Real Estate Agent Permit Requirements in Lewiston, ME

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Maine Revenue Services — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property or taxable services in Maine. Maine charges a 5.5% state sales tax (food and lodging have different rates). Register with Maine Revenue Services online.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

2. Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance for Real Estate Licensees

   Errors and omissions insurance covers claims arising from professional mistakes, omissions or bad advice in a real estate transaction. Maine does not require it as a condition of a Real Estate Commission licence - it is not among the Sales Agent, Associate Broker or Designated Broker licensing requirements. In practice most brokerages require affiliated agents to carry and maintain E&O coverage as a condition of affiliation, and many buy a group policy and charge agents for their share.

   Official government source

   No state fee and no state mandate - premiums are set by the private insurer or by the brokerage's group policy and vary with transaction volume and claims history·Not part of the licensing process; coverage is arranged with the brokerage before you begin taking listings

   No state fee and no state mandate - premiums are set by the private insurer or by the brokerage's group policy and vary with transaction volume and claims history

   Not part of the licensing process; coverage is arranged with the brokerage before you begin taking listings

1. Maine Real Estate Commission - Sales Agent License

   A real estate salesperson in Maine is licensed by the Real Estate Commission (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) as a Sales Agent. Applicants complete the 55-hour Sales Agent pre-licensing course, pass the state exam within one year of finishing the course, apply within one year of passing, and affiliate with a licensed real estate agency. The Sales Agent license is an entry-level, non-renewable credential: within its term you must complete the Associate Broker course and upgrade to an Associate Broker license ($100 plus $21 records check, renewable every 2 years at $100).

   Official government source

   $121 total to apply - $100 application/license fee plus a $21 criminal records check fee·Sales Agent license runs a 2-year, non-renewable term; a $100 extension application is available if you have not completed the Associate Broker course

   $121 total to apply - $100 application/license fee plus a $21 criminal records check fee

   Sales Agent license runs a 2-year, non-renewable term; a $100 extension application is available if you have not completed the Associate Broker course

2. City of Lewiston - Selective Business Licensing (City Clerk)

   Lewiston does not require a general business licence or registration, and licensing is run by the City Clerk's Department (207-513-3124), not the Finance Department. The Clerk licenses over 40 specific business types required by Maine statute or city ordinance - among them food service establishments, mobile units and roving diners, massage establishments and therapists, tattoo parlours, lodging houses, flea markets, pawnbrokers, peddlers, second-hand dealers, taxicab companies, junk collectors and adult businesses. Most other trades - cleaning, landscaping, handyman, photography, tutoring, pet sitting, notary, bookkeeping, real estate, insurance, plumbing, electrical and HVAC contracting - are not licensed by the City at all. Most licensed types require inspection by the Fire, Code (Health) or Police departments before issue.

   Official government source

   Fees are published per category in the City's Business License Applications Fees, Penalties and Inspection and Approval Schedule - for example food service establishment $150-$575 by class and size, mobile unit / roving diner $100, massage establishment $110 application plus $195 licence, tattooing $110 plus $195, second-hand dealer $88, peddler $56 in state. Most businesses pay nothing because they are not a licensed category.·File the application at least seven days before you begin operating, and allow time for any required Fire, Code (Health) or Police inspection

   Fees are published per category in the City's Business License Applications Fees, Penalties and Inspection and Approval Schedule - for example food service establishment $150-$575 by class and size, mobile unit / roving diner $100, massage establishment $110 application plus $195 licence, tattooing $110 plus $195, second-hand dealer $88, peddler $56 in state. Most businesses pay nothing because they are not a licensed category.

   File the application at least seven days before you begin operating, and allow time for any required Fire, Code (Health) or Police inspection

Official Sources

• Maine Real Estate Commission — Salesperson or Broker License
• City of Lewiston Finance Department

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