Registered Agent Requirements in Maryland

"Resident agent" is Maryland's official label for the role the rest of the country calls a registered agent. Identical function, different statute books. Below: what Maryland law actually requires, who qualifies, and where Maryland Registered Agent.co fits for $99/year.

The Statute, Briefly

Maryland's LLC law, Corps. & Ass'ns § 4A-210, obligates every LLC to maintain two things in-state: a principal office and a resident agent. The definition lives at § 1-101, which describes the agent as "an individual residing in this State or a Maryland corporation, limited liability company, or limited partnership" whose designation is on file with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation. SDAT keeps those records; there is no Secretary of State in the picture. Entity records and filings run through SDAT's business services.

Who Qualifies

• An individual who resides in Maryland
• A Maryland corporation
• A Maryland LLC
• A Maryland limited partnership

Whatever the choice, the agent needs a physical street location in Maryland. No PO boxes. No virtual offices. Someone has to be reachable there during normal business hours, because process servers do not deliver to voicemail.

Can a company name itself? The statute lists the qualifying categories and stops there, without expressly authorizing self-designation. Most owners sidestep the question entirely, since a professional agent keeps their own address out of the public record regardless.

What the Job Involves

• Accepting service of process when the business gets sued
• Receiving SDAT correspondence and compliance notices
• Collecting tax mail and renewal reminders
• Standing at the listed address during business hours, every business day

No legal advice, no decision making. The role is administrative: receive, scan, notify, done.

Who Needs One

Every entity on SDAT's books: domestic LLCs and corporations, nonprofits, limited partnerships, and foreign entities qualified in Maryland. Active registration means active agent requirement. Let the agent lapse and good standing goes with it.

Why a Professional Service Wins

Privacy. The agent address is public in SDAT's database. Ours goes there instead of yours.

Coverage. You travel and take days off. Our office is staffed every business day without exception.

Speed. Same-day scanning, immediate email alerts. You always know what arrived and when.

Deadline tracking. Maryland's Form 1 annual report is due April 15 and carries a $300 fee, one of the steepest in the region. We remind you before it lands.

Stability. Change homes or offices as often as you like. The agent address on file never has to move.

Our $99/Year Service

• Physical Maryland address meeting the statute's requirements
• Court documents scanned for Maryland
• Reminders for April 15 and other compliance dates
• Secure portal, available 24/7
• Full address privacy on public filings

No setup fees. No per-document charges. Same price at every renewal.

How to Get Started

Enroll with your entity details and we confirm within one business day. New entities list us on their formation paperwork. Switching? SDAT charges $25 to record the change, and we supply the form pre-filled.

Serving Maryland Statewide

Baltimore, Annapolis, Rockville, Frederick, Salisbury, or anywhere between: the registered agent requirement follows your entity across the whole state, and our Maryland address satisfies it wherever you operate.