Resident agent required
Yes
Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 2026
Registered agent guide · Maryland
Maryland Registered Agents (2026): State Rules, Fees and the 3 Best Agents
Short answer for Maryland: Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Maryland Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and MD Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), which is the sequence we would follow for a registered agent in 2026. Maryland law calls for a resident agent on every LLC. State charges that recur come to $300 per year (44th of 50).
What Maryland charges
44th
on the 50-state list, yearly basis
Rank 1 charges the least, level with other states. Compare the other states
Business Entity Annual Report
$300 / yr
The state sets the deadline as April 15. Source: dat.maryland.gov, August 2026
State charges, per year
$300
Fees that recur, shown per year
Services that file for you, for Maryland
The methodology explains the order. Three-year service fees count 34%, the filings a price covers count 26%, and renewal price, fit with Maryland rules and fee labeling make up the rest.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for an agent wherever you register
$149 for year one, $149 at renewal
Why Mainstay Filing leads: a flat $149 per year, supplied by a company active in all fifty states.
Maryland Registered Agent.co is $150 cheaper across three years, but the coverage criterion pulls the other way.
What the price buys
- An address inside the state, kept on file
- Anything served on the company is scanned and sent to you that business day, free of charge
- The first three letters from government agencies each year are scanned at no charge
- Also open to nonprofits, partnerships and corporations, not only LLCs
In its favor
- Any state at one price
- Price $149, renewal $149
Against it
- A yearly premium of $50 over Maryland Registered Agent.co
- The agent plan does not file reports
2. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for a small flat agent fee
$99 for year one, $99 at renewal
Maryland Registered Agent.co follows: $99 each year and no change at renewal, a fit for a company that never leaves one state.
What the price buys
- Maryland street address serves as the registered office
- You see scanned copies of whatever the agent receives
In its favor
- Price $99, renewal $99
- Its yearly price sits under Mainstay Filing's
Against it
- Serves Maryland alone
- You file the Business Entity Annual Report yourself
3. MD Registered Agent.org: best for Maryland specialists
$99 for year one, $99 at renewal
MD Registered Agent.org follows: $99 each year and no change at renewal, a fit for a company that never leaves one state.
On price it is level with Maryland Registered Agent.co.
What the price buys
- Maryland street address serves as the registered office
- You see scanned copies of whatever the agent receives
In its favor
- Price $99, renewal $99
- Its yearly price sits under Mainstay Filing's
Against it
- Serves Maryland alone
- You file the Business Entity Annual Report yourself
3 services in one table
| No. | Service | Yearly price | Renews at | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149/yr | $447 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Maryland Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | MD Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Prices as published on November 12, 2026. Maryland's own charges do not depend on which agent you name.
Maryland agent and upkeep calculator
Each agent's price is combined with the state charges that repeat (the Business Entity Annual Report from year two). Formation fees are not in the total.
Maryland next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Yearly state fees |
|---|---|---|
| 42nd | Kentucky | $190 |
| 43rd | North Carolina | $200 |
| 44th | Maryland | $300 |
| 44th | Tennessee | $300 |
| 46th | Nevada | $350 |
Registered agent rules by state lists every state, least expensive first.
Maryland resident agent requirements (official, Secretary of State)
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.
Who can act: A Maryland resident, or a Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership. Statute: Md. Code, Corps. & Ass'ns § 1-101(x).
Keeping a Maryland LLC in 2026
The Business Entity Annual Report is due every year at a cost of $300 (deadline April 15). Notices about it go to your resident agent.
Why Mainstay Filing is first
Paperwork the price takes on decided first place in Maryland. It counts for 26% of the score; the remaining criteria are three-year service charge, year-two price, match to the state's calendar, fee labeling.
Reach put it above Maryland Registered Agent.co.
Maryland FAQ
Does every Maryland LLC need a resident agent?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who may act as the resident agent for Maryland LLCs?
A Maryland resident, or a Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership.
What is the yearly price of registered agent service for Maryland?
Among our picks the price is $99 to $149 a year.
What does the state itself charge an LLC each year?
About $300 a year by our yearly measure, which comes from the Business Entity Annual Report ($300 every year).
Which registered agents are recommended on this page?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Maryland Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and MD Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), with the best one first.
Which registered agent is the best choice?
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
- For Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, see dat.maryland.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, see dat.maryland.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Maryland report due date, see dat.maryland.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Md, see mgaleg.maryland.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, see mgaleg.maryland.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, see egov.maryland.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Maryland registered agent statute, see mgaleg.maryland.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Kentucky Secretary of State, see sos.ky.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Kentucky Secretary of State, see sos.ky.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official, see revenue.ky.gov (opened October 2026)
- For North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, see sosnc.gov (opened August 2026)
- For North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, see sosnc.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services, see tnbear.tn.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services, see sos.tn.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, see sos.tn.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Nevada yearly filing: Annual list + license: fees, see nvsos.gov (opened October 2026)
- Maryland service page at Mainstay Filing, noted November 12, 2026
- Pricing page at Maryland Registered Agent.co, noted November 12, 2026
- Pricing page at MD Registered Agent.org, noted November 12, 2026