Forming an LLC in Maryland
Maryland resident agent service at a flat $99 per year. Physical address, scanned legal mail, compliance alerts. Renewals stay the same price.
Setting up a limited-liability company in Maryland involves a handful of state requirements, a one-time filing fee, and a few recurring obligations. The filing agency is the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), since business filings in Maryland run through SDAT rather than a Secretary of State, and the Articles of Organization carry a $100 fee. Steps, numbers, and shortcuts below.
Open Your Maryland LLC — $199
For a one-time $199, we prep your Articles, submit them to SDAT, and notify you when the state approves.
The $100 Maryland LLC Filing Fee
Maryland charges $100 to file LLC Articles of Organization. Optional extras stack on top: expedited service adds $50, and paying by card online through Maryland Business Express tacks a 3% service fee onto the payment. Budget realistically and the picture looks like this:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee (SDAT Articles of Organization) | $100 one-time |
| Registered agent (every Maryland LLC needs one) | $99/year |
| Form 1 annual report | $300/year |
$199 to us for the filing work. The state fee goes straight to SDAT. The agent service bills separately at $99/year.
Articles of Organization: The Maryland Formation Document
Maryland's formation document is the Articles of Organization, authorized by Corps. & Ass'ns § 4A-202. SDAT never gave it a form number, so do not go hunting for one. The paper version is posted as the official Articles of Organization for a Limited Liability Company (PDF), and the online route runs through Maryland Business Express, the state's filing portal.
What the Articles collect: LLC name, principal office in Maryland, and the resident agent's name and address. Resident agent is Maryland's statutory phrase for the registered agent; one role, two names.
How to Form Your Maryland LLC, Step by Step
- Clear the name. Maryland wants an LLC designator (LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company) and no confusing similarity to an existing entity in SDAT's records. Restricted terms, like anything implying a bank or insurer, need licensure first.
- Lock in your registered agent. Physical Maryland street address, present during the workday, publicly listed. Our $99/year service takes the public slot so your own address stays private.
- File the Articles of Organization with SDAT, online via Maryland Business Express or on paper by mail, and pay the $100 state fee. Expedited handling is an extra $50 if speed matters.
- Write the operating agreement. Never filed with SDAT, always worth having: it fixes ownership shares, distributions, authority, and exits before a dispute does it for you. Skip it and Maryland's default LLC rules take over.
- Grab the EIN. Free at IRS.gov, roughly ten minutes, issued on the spot. Paying a third party for this is burning money.
- Run the compliance loop every year: agent continuously on file, Form 1 annual report to SDAT by April 15 ($300), clean separation of business and personal finances, taxes on time.
Neglect the loop and SDAT can forfeit the entity. A forfeited LLC protects nobody.
Done with paperwork? Pay $199 and our team handles the Maryland formation filing.
The Maryland Registered Agent Rule
From filing day forward, an agent must sit at a Maryland street address in your entity record. PO boxes alone fail the test. Availability during business hours is the point of the requirement: courts and the state need one reliable place to reach your company.
Owners who list a home address tend to regret it, since SDAT's entity search is public and easy to run. Our team takes the agent role for $99/year and your address never enters the record.
Common Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Maryland?
SDAT's filing fee for the Articles of Organization is $100, with expedited handling available for another $50. The recurring obligation is the $300 Form 1 annual report each year.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Maryland?
Mailed filings sit in the standard queue and take the longest. Expedited service, the optional $50 add-on, moves you up, and SDAT offers same-day rush handling for charter documents at a premium.
Does Maryland require an annual report?
Yes, annually. Form 1, due April 15, $300, filed with SDAT.
Do I need a registered agent for my Maryland LLC?
Yes. The statute (Corps. & Ass'ns § 4A-210) requires every Maryland LLC to keep a resident agent, the local term for registered agent, on file for its entire life.
Can I form an LLC in Maryland if I live in another state?
Yes. Owner residency is irrelevant. The Maryland-specific piece is the in-state agent, and our $99/year plan is built for exactly that.
Begin Your Maryland LLC
Self-filing with SDAT is fully available through Maryland Business Express, with the $100 fee going to the state. A registered agent still has to be on file.
We are the agent you list on the form. $99/year covers the public address, same-day scanning, and deadline reminders for upcoming filings.
Just the agent, no formation? Our designated agent service is priced at $99 yearly.
Have more questions about Maryland LLC formation or the agent piece? Browse our FAQ or email us Monday through Friday.
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