No.1
Number one here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 yearly, no change
Score9.5out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. Its agent plan is $149 a year and does not rise at renewal, and legal papers served on the company are scanned within the same business day free of charge.
For a company not yet formed, the $199 yearly package adds the Maryland filing and the annual report.
Its three-year total exceeds Maryland Registered Agent.co's by $150; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- An in-state street address on the public record
- Service of process scanned and uploaded within the same business day, at no charge
- Free scans of the first three government mailings each year
- Compliance reminders
Why pick it
- Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
- $149 a year, unchanged at renewal
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- Accepts LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
Weak spots
- The agent plan runs $50 a year above Maryland Registered Agent.co
- Unless you buy the formation package, you file the annual report
No.2
Best yearly price
2. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for the least expensive year among these agents
$99 yearly, no change
Score9.2out of 10
Second place: Maryland Registered Agent.co. It charges $99 a year, holding that price at renewal, the lowest yearly charge on this list.
Maryland Registered Agent.co lends the company a state street address for its registered office and scans served legal papers to you online.
In the price
- An in-state registered office address
- Anything served on the company is scanned and made available online
Why pick it
- Charges less per year than Mainstay Filing
- Forms LLCs too, with the first agent year free
- $99 per year, renewing at the same price
Weak spots
- The Business Entity Annual Report is yours to file
- Built for Maryland; elsewhere you need another agent
No.3
Maryland specialist
3. MD Registered Agent.org: best for Maryland specialists
$99 yearly, no change
Score9.1out of 10
Third place: MD Registered Agent.org. It charges $99 a year, holding that price at renewal, the lowest yearly charge on this list.
MD Registered Agent.org supplies a street address in the state as the registered office, and each legal paper served on the company is scanned to your online account.
MD Registered Agent.org mirrors Maryland Registered Agent.co on price and features, so the pair is nearly level.
In the price
- A registered office with a street address in the state
- Scans of served papers appear in your online account
Why pick it
- A yearly charge of $99 that stays the same
- Offers formation with a free first agent year
- Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing
Weak spots
- The Business Entity Annual Report is yours to file
- Built for Maryland; elsewhere you need another agent
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Yearly charge | Renewal | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.5 | $149 | $149/yr | An agent usable in all fifty states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | Maryland Registered Agent.co | 9.2 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | MD Registered Agent.org | 9.1 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The 10-point scores are editorial. They apply the criteria on
How we rank and do not draw on customer ratings.
Maryland registered agent charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Price unchanged at renewal |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $149 | $447 | Yes |
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| Maryland Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
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| MD Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Maryland's own fees are the same whichever agent is chosen.
The basis for the order
The decisive criterion in Maryland was work taken off the founder. For reference, the method assigns 31% to charge over three years, 31% to work taken off the founder and 38% across renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight.
Mainstay's plan reaches further: papers served on the company are scanned within the same business day at no cost, the price is identical across all fifty states, and three government letters a year are scanned free. Maryland Registered Agent.co charges less, so the margin is narrow.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
What Maryland requires of a resident agent (source: the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT))
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. Authority: Md. Code, Corps. & Ass'ns § 1-101(x).
The Maryland Business Entity Annual Report: its fee and due date
In Maryland, the Business Entity Annual Report comes due every year. $300 is payable to the state, and the deadline is April 15. Notices about it are sent to your resident agent.
Questions on Maryland registered agents
Is a Maryland LLC obliged to appoint a resident agent?
Yes. Maryland law expects every LLC to appoint a resident agent with a physical address in the state, and that appointment is public.
What is the going yearly rate for a Maryland registered agent?
Yearly charges fall between $99 to $149, and every provider holds its price at renewal.
Is the owner permitted to serve as the resident agent?
Yes, when the state's conditions are met. A Maryland resident, or a Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership.
What is the deadline for the Maryland Business Entity Annual Report?
$300 goes to the state, and the filing falls due April 15.
Which registered agents were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Maryland Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and MD Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), ruled upon in that order.
Which Maryland registered agent does the record favor?
Mainstay Filing, since one plan at $149 a year goes wherever the company goes, renewing at $149.
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
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Maryland service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Maryland Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: MD Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026