Registered Agent Service
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Free Maryland Registered Agent Service
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If you have an existing or are forming a new Maryland Corporation, Limited-Liability Company, Limited Partnership, Foreign Filing or any other corporate entity, almost every jurisdiction requires by law that you must have a registered agent located in that jurisdiction.
Maryland Registered Agent service alone can cost you up to $320 per year with some companies. FreeRegisteredAgent.com, through an affiliation with InCorp Services, Inc., will provide your first year of registered agent service with us for FREE and $129 per year thereafter!
Included in the service is full access to InCorp's industry leading client website where you may check the status of your entities in multiple jurisdictions on the same page, check compliance events, download or view FREE copies of your filed documents at any time from anywhere, make payments to your account and even check for mail that's been forwarded to you!
There is no catch whatsoever except that the corporate entity requiring service can't currently be represented by InCorp Services already. After the first year, if you choose to stay with InCorp Services, Inc., you will pay just $129 per year for the same great services!
Maryland registered agent facts
| Registered agent statute | Md. Code Ann., Corps. & Ass'ns §§ 2-108, 4A-210 |
|---|---|
| LLC filing fee | $100 (Articles of Organization; optional $50 expedite; online payments add a 3% service fee) |
| Corporation filing fee | $120 minimum (Articles of Incorporation $100 + $20 organization and capitalization fee for par value up to $100,000) |
| Annual report fee | $300 for both LLCs and stock corporations (Form 1, Annual Report and Business Personal Property Return) |
| Annual report due | April 15 each year (two-month online extension available) |
| Typical processing time | Standard 4-6 weeks by paper and 6-8 weeks online; expedited 7-10 business days for $50; same-day rush $325 online or $425 hard copy |
Registered agent requirements in Maryland
Maryland routes business filings through an agency most founders have never heard of: the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, or SDAT, rather than a Secretary of State. The statute also keeps the older vocabulary - Maryland companies appoint a resident agent, not a registered agent. Md. Code Ann., Corps. & Ass’ns § 2-108 requires every Maryland corporation to have a resident agent, and § 4A-210 requires the same of every LLC along with a principal office in the state. The agent must be an adult citizen of Maryland or a Maryland corporation or LLC, with an actual address in the state where service of process and SDAT correspondence can be delivered. Whenever the agent or its address changes, a statement must be filed for record with SDAT before the change is effective.
Formation costs are moderate: Articles of Organization for an LLC run $100, and Articles of Incorporation cost $120 at minimum - a $100 filing fee plus the mandatory $20 organization and capitalization fee for stock with aggregate par value up to $100,000. Filings move through Maryland Business Express, SDAT’s online portal, where card payments carry a 3% service fee. Patience or money is required either way: standard processing runs four to six weeks on paper and six to eight weeks online, a $50 expedite brings that to seven to ten business days, and same-day rush service costs $325 online or $425 for hard-copy drop-off.
Maryland’s defining quirk is the annual report. Because SDAT also administers the business personal property tax, Form 1 combines the Annual Report with the Business Personal Property Return in a single April 15 filing, and the fee is a flat $300 for LLCs and stock corporations alike - one of the steepest recurring charges in the nation. Miss it and SDAT forfeits the entity’s charter under Title 3, Subtitle 5 of the Corporations and Associations Article, stripping the right to do business and eventually the name itself; revival requires articles of revival and every delinquent report.
Since forfeiture notices and annual report reminders go to the resident agent of record, keeping that appointment accurate is the backbone of Maryland compliance. FreeRegisteredAgent.com provides the first year of Maryland registered agent service free through InCorp, then $129/yr.
Maryland registered agent FAQ
- Why does Maryland call it a resident agent instead of a registered agent?
- Maryland's Corporations and Associations Article uses the older term. Under Md. Code Ann., Corps. & Ass'ns § 2-108 every Maryland corporation must have a resident agent, and § 4A-210 imposes the same requirement on LLCs. The agent must be an adult Maryland citizen or a Maryland entity with an in-state address - functionally identical to a registered agent elsewhere.
- Who do I file with in Maryland - the Secretary of State?
- No. Maryland is one of the few states where business filings go to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), not the Secretary of State. SDAT also administers the business personal property tax, which is why Maryland's annual report doubles as a personal property return.
- How much is Maryland's annual report?
- $300 for LLCs and stock corporations alike - among the highest flat annual report fees in the country. Form 1 combines the annual report with the Business Personal Property Return and is due April 15, with a two-month extension available online through Maryland Business Express.
- What happens if a Maryland company skips its annual report?
- SDAT forfeits the charter of a domestic entity that fails to file, under the forfeiture provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 5 of the Corporations and Associations Article. A forfeited entity loses its right to do business and its name, and reviving it requires filing articles of revival plus all missed reports and fees.
- How do I get a free registered agent in Maryland?
- FreeRegisteredAgent.com provides your first year of Maryland resident agent service free through InCorp, then $129 per year after that.
Further information about Maryland corporations, corporate law and Maryland Registered Agent Service:
Maryland Secretary of state's website | Maryland Registered Agent Statutes | Compare Maryland Registered Agents