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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Unit 3 · Maryland

Foreign LLC Registration Chapter, Maryland (2026): 5 Sections and the 3 Best Services

Maryland readers who want help registering an LLC formed elsewhere in 2026 should look at Mainstay Filing ($199), Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199) and MD Registered Agent.org ($199), in the order given. Expect 5 sections and one fee of $100.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Essential facts

Fee to register $100 See mgaleg.maryland.gov; page last consulted October 2026
Proof of good standing 60 days Must be issued within
Recurring report $300 Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1
State fees across three years $700 Registration, reports and any minimum tax
Sections 5 Taken one at a time

Learning objectives

  • When an LLC from elsewhere must register in Maryland
  • What to file and what it costs
  • Recurring obligations
  • The recommendations and their reasons

The Maryland shortlist

The editorial board's five criteria are explained on how we grade and determine the order.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a series of registrations

Top recommendation
$199 plus fees; renewal $149 annually

Mainstay Filing comes first. The service fee is $199 plus the state's own fee, the resident agent is free for year one, and the later price is $149 a year.

Three years cost $100 more than Maryland Registered Agent.co, yet this service completes more of the paperwork, and the ranking weighs that.

Agent pricing after the first year: $149 annually, in any state.

Price covers

  • Registration filing
  • Covers all fifty states

Advantages

  • $199 above the state fee
  • Any state at one fee

Limitations

  • Renewal $50 above Maryland Registered Agent.co's
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for adding only Maryland

Focused on Maryland
$199 plus fees; renewal $99 annually

Maryland Registered Agent.co is ranked second: $199 beyond the state fee to register, then $99 each year.

Price covers

  • Registration paperwork completed
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • First-year agent service at no added cost
  • $199 above the state fee

Limitations

  • Works in Maryland only, leaving the home state without an agent
Visit Maryland Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. MD Registered Agent.org: best for another Maryland choice

Focused on Maryland
$199 plus fees; renewal $99 annually

MD Registered Agent.org is ranked third: $199 beyond the state fee to register, then $99 each year.

Its prices equal Maryland Registered Agent.co's, so either serves.

Price covers

  • Registration paperwork completed
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 above the state fee
  • First-year agent service at no added cost
  • $99 yearly from year two

Limitations

  • Works in Maryland only, leaving the home state without an agent
Visit MD Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Maryland Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Maryland Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 MD Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit MD Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. Each row still owes Maryland's $100 registration fee.

How registration works in Maryland

  1. Section 1

    Is your LLC covered by the Maryland registration rule?

    Foreign registration is the filing by which an LLC formed outside Maryland is authorized to do business in Maryland. Penalties for ignoring the rule include: Maryland's courts will not hear its own claims until it registers (4A-1007(a)) existing contracts keep their force (4A-1007(b))

    Reference: See mgaleg.maryland.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  2. Section 2

    Collect the document issued by the home state

    The application must include written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, dated within 60 days.

    Order this last so the certificate is current when you file.

  3. Section 3

    Appoint a resident agent for Maryland

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

    The recommended reading covers this role.

    Reference: See mgaleg.maryland.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  4. Section 4

    The state wants the Limited Liability Company Registration (For non-Maryland Limited Liability Company)

    Complete the Limited Liability Company Registration (For non-Maryland Limited Liability Company), enclose $100, and send both to the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division.

    Reference: See mgaleg.maryland.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Handle Maryland's recurring filing

    Item for the calendar: the Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1, fee $300, timing April 15.

The cost of this chapter

PurposePayeePrice
Foreign registration The state$100
Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1 The state$300
Filing service (optional) The service$199 for year one
State fees across years one to three The state$700

Rows for the state rely on Maryland's published fee schedules (listed in the bibliography below), and each service row uses that company's own price. For three years the state row adds the filing, the report in year two, the report in year three and any minimum tax.

Why Mainstay Filing is first

Chapters the price completes decided first place in Maryland. It is 30% of the ranking, and the rest comes from tuition over three years, second-year bill, fit for the state syllabus and clarity of the price list.

Registration involves two states, and a provider that covers both finished ahead of Maryland Registered Agent.co.

Common questions

How much must an LLC formed elsewhere pay to register with Maryland?

$100 for the filing. The recommended services add $199.

Which form do I file to register?

A single form does the job, and the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division handles it.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, issued within 60 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

Maryland's courts will not hear its own claims until it registers (4A-1007(a)) existing contracts keep their force (4A-1007(b))

What is due after registering?

Section 5 covers it: the Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1 for $300.

Which service should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing ranks first and Maryland Registered Agent.co and MD Registered Agent.org follow; Mainstay Filing leads on chapters the price completes.

More chapters

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Cited for Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation: dat.maryland.gov, edition of August 2026.
  2. Cited for Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation: dat.maryland.gov, edition of August 2026.
  3. Cited for Maryland report due date: dat.maryland.gov, edition of August 2026.
  4. Cited for Md: mgaleg.maryland.gov, edition of August 2026.
  5. Cited for Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source: mgaleg.maryland.gov, edition of October 2026.
  6. Cited for Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source: egov.maryland.gov, edition of October 2026.
  7. Cited for Maryland registered agent statute: mgaleg.maryland.gov, edition of October 2026.
  8. Cited for Maryland Business Express: egov.maryland.gov, edition of October 2026.
  9. Cited for Corporations and Associations § 4A-1002, registration: mgaleg.maryland.gov, edition of October 2026.
  10. Cited for Corporations and Associations § 4A-1009, activities that are: mgaleg.maryland.gov, edition of October 2026.
  11. Cited for Corporations and Associations § 4A-1007, effect of not: mgaleg.maryland.gov, edition of October 2026.
  12. Cited for Tax-Property § 11-101, annual report: mgaleg.maryland.gov, edition of October 2026.
  13. Price reference: Mainstay Filing, Maryland service page, November 13, 2026
  14. Price reference: Maryland Registered Agent.co, pricing page, November 13, 2026
  15. Price reference: MD Registered Agent.org, pricing page, November 13, 2026