No.1
Our top pick in Maryland
1. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for a Maryland LLC that intends to stay put
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score9.2out of 10
First place: Maryland Registered Agent.co. Maryland formation costs $199 beyond the state's fee, with the resident agent free the first year, and $99 yearly keeps the agent.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The Business Entity Annual Report lies outside its published prices, so you file it with Maryland every year.
Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and cost is one of our two most heavily weighted criteria.
In the price
- Formation prepared and filed
- A first year as your resident agent
Why pick it
- Covers the first year of resident agent service
- Year-two agent charge: $99
- A $199 service charge plus the state filing fee
Weak spots
- The Business Entity Annual Report is not prepared for you
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.2
Best all-in yearly price
2. Mainstay Filing: best for the formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge
$199 a year plus the state fee
Score8.7out of 10
Second place: Mainstay Filing. A single yearly charge of $199 covers the Maryland formation, a year as your resident agent and the annual report, then renews at $199.
At renewal Mainstay prepares and files the Business Entity Annual Report for you. Maryland charges $300 every year for it, due April 15; Mainstay passes the state fee along at cost.
Maryland Registered Agent.co costs $200 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.
In the price
- Formation paperwork prepared and lodged
- A full year as your resident agent
- Annual report prepared and filed on your behalf
- EIN application prepared
Why pick it
- One yearly charge of $199 that covers the annual report
- Covers the EIN application
- Renews at $199 with nothing added
- Maryland's fee is passed along at cost
Weak spots
- Its agent charge after year one is $100 a year above Maryland Registered Agent.co's
No.3
Best for a Maryland-only company
3. MD Registered Agent.org: best for a filing made only in Maryland
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score8.6out of 10
Third place: MD Registered Agent.org. Maryland formation costs $199 beyond the state's fee, with the resident agent free the first year, and $99 yearly keeps the agent.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The Business Entity Annual Report lies outside its published prices, so you file it with Maryland every year.
The published prices and features of Maryland Registered Agent.co and MD Registered Agent.org are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- Formation prepared and filed
- Year-one resident agent service
Why pick it
- The agent renews at $99 annually
- Includes your resident agent for the first year
- $199 for the formation, before state fees
Weak spots
- The Business Entity Annual Report is not prepared for you
- 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 | Maryland Registered Agent.co | 9.2 | $199 | $99/yr | A Maryland business holding down its costs | Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | 8.7 | $199 | $199/yr | The formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | MD Registered Agent.org | 8.6 | $199 | $99/yr | A Maryland business holding down its costs | Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner 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 LLC service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Files the Business Entity Annual Report |
|---|
| Maryland Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199 | $199 | $597 | Yes |
|---|
| MD Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Maryland's $100 filing 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, charge over three years was the criterion that tipped it.
Over three years Maryland Registered Agent.co totals $397, $200 less than Mainstay Filing. Mainstay would file the Business Entity Annual Report as well, yet an owner can do it alone for the state fee, so the lower charge carried the ruling.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
The Maryland LLC filing fee and form (official figures)
To file the Articles of Organization with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), budget $100. Each provider on this page adds that state fee at cost to its own charge.
Processing time quoted by the state: Non-expedited review in the second calendar month after submission.
Obligations after the Maryland filing is accepted
File the Business Entity Annual Report every year; the date is April 15. $300 goes to the state. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Questions on Maryland LLC services
What does it take, in dollars, to form an LLC in Maryland?
The state filing fee is $100; service charges run $199.
What is filed to bring the company into existence?
The Articles of Organization, lodged with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).
How long does the state take to process a new Maryland LLC?
The published standard is Non-expedited review in the second calendar month after submission.
Does a Maryland LLC have to name a resident agent on its formation paperwork?
Yes. The company names a resident agent when it forms and keeps one on file afterward, with a street address in Maryland.
Which recurring filings follow formation?
One: the Business Entity Annual Report, filed every year, due April 15, at a state fee of $300.
Does the quoted price cover the EIN application?
At Mainstay Filing it does; the application sits inside the yearly price. Maryland Registered Agent.co and MD Registered Agent.org add $99 for the application. Applying directly with the IRS carries no fee.
Which Maryland LLC service does the record favor?
Maryland Registered Agent.co, since the formation charge is $199 over the state fee, then $99 annually for the agent.
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
- Processing, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Maryland Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Maryland service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: MD Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026