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LLC 101 Guide

Section 1 · Maryland

Starting an LLC in Maryland (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

Short answer for 2026: if you want help setting up an LLC in Maryland, go with Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and MD Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked best first. Setting up the LLC means 7 tasks and a $100 fee to the state, then the Business Entity Annual Report every year.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Need-to-know facts

Formation fee
$100
Look it up at egov.maryland.gov; our reading dates from October 2026
Business Entity Annual Report
$300 a year
Deadline: April 15
State cost, years 1 to 3
$700
Service fees not included
Task count
7
In order

Unit goals

  • The official Maryland fee and form
  • How to meet the resident agent rule
  • How to stay in good standing
  • The services at the top of the class

The Maryland honor roll

What counts most: three-year cost and how many assignments the price finishes. How we grade lists all five criteria.

Top of the class

1. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for a small first bill

Start with this oneFormation $199, renewal $99 yearly

Maryland Registered Agent.co comes out first, and the reason is that a $199 formation fee, followed by $99 yearly for the agent.

A smaller three-year total than Mainstay Filing earns it first place; cost counts 34%.

Filing the Business Entity Annual Report every year is your own homework.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • A free first agent year
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 and the state fee

What to weigh

  • Filing the Business Entity Annual Report is not in the price
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who would rather hand off the work

Works in every state$199 a year that renews at $199

Mainstay Filing takes second place: one price, $199 a year, pays for the filing, the resident agent and the annual report, and it stays at $199 when you renew.

Maryland Registered Agent.co comes in $200 lower across three years, which holds this one back from first.

You never file the Business Entity Annual Report yourself, and only the $300 state fee is added.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • Resident agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • No markup on the state fee

What works

  • No jump at renewal ($199)
  • No extra charge for the EIN application
  • $199 per year for the whole package

What to weigh

  • $100 a year more than Maryland Registered Agent.co at renewal
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. MD Registered Agent.org: best for a small agent renewal

Focused on MarylandFormation $199, renewal $99 yearly

MD Registered Agent.org is a solid third-place option: a $199 formation fee, followed by $99 yearly for the agent.

Filing the Business Entity Annual Report every year is your own homework.

It charges exactly what Maryland Registered Agent.co charges.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 and the state fee
  • A free first agent year

What to weigh

  • Filing the Business Entity Annual Report is not in the price
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, side by side

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Maryland Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3MD Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. Add the $100 state fee to every row.

How a Maryland LLC gets formed

  1. Task 1

    Choose the LLC's name

    Open the business search run by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) before anything else; it shows whether the name already sits on the Maryland register.

    Bring two backup names to the search.

  2. Task 2

    Get a resident agent in place

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Maryland resident, or a Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership.

    The address has to be a Maryland address on file with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation; P.O. boxes are not accepted. The LLC also keeps a principal office in Maryland.

    Any of the recommended services can take the resident agent job.

    Source: Look it up at mgaleg.maryland.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Do it yourself or hire a service

    Filing on your own costs just the $100 state fee. A service adds $199 and handles the forms; the ranking shows which to choose.

  4. Task 4

    Prepare and sign the Articles of Organization

    Once the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) accepts the Articles of Organization and $100, the LLC exists. Turnaround, according to the state: Non-expedited review in the second calendar month after submission.

    Source: Look it up at egov.maryland.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Obtain an Employer Identification Number

    State approval first, IRS number second. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of the package.

  6. Task 6

    Write an operating agreement

    Think of the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. Keep it with the company records; the state never asks for it.

  7. Task 7

    Keep the LLC active

    To stay active, send the Business Entity Annual Report every year ($300) by April 15.

    Source: Look it up at dat.maryland.gov; our reading dates from August 2026

What this unit costs

What forPaid toCost
Formation feeThe state$100
Business Entity Annual ReportThe state$300 every year
A filing service (optional)The service company$199 to start
State fees over years one to threeThe state$700
To get the three-year state number we add up the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax, and we keep service fees separate.

Why the list runs this way

On course fee across three years (34% of the grade) won out, with right behind.

Three years with Maryland Registered Agent.co add up to $397, which is $200 under Mainstay Filing.

Common questions

What will it cost to register a new LLC with Maryland?

The fee on the official schedule is $100. Hire a service and add $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Articles of Organization, which you send to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).

Is a resident agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

How long does Maryland take to process the filing?

Posted processing time: Non-expedited review in the second calendar month after submission.

What does Maryland require each year?

Send in the Business Entity Annual Report every year with $300; the deadline is April 15.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state takes filings straight from owners, so no service is needed; plan on $100 and a resident agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Maryland Registered Agent.co, because $199 gets you started and the agent costs nothing in year one; from year two it is $99. After it come Mainstay Filing and MD Registered Agent.org.

Reading list and sources

  1. Want proof for what the unit says about Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation? Go to dat.maryland.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  2. Want proof for what the unit says about Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation? Go to dat.maryland.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  3. Want proof for what the unit says about Maryland report due date? Go to dat.maryland.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  4. Want proof for what the unit says about Md? Go to mgaleg.maryland.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  5. Want proof for what the unit says about Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to mgaleg.maryland.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  6. Want proof for what the unit says about Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to egov.maryland.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  7. Want proof for what the unit says about Maryland registered agent statute? Go to mgaleg.maryland.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  8. Want proof for what the unit says about Processing, official source? Go to egov.maryland.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  9. pricing page of Maryland Registered Agent.co, taken on November 13, 2026
  10. Maryland service page of Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
  11. pricing page of MD Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026