Licenses, Registrations & Checklist
A step-by-step plan to open a business in Portland: what to file first, what depends on what, and which permits come before opening day. Change the business details to fit yours.
Permits and registrations specific to Portland, ME
- Municipal licenses — Portland, Cumberland County, Maine · Town or city clerk: Portland / Cumberland County (city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Portland · Portland (Cumberland County) building department (city)
- Form the business: Maine Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations
- Register for state taxes: Maine Revenue Services
- Register as an employer: Maine Department of Labor
Startup sequence and prerequisites in Portland
Based on your selections, this plan has 9 steps. What you file first decides what you can do next: later registrations and licenses wait on the ones below.
Do these first
- Maintain a registered agent in Maine
- File formation documents with the Maine Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Then, once those are done
- Register for and file Maine entity-level taxes — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Municipal licenses — Portland, Cumberland County, Maine — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Portland — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Known charges: $85.00 per year.
Total incomplete: some fees unknown
8 of 9 steps have no fee amount in our data. The figures above count only the 1 step with a recorded fee. Check each agency's fee schedule.
Common questions about Portland
The state licenses your industry through its own regulator, and the city and county add local permits. These are the authorities and local items on record for Portland:
- Real estate licensing: Maine Real Estate Commission
- Alcohol licensing: Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations
- Child care licensing: Maine Department of Health and Human Services
- Health facility licensing: Maine Department of Health and Human Services
- Municipal licenses — Portland, Cumberland County, Maine (Town or city clerk: Portland / Cumberland County, city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Portland (Portland (Cumberland County) building department, city)
With your current selections, the licenses and permits are: Municipal licenses — Portland, Cumberland County, Maine; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Portland. Change the industry above to see yours.
Sources: portlandmaine.gov, maine.gov, maine.gov, maine.gov
Formation comes first; tax, license and employer registrations wait on it. In your plan the first steps are:
- Maintain a registered agent in Maine
- File formation documents with the Maine Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Sources: portlandmaine.gov, maine.gov, maine.gov
Known government fees for your plan: $0.00 one-time and $85.00 per year.
Steps without a recorded fee are not counted, so check each agency's fee schedule before you budget.
Sources: portlandmaine.gov, maine.gov, maine.gov
In your plan for Portland, requirements come from four levels. Maine sets formation, state taxes and employer rules; the city and county add local licenses and taxes.
- Federal (2): Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN); File federal income tax return: Form 1040 with Schedule C
- State (4): Maintain a registered agent in Maine; File Annual Report (Maine); Register for and file Maine entity-level taxes; File the annual unclaimed property holder report (Maine)
- City (2): Municipal licenses — Portland, Cumberland County, Maine; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Portland
Sources: portlandmaine.gov, maine.gov, maine.gov
- Register for unemployment insurance with Maine Department of Labor.
- Workers' compensation: Maine Workers' Compensation Board. Required when: 1 employee
- Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave contributions: applies from 1 employee.
- Register to withhold Maine income tax from wages.