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

Straight talk · Maryland

3 Best Registered Agents in Maryland (2026): The Straight Story

If you need registered agents in Maryland in 2026, here's the order we'd go in: Maryland Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and MD Registered Agent.org ($99 a year). Year one's $99 to $149. Three years come to $297 to $447.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team

The short of it

The short of it
Is it required?
Yes, you have to
What the law calls it
Resident agent
What agents charge
$99 to $149 a year
Who we'd use
Maryland Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing then MD Registered Agent.org

Who we'd use in Maryland

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

#1 Who we'd call first

1. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for one-state businesses

$99 a year, then $99

Maryland Registered Agent.co is who we'd use first in Maryland, because a company that never leaves Maryland pays $297 over three years.

It beats Mainstay Filing on three-year cost, and cost is the biggest test.

What you get

  • A local address on file
  • Scans of legal papers

Pluses

  • $99 a year, flat at renewal
  • Smaller yearly bill than the national pick

What's not

  • No coverage outside the state
  • Doesn't file the Business Entity Annual Report
#2 Every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one price in every state

$149 a year, then $149

Mainstay Filing comes in second because it's $149 a year here and exactly the same in every other state.

A $150 three-year gap to Maryland Registered Agent.co explains the lower spot.

What you get

  • A real address in the state, on file
  • Three government letters a year scanned at no cost
  • Handles corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits as well as LLCs

Pluses

  • Just $149 a year
  • One account works in any state

What's not

  • Maryland Registered Agent.co charges $50 less each year
  • Report filing needs the formation package
#3 Maryland specialist

3. MD Registered Agent.org: best for another in-state choice

$99 a year, then $99

A company that never leaves Maryland pays $297 over three years. That puts MD Registered Agent.org third.

It charges what Maryland Registered Agent.co charges.

What you get

  • A local address on file
  • Scans of legal papers

Pluses

  • $99 a year, flat at renewal
  • Smaller yearly bill than the national pick

What's not

  • No coverage outside the state
  • Doesn't file the Business Entity Annual Report

The numbers

#CompanyYear oneThen3 yearsWhat you get
1 Maryland Registered Agent.co $99$99/yr$297A local address on file; scans of legal papers Go to Maryland Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $149$149/yr$447A real address in the state, on file; three government letters a year scanned at no cost; Handles corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits as well as LLCs Go to Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 MD Registered Agent.org $99$99/yr$297A local address on file; scans of legal papers Go to MD Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Read November 13, 2026. Three years is year one plus two renewals.

The questions that matter

Do I have to name a resident agent?

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

Statute: Md. Code, Corps. & Ass'ns § 1-101(x). go check mgaleg.maryland.gov, last confirmed October 2026

Who's allowed to serve?

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

Fit the rule and the role's yours at no cost.

What's the going rate for an agent?

You're looking at $99 to $149 a year for the services we'd use, $297 to $447 across three years.

No state fee depends on your choice of agent.

What does an agent actually do?

It takes delivery of lawsuits and official state mail for the LLC at an address in Maryland.

If papers arrive and nobody takes them, a case can move ahead without your LLC. What's service of process?

What else does the state bill every year?

The Business Entity Annual Report is the one you can't forget. It's annual and runs $300. Per the state, it's due April 15.

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

Why this order?

Maryland Registered Agent.co scores best on money out the door in three years, and that test is worth 35%.

We run five tests: money out the door in three years (35%), jobs the price actually covers (30%), no hunting for the price (14%), no surprise at renewal (11%) and where it works (10%).

Go with Maryland Registered Agent.co and you'll pay $297 over three years, $150 less.

The five tests

Maryland agent rules, with sources

WhatThe rule or the numberCheck it
LLC filing fee $100go check egov.maryland.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Resident agent Yes, you have togo check mgaleg.maryland.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Business Entity Annual Report $300 every yeargo check dat.maryland.gov, last confirmed August 2026
State fees, years one to three $700Our sum of the rows above

Here's how we got the last row: filing fee + two reports + minimum tax, if there is one. Costs with no set price aren't in it.

More questions

Can I be my own agent?

Yes, if your address and status match the rule. Lots of owners still pay a service to keep their address private.

What address does an agent need?

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.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Over three years you're looking at $297 at Maryland Registered Agent.co, $447 at Mainstay Filing, $297 at MD Registered Agent.org

Are the fees official?

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

Do I have to use a service?

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

Who should I use for a registered agent in Maryland?

Maryland Registered Agent.co is first: $99 a year, then $99, is a fair deal for an LLC that stays in Maryland. Then comes Mainstay Filing and MD Registered Agent.org.

Keep reading

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. Maryland Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  9. Mainstay Filing Maryland service page, read November 13, 2026
  10. MD Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026