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LLC Straight Talk What it costs, what you have to file, who's worth paying.

Here's the deal · Maryland

3 Best LLC Services in Maryland (2026), No Fluff

If you need LLC formation services in Maryland in 2026, here's the order we'd go in: Mainstay Filing ($199), MD Registered Agent.org ($199) and Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199). Every option pays the same $100 filing fee, then three years of service cost $397 to $597.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team

Quick facts

The short of it
State fee
$100, once, up front
After that
$300 a year
Resident agent
Yes, it's the law
Who we'd use
Mainstay Filing, MD Registered Agent.org then Maryland Registered Agent.co

Who we'd use in Maryland

The order comes from our five tests: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.

#1 Our top pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for skipping the annual report

$199 a year and $100 to the state

Mainstay Filing wins the top spot: $199 a year pays for forming the LLC, acting as your resident agent and filing the annual report, and it renews at $199.

This one's $200 more than MD Registered Agent.org over three years, and in return more filings get handled for you.

It files your Business Entity Annual Report, and Maryland's $300 gets passed along at cost.

What you get

  • Formation handled start to finish
  • Resident agent for twelve straight months
  • Annual report taken care of when due
  • EIN application filed
  • State fees at cost

Pluses

  • You don't pay extra for the EIN
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report
  • Stays at $199

What's not

  • $100 a year above MD Registered Agent.org after year one
Check Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#2 Maryland specialist

2. MD Registered Agent.org: best for owners who'll stay home

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

MD Registered Agent.org comes in second because three years with it total $397, thanks to a $99 renewal.

Nobody here files the Business Entity Annual Report for you.

What you get

  • Your LLC, filed
  • Agent service covered for year one

Pluses

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • $99 a year from year two
  • $199 plus the state fee to form

What's not

  • The Business Entity Annual Report stays on your plate
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Check MD Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#3 Maryland specialist

3. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for another in-state choice

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Maryland Registered Agent.co comes in third because three years with it total $397, thanks to a $99 renewal.

Nobody here files the Business Entity Annual Report for you.

Its prices match MD Registered Agent.org exactly, so the order between them's a close call.

What you get

  • Your LLC, filed
  • Agent service covered for year one

Pluses

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • $199 plus the state fee to form
  • $99 a year from year two

What's not

  • The Business Entity Annual Report stays on your plate
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Check Maryland Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The numbers

#CompanyYear oneThenThree-year totalCovers
1 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597formation handled start to finish; resident agent for twelve straight months; annual report taken care of when due Check Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 MD Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397Your LLC, filed; agent service covered for year one Check MD Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Maryland Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397Your LLC, filed; agent service covered for year one Check Maryland Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

What you need to know

How much do I need to start an LLC in this state?

The state takes $100, and a service that files for you in year one adds $199.

Add the recurring report and the state's fees reach $700 over three years. go check egov.maryland.gov, last confirmed October 2026

What do I actually send the state?

The Articles of Organization goes to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), and approval is what creates your LLC.

How long the state takes: Non-expedited review in the second calendar month after submission. go check egov.maryland.gov, last confirmed October 2026

Do I have to name a resident agent?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

A Maryland resident, or a Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership.

go check mgaleg.maryland.gov, last confirmed October 2026

What do I owe after that?

You'll file the Business Entity Annual Report every year, and it's $300 each time. Here's the date the state gives: April 15. Don't miss it.

go check dat.maryland.gov, last confirmed August 2026

Can I just file it myself?

Nobody's making you hire anyone. State fees alone run $700 across three years.

That $397 to $597 over three years is what you pay somebody else to deal with the paperwork and the agent role.

What put number one on top?

On jobs the price actually covers (30% of the score), Mainstay Filing wins.

Two tests carry most of the weight: money out the door in three years (35%) and jobs the price actually covers (30%).

MD Registered Agent.org is cheaper, but you'd be filing the Business Entity Annual Report on your own time.

The five tests

Maryland formation rules, with sources

WhatDetailOfficial source
Fee to form $100go check egov.maryland.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Resident agent Yes, it's the lawgo check mgaleg.maryland.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Business Entity Annual Report $300 every yeargo check dat.maryland.gov, last confirmed August 2026
What the state collects in three years $700Our sum of the rows above

Want to check the total? Add the filing fee, the next two reports and any minimum tax. We don't count costs without a set amount.

More questions

When will my LLC exist?

Non-expedited review in the second calendar month after submission.

Is the EIN application included?

Mainstay Filing includes the EIN application. The others make you pay: MD Registered Agent.org $99; Maryland Registered Agent.co $99.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Over three years you're looking at $597 at Mainstay Filing, $397 at MD Registered Agent.org, $397 at Maryland Registered Agent.co, before state fees.

Where do these numbers come from?

Official Maryland sources back the state side, and posted prices back the service side.

Is a service required?

No. You can file with the state yourself. A service saves you time and can be your agent, but nothing makes you hire one.

What's the best LLC service in Maryland?

Go with Mainstay Filing first, then look at MD Registered Agent.org and Maryland Registered Agent.co.

What's next

Sources, so you can check

  1. Where Maryland State Department of Assessments comes from: dat.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  2. Where Maryland State Department of Assessments comes from: dat.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  3. Where Maryland report due date comes from: dat.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  4. Where Md comes from: mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  5. Where Maryland formation fee: Filing fee comes from: mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  6. Where Maryland formation fee: Filing fee comes from: egov.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  7. Where Maryland registered agent statute comes from: mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  8. Where Processing, official source comes from: egov.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  9. Mainstay Filing Maryland service page, read November 13, 2026
  10. MD Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  11. Maryland Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026