Foreign registration charge
$100
mgaleg.maryland.gov (October 2026)
Foreign LLC guide · Maryland
Registering an Out-of-State LLC in Maryland (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services
Our 2026 recommendation for registering a foreign LLC in Maryland, best first: Mainstay Filing ($199), Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199) and MD Registered Agent.org ($199). Fee to register: $100. Fee for each yearly report: $300. Rank on three-year state fees: 40th of 50.
Maryland in numbers
40th
on the 50-state list, foreign registration basis
The smaller the number, the less the state charges. The whole table
Report, per cycle
$300
Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1
Home-state certificate
60 days
Must have been issued after this point
State charges, years one to three
$700
Only the state's charges across three years
Maryland: our recommendations
How the order came about: three-year service charges first, then coverage, renewal, Maryland fit and fee labeling (methodology).
1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies adding a second state
$199 plus the state fee; the agent is $149 a year from year two
We put Mainstay Filing first: $199 above the state fee, the resident agent free for year one, then $149 a year.
Maryland Registered Agent.co is $100 cheaper across three years, but the coverage criterion pulls the other way.
When the free year ends, the agent is $149 a year in any state.
What the price buys
- Your registration is prepared and filed
- Same service fee in every state
In its favor
- Covers all fifty states
- $199 above the state fee
Against it
- Maryland Registered Agent.co renews its agent for $50 less
2. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for one extra state
$199 plus the state fee; the agent is $99 a year from year two
Maryland Registered Agent.co comes next: a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Maryland.
What the price buys
- Registration paperwork taken care of
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- A $99 renewal
- $199 to register
- Nothing extra for the agent in the first year
Against it
- Limited to Maryland, so a separate agent is needed at home
3. MD Registered Agent.org: best for registering with Maryland alone
$199 plus the state fee; the agent is $99 a year from year two
MD Registered Agent.org comes after that: a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Maryland.
The two publish identical prices, Maryland Registered Agent.co and this service.
What the price buys
- Registration paperwork taken care of
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- $199 to register
- Nothing extra for the agent in the first year
- A $99 renewal
Against it
- Limited to Maryland, so a separate agent is needed at home
3 services in one table
| No. | Service | First-year fee | From year two | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149/yr | $497 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Maryland Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | MD Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
We took these prices from the companies' sites on November 12, 2026. Add the $100 state fee to each row.
Add it up
The registration fee is $100, with the $300 report from year two; the service's prices are added to it.
Maryland next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Three-year foreign LLC fees |
|---|---|---|
| 38th | Kentucky | $645 |
| 39th | North Carolina | $650 |
| 40th | Maryland | $700 |
| 41st | Mississippi | $750 |
| 41st | Texas | $750 |
For the other states, go to Foreign LLC fees by state.
How a foreign LLC registers in Maryland (2026)
Send the Limited Liability Company Registration (For non-Maryland Limited Liability Company) to the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division with a payment of $100. The application must include written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, issued in the last 60 days.
Then, each cycle, it files the Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1 ($300), April 15.
What to gather first
- Written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, no older than 60 days.
- The exact legal name and formation date from the home state.
- A resident agent based in the state; each of our picks offers the service.
- Funds to cover the $100 state charge.
What happens if you do not register
Before registering, the LLC may not bring a lawsuit in the state's courts (4A-1007(a)). Whatever it signed remains in force (4A-1007(b)).
Why the list reads this way
In Maryland the deciding criterion was paperwork the price takes on, at 26% of the total.
Covering several states outweighed Maryland Registered Agent.co's smaller renewal.
Maryland FAQ
What fee does a foreign LLC pay to register with Maryland?
$100 at the state office. Service fees: $199.
Which form does Maryland use to register a foreign LLC?
Limited Liability Company Registration (For non-Maryland Limited Liability Company), submitted to the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division.
Does the home state have to issue a certificate?
Yes. written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing; it has to be dated within 60 days of the filing.
Does a foreign LLC owe anything every year?
Yes, the Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1, at $300.
What are the consequences of operating there without registering?
Before registering, the LLC may not bring a lawsuit in the state's courts (4A-1007(a)). Whatever it signed remains in force (4A-1007(b)).
Does Maryland require a resident agent of a foreign LLC?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who should register my foreign LLC?
Mainstay Filing first, then Maryland Registered Agent.co and MD Registered Agent.org. What separates Mainstay Filing is paperwork the price takes on.
Sources for this chapter
- dat.maryland.gov supplies Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, last opened August 2026
- dat.maryland.gov supplies Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, last opened August 2026
- dat.maryland.gov supplies Maryland report due date, last opened August 2026
- mgaleg.maryland.gov supplies Md, last opened August 2026
- mgaleg.maryland.gov supplies Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- egov.maryland.gov supplies Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- mgaleg.maryland.gov supplies Maryland registered agent statute, last opened October 2026
- egov.maryland.gov supplies Maryland Business Express, last opened October 2026
- mgaleg.maryland.gov supplies Corporations and Associations § 4A-1002, registration, last opened October 2026
- mgaleg.maryland.gov supplies Corporations and Associations § 4A-1009, activities that are, last opened October 2026
- mgaleg.maryland.gov supplies Corporations and Associations § 4A-1007, effect of not, last opened October 2026
- mgaleg.maryland.gov supplies Tax-Property § 11-101, annual report, last opened October 2026
- sos.ky.gov supplies Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings, last opened October 2026
- web.sos.ky.gov supplies Form FBE, Certificate of Authority, last opened October 2026
- apps.legislature.ky.gov supplies KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority, last opened October 2026
- apps.legislature.ky.gov supplies KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required, last opened October 2026
- apps.legislature.ky.gov supplies KRS 14A.6-010, annual report, last opened October 2026
- sos.ky.gov supplies Kentucky Secretary of State, fee schedule, last opened October 2026
- revenue.ky.gov supplies Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official, last opened October 2026
- sosnc.gov supplies North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration, last opened October 2026
- sosnc.gov supplies Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority, last opened October 2026
- sosnc.gov supplies Secretary of State guide to registering a foreign, last opened October 2026
- ncleg.gov supplies G.S, last opened October 2026
- sosnc.gov supplies Annual report due dates, last opened October 2026
- sos.ms.gov supplies Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services, last opened October 2026
- sos.ms.gov supplies Business filing fee schedule, last opened October 2026
- sos.ms.gov supplies Business FAQs, last opened October 2026
- sos.ms.gov supplies Start Your Business in Mississippi, last opened October 2026
- sos.ms.gov supplies Mississippi annual reports, last opened October 2026
- sos.ms.gov supplies Registered agents, last opened October 2026
- sos.state.tx.us supplies Texas Secretary of State, foreign entities FAQ, last opened October 2026
- sos.state.tx.us supplies Form 304 instructions, last opened October 2026
- sos.texas.gov supplies Fee schedule, Form 806, last opened October 2026
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov supplies Business Organizations Code, Chapter 9, last opened October 2026
- comptroller.texas.gov supplies Texas Comptroller, franchise tax, last opened October 2026
- Mainstay Filing, Maryland service page, on the company's page November 12, 2026
- Maryland Registered Agent.co, pricing page, on the company's page November 12, 2026
- MD Registered Agent.org, pricing page, on the company's page November 12, 2026