Registered agent for a Maryland LLC
Data last updated: Apr 22, 2026The quick read on Maryland registered agents
Every Maryland LLC is legally required to maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in the state. The role is to receive service of process (lawsuit papers), state tax notices, and other official government mail on the LLC's behalf. You can serve as your own agent if you live in Maryland and meet the requirements, or hire a commercial service for typically $99 to $299 per year.
Maryland-specific rules matter. The statute is Md. Code Corp. & Assns. § 4A-210. The registered agent's address goes on the public state record, so most owners who want privacy use a paid service to keep their home address off the record. Owners who live in the state and don't mind the public listing often save $100 to $250 per year by serving as their own agent.
Who can serve as a registered agent in Maryland
Maryland allows an individual Maryland resident (at least 18) or a Maryland-registered entity to serve as resident agent. Foreign entities can serve if they're already qualified to do business in Maryland through SDAT. The physical address must be a Maryland street address; PO boxes are not acceptable, though CMRA-style offices used by major RA services are routinely accepted when paired with a real street address.
Maryland does not operate a separate commercial resident agent registry. National services like Northwest, CT Corporation, and Bizee qualify via their existing Maryland entity registrations rather than through a dedicated commercial-agent filing. The LLC's own member or manager can serve as resident agent if they're a Maryland resident with a qualifying address, and this is the default for single-member Maryland LLCs operating out of a home office.
What Maryland requires of a registered agent
- Physical street address in Maryland
Not a PO box, not a mail-drop. The address becomes part of the public record visible on the Secretary of State's business entity search.
- Available during business hours
Typically 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. The agent has to be physically present (or have staff present) to accept service, not just reachable by phone or email.
- At least 18 years old and a resident or registered entity
Individual agents must be 18+ and reside in Maryland. Entity agents must be registered to transact business in Maryland.
- Written consent on file
Maryland requires the registered agent to consent in writing to serve. Formation services handle this automatically when you sign up. For an individual agent, a simple signed consent letter suffices.
Maryland statute and change-of-agent rules
| Statute | Md. Code Corp. & Assns. § 4A-210 |
| Change of registered agent form | Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent |
| Change filing fee | $25 |
| Online filing | Accepted |
| Processing time | 10 business days |
| Commercial agents must register separately | No |
Choosing the right registered agent in Maryland
Maryland is a state where the baseline compliance cost is already high, so the RA decision is marginal. The $300 annual Form 1 filing to SDAT is the real ongoing expense, and a commercial RA at $100 to $250 per year layers on top of that. For Maryland residents with a stable address, serving as your own resident agent is a legitimate option and saves that layer outright. The public-record exposure is moderate because SDAT's Maryland Business Express search displays the resident agent's name and address prominently on every entity record.
For paid services, Northwest at $125 per year is the usual pick and handles the $25 change-of-resident-agent filing on Maryland Business Express at no extra charge. Bizee is cheaper at $119 per year with a free first year when bundled with formation. ZenBusiness runs $99 per year. Baltimore- and DC-metro law firms sometimes offer RA service in the $150 to $300 range if you already have a local attorney handling the business. The Maryland formation page covers the full SDAT flow.
Registered agent services that operate in Maryland
National commercial registered agent services operate in all 50 states plus DC, so every provider below accepts Maryland LLCs. Sorted by annual renewal cost. Click the service name for the full review.
| Service | Annual renewal | Trustpilot | Review count |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZenBusiness | $99/yr | 4.8 | 28,984 |
| Bizee fka Incfile | $119/yr | 4.7 | 25,227 |
| MyCorporation | $120/yr | 3.7 | 279 |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125/yr | 3.8 | 217 |
| CorpNet | $149/yr | 4.9 | 1,205 |
| doola | $197/yr | 4.6 | 2,005 |
| Tailor Brands | $199/yr | 4.7 | 14,203 |
| BizFilings | $220/yr | 4.5 | 170 |
| Inc Authority | $249/yr | 4.9 | 46,831 |
| LegalZoom | $249/yr | 4.6 | 30,014 |
| Rocket Lawyer | $250/yr | 4.5 | 9,717 |
| Firstbase | $299/yr | 4.8 | 1,045 |
If you let your Maryland registered agent lapse
Under Md. Code Corp. & Assns. § 4A-911, Maryland can forfeit your LLC's right to do business if you fail to maintain a resident agent, miss the $300 annual Form 1 deadline, or fall behind on personal property taxes. SDAT issues a forfeiture notice and the LLC loses its good standing status on Maryland Business Express. Banks and landlords routinely check that status before extending terms. Reviving a forfeited LLC requires Articles of Revival, all missed $300 annual reports, and a $100 late penalty on each. A two-year lapse costs roughly $800 in SDAT charges before counting personal property penalties, and SDAT processing on revival filings runs 4 to 6 weeks.
Maryland filing agency
Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division
- Website
- dat.maryland.gov
- Phone
- (410) 767-1184
- sdat.serviceofprocess@maryland.gov
- Charter Division, Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, 8th Floor, 301 W. Preston St., Baltimore, MD 21201-2395
- Office
- 301 W. Preston Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Hours
- 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Eastern, Monday to Friday
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who can be a resident agent for a Maryland LLC?
An individual Maryland resident at least 18 years old with a physical Maryland street address, or a Maryland-registered corporation or LLC. Foreign entities must be qualified to do business in Maryland before they can serve. PO boxes don't satisfy the address requirement.
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How much does a Maryland resident agent service cost?
National services run $99 to $249 per year, with ZenBusiness at $99, Bizee at $119, and Northwest at $125 as the common mid-tier options. Baltimore-area and DC-metro law firms often offer resident agent service at $150 to $300 per year as part of a broader business-services relationship. LegalZoom at $249 is not meaningfully better than Northwest for Maryland.
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Can I be my own resident agent in Maryland?
Yes, if you're a Maryland resident at least 18, have a physical Maryland street address (not a PO box), and are available during business hours. Your name and address appear publicly on the SDAT Maryland Business Express entity record, and process servers can arrive at that address during the workday.
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What does it cost to change my Maryland resident agent?
$25 for the Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent, filed with SDAT. You can file online through Maryland Business Express, which automatically expedites the filing. Online processing typically clears in 7 to 10 business days, and paper filings take about the same on the expedited track.
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What happens if my Maryland LLC's resident agent resigns?
The resident agent files a resignation with SDAT, and your LLC has 30 days to designate a replacement before forfeiture proceedings begin under § 4A-911. Forfeiture triggers loss of good-standing status, and reviving the LLC requires Articles of Revival plus all missed Form 1 annual reports at $300 each with $100 late penalties.
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Does Maryland share my resident agent's address publicly?
Yes. SDAT's Maryland Business Express entity search displays the resident agent's full name and street address on every LLC record, visible to anyone who looks up the entity. If you serve as your own agent from a home address, that address is part of the public record. A commercial service substitutes its own business address, which is the main reason Maryland LLC owners opt for a paid service.
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Is the Maryland 'resident agent' the same as a registered agent?
Yes. 'Resident agent' is Maryland's statutory term, used throughout Md. Code Corp. & Assns. Title 4A, but it describes the same compliance role called 'registered agent' in most other states. National services like Northwest and Bizee use 'registered agent' in their marketing but file Maryland paperwork as 'resident agent' to match SDAT's forms.
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Do I need a registered agent for a Maryland LLC?
Yes. Maryland law requires every LLC to designate a registered agent with a physical street address in Maryland and availability during business hours. There is no exception for inactive or small LLCs. If the LLC loses its registered agent and doesn't designate a replacement within the state's grace period, Maryland begins administrative dissolution of the entity.
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Can I be my own registered agent in Maryland?
Yes, if you meet Maryland's requirements: you live in Maryland, you have a physical non-PO-box address in the state, you're at least 18 years old, and you're available during normal business hours to accept service of process. The tradeoff is that your home address becomes part of the public state business record for anyone to search.
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How much does a registered agent service cost in Maryland?
National services range from $99 per year (ZenBusiness) to $299 per year (Firstbase). The $190 average is close to the market median. Maryland-based local registered agent services also operate in the state, typically pricing between $50 and $150 per year.
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How do I change my registered agent in Maryland?
File Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent with Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division. The fee is $25. Online filing is accepted. Processing takes about 10 business days. Most formation services handle this paperwork for free when you sign up.
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Is the registered agent fee tax deductible?
Yes. Registered agent fees are an ordinary and necessary business expense deductible on the LLC's federal tax return (Schedule C, Form 1065, or 1120/1120-S depending on tax treatment). Maryland state tax treatment follows federal on this deduction. Keep the invoices with your tax records.
Related
Sources
- Statute: mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gca§ion=4A… · verified April 22, 2026
Md. Code Corp. & Assns. § 4A-210 requires every Maryland LLC to have and maintain a resident agent in the state. Section 4A-209 addresses the resident agent's duties and the statutory term. - Change of agent: dat.maryland.gov/businesses/Documents/FEES.pdf · verified April 22, 2026
SDAT Fee Schedule: Resolution or Statement of Change of Principal Office or Resident Agent filing fee is $25. Online filing available through Maryland Business Express. Paper processing currently runs 7 to 10 business days; online filings are automatically expedited. - Penalty: mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gca§ion=4A… · verified April 22, 2026
Md. Code Corp. & Assns. § 4A-911 authorizes forfeiture of an LLC's right to do business for failure to file an annual report, pay personal property tax, or maintain a resident agent. Revival under § 4A-920 requires Articles of Revival, payment of all past-due charges, and a $100 penalty.