No.1
Top pick on this page
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
Service charge $199, with the state fee separate; the agent costs $149 a year from the second year
Score9.4out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as resident agent is included.
After the free first year, the agent is $149 annually, whichever state the company chooses.
Its three-year total exceeds MD Registered Agent.org's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- Registration paperwork handled for you
- No charge for scanning served papers within the same business day
Why pick it
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
- One price in each of the fifty states
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than MD Registered Agent.org
No.2
Low renewal
2. MD Registered Agent.org: best for companies that only add Maryland
Service charge $199, with the state fee separate; the agent costs $99 a year from the second year
Score9.0out of 10
Second place: MD Registered Agent.org. The Maryland registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- Maryland registration filed for you
- The first year of resident agent service
Why pick it
- $99 a year for the agent from the second year
- Year-one resident agent service is included
- $199 for the registration, before state fees
Weak spots
- Serves Maryland only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Best value here
3. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for Maryland registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.8out of 10
Third place: Maryland Registered Agent.co. The Maryland registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The published prices and features of MD Registered Agent.org and Maryland Registered Agent.co are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- Maryland registration filed for you
- The first year of resident agent service
Why pick it
- $99 a year for the agent from the second year
- Twelve months as your resident agent come with it
- A $199 service charge plus the registration fee
Weak spots
- Serves Maryland only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.4 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | MD Registered Agent.org | 9.0 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | Maryland Registered Agent.co | 8.8 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Maryland foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Not stated |
|---|
| MD Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Maryland Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Maryland's $100 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
How the ruling was reached
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In Maryland, work taken off the founder was the criterion that tipped it.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of MD Registered Agent.org.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Maryland: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division using the Limited Liability Company Registration (For non-Maryland Limited Liability Company). The state fee is $100. Maryland also requires written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, issued no more than 60 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1, priced at $300, with a due date of April 15.
Items to gather before filing
- Written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, no older than 60 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A resident agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $100 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1, which carries a $300 fee.
Consequences of operating in Maryland unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Maryland courts (4A-1007(a)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (4A-1007(b)).
Questions on Maryland foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Maryland?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Maryland run in total?
The state fee is $100; service charges run $199.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Maryland accepts it?
It must. Written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, issued no more than 60 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a resident agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A resident agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration services were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($199), MD Registered Agent.org ($199) and Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199), ruled upon in that order.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Maryland?
Mainstay Filing, since its fee is $199 beyond the state's, year-one resident agent service costs nothing, and the charge is the same in every state.
The record
- Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, on the record as of August 2026
- Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, on the record as of August 2026
- Maryland report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- Md. Code, Corporations & Associations sec. 4A-202, on the record as of August 2026
- Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Maryland registered agent statute), on the record as of October 2026
- Maryland Business Express, on the record as of October 2026
- Corporations and Associations § 4A-1002, registration, on the record as of October 2026
- Corporations and Associations § 4A-1009, activities that are not doing business, on the record as of October 2026
- Corporations and Associations § 4A-1007, effect of not registering, on the record as of October 2026
- Tax-Property § 11-101, annual report, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Maryland service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: MD Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Maryland Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026