Maryland Resident Agent Service
Maryland calls it a resident agent, and every Maryland corporation and LLC must have one on record with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation. The agent must be an individual who resides in Maryland or a Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership — an out-of-state company cannot serve — and a Maryland corporation must also keep a principal office in the state.
Verified against the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) · Reviewed September 2026
- Appointed the same day
- Real Maryland street address
- Every US filing jurisdiction, one login
- Required?
- Yes, always
- Address rule
- Agent must be an MD resident or MD entity; MD address
- Form to switch agents
- Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent
- Key deadline
- April 15 annual reportSee all deadlines
Your Maryland year
Every recurring Maryland filing on a single line, with a two-week heads-up before each due date.
- January
- February
- March
- April: Annual Report / Form 1 (SDAT) due, Apr 15
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
One filing a year: Annual Report / Form 1 (SDAT), due April 15.
- Form
- Annual Report / Form 1
- If late
- A late filing penalty applies, the entity falls out of good standing, and continued failure leads to forfeiture of the right to do business in Maryland
Deadline rules from the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) · reviewed September 2026. We confirm every date when you file.
What does Maryland require of your resident agent?
On Maryland filings this role is called resident agent rather than registered agent. Why Maryland says resident agent
The rule
Governing statute: Md. Code, Corporations & Associations § 2-108 (corporations) and § 4A-210 (LLCs); "resident agent" defined at § 1-101
A resident agent is an individual residing in Maryland, or a Maryland corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership whose name, address and designation are on file with SDAT. Each Maryland corporation must also have a principal office in the state. A company incorporated outside Maryland cannot act as your resident agent.
The resident agent’s Maryland address is where service of process and SDAT correspondence are delivered, so it must be an address where someone actually receives documents.
If you have no agent
SDAT flags an entity with no active resident agent as not in good standing; left unfixed, the state forfeits the entity’s charter or registration, and a forfeited business cannot legally operate in Maryland.
New to the role? What the resident agent does, in plain English — the role, explained in plain English.
Other states call the same role a registered agent, resident agent, statutory agent or agent for service of process. In Maryland the law says resident agent. Which term each state uses.
Operating beyond Maryland? Compare agent requirements state by state — the term, the address rule and the recurring filing all change at the state line.
Licensed, and forming a practice in Maryland? Maryland offers no professional LLC — a licensed practitioner incorporates under its professional corporation law instead, and the agent requirement is the one on this page. What Maryland asks of a licensed practice instead
What does Maryland ask you to file, and when?
| Obligation | Form | Due | Late penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| LLC formation | Articles of Organization | At formation | N/A |
| Annual Report (with the Business Personal Property Return where property is owned, leased or used) | Annual Report / Form 1 | April 15 each year; a two-month extension to June 15 is available if requested through SDAT’s online extension system by April 15 | A late filing penalty applies, the entity falls out of good standing, and continued failure leads to forfeiture of the right to do business in Maryland |
| Change of resident agent or principal office | Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent | When the agent or principal office changes | N/A |
State fees change; we confirm current amounts with you before anything is filed.
Missed a filing? What happens to a Maryland LLC, and how to put it right — Maryland’s own status term, the filing that brings it back and the time limit.
What we file for you in Maryland
- Every filing in the table above, prepared and submitted on time
- Reminders ahead of each deadline, for every entity you hold
- State fees confirmed with you before anything is filed
Priced for your portfolio, not a rate card.
Every Maryland quote is built around your entities, your states and your filings — one entity or hundreds. Most quotes are same-day.
How do you appoint or change your resident agent in Maryland?
Procedure scope: Resident-agent designation or change for a Maryland domestic LLC under Corporations and Associations section 4A-210.
5 steps
to switch your resident agent in Maryland.
Step 1: Identify the entity by its legal name and jurisdiction of organization and obtain the current resident-agent information.
Step 2: Prepare a statement authorizing the new resident-agent designation and address; keep any intended principal-office change separate and explicit.
Agent consent
Step 3: Have an authorized person sign for the LLC, obtain the new resident agent's written consent, and file that consent unless SDAT waives filing under section 1-208.
Submit
Step 4: Submit the completed statement to SDAT following its current filing instructions.
Maryland formResolution to Change Principal Office or Resident AgentRecords
Step 5: Retain the accepted record and confirm that SDAT shows the replacement resident agent.
Change fee · Set by the stateAny state fee for this change is confirmed with you before anything is filed.
We handle the whole swapSection 4A-210 governs Maryland LLCs. The shared resolution form also accommodates corporations and other entities, but corporate authorization and certification are not the LLC's authorized-person rule. A foreign LLC or corporation must use its existing Maryland registration and the applicable entity-specific requirements.
Switching providers? How to change your resident agent in Maryland — the filing route, consent and entity-specific instructions, with official sources.
Can you be your own resident agent in Maryland?
Yes, if you personally reside in Maryland, or if you have another Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership that can take the role. Residency is the wall: if you live out of state, neither you nor your out-of-state company qualifies, and your Maryland address goes on the public SDAT record. Because SDAT treats a missing or inactive resident agent as a good-standing defect, a lapse here shows up the moment a bank or lender pulls your status. The full guide: Can you be your own resident agent?
Should you be your own resident agent?
Three honest questions about Maryland. If you don’t need us, we’ll say so.
- Address privacyNow
- Reaching you with legal papers
- Other states
Is it fine if your home or office address goes on the public record?
As your own resident agent, the street address you list is the one that appears on Maryland's public record.
Should you even hire a resident agent?
If you live in Maryland, keep regular hours at a fixed address, and run one entity, you may not need us, and we will tell you so. A service earns its keep when you value privacy, travel, run more than one entity, or operate across state lines.
| What the job involves in Maryland | Be your own agent | LLCity |
|---|---|---|
| Agent must be an MD resident or MD entity; MD address | Your home or office, on public record | Our Maryland address, your privacy kept |
| You must be reliably reachable to accept and forward service of process | On you, every business day | Always staffed, scanned the day it arrives |
| Multi-state coverage | One state only | All 50 plus DC and Puerto Rico, one login |
| Deadline tracking | On you | Reminders before every deadline |
| Served in front of clients | Possible | Never, it comes to us |
Why do businesses in Maryland choose LLCity?
Your Maryland resident agent
Same-day appointment, mail scanned on arrival, and compliance reminders before every deadline.
- Real Maryland street address (no PO box)
- Every notice scanned the day it arrives
- One dashboard for every state you operate in
One login
Every entity and every state in a single dashboard.
Every deadline tracked
Yours fall when your states say they fall. We watch all of them.
Every entity
Add states and entities without adding vendors.
Managing agents for more than three entities?
One agent, one login, and every state deadline tracked for every entity you own.
Put Maryland’s deadlines in your calendar
Set your formation date and download reminders for every recurring Maryland filing — or have us email them.
Annual Report / Form 1 (SDAT)
Next due: April 15, 2027 · Due April 15 every year; a two-month extension to June 15 is available if requested online by April 15
Dates sourced from the Maryland filing office and carrying the month we last checked them. Schedules change — we confirm everything before anything is filed.
Is that letter really from Maryland?
Private companies mail official-looking offers to file your recurring report or sell you a certificate. Here is what Maryland has said about them, and where to file directly.
Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division2023-03-22
File or order directly from Maryland:
Annual report / personal property return, and Certificate of Status · Certificate of Status information · Maintaining good standing
How to tell a lookalike from a real state notice, and what to do with one
Questions about resident agent service in Maryland
Do I need a resident agent in Maryland?
Yes. Maryland law requires every corporation and LLC to keep a resident agent on record with SDAT — § 2-108 for corporations and § 4A-210 for LLCs. The agent must be an individual residing in Maryland or a Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership, and a Maryland corporation must also maintain a principal office in the state.
Can I be my own resident agent in Maryland?
Yes, if you personally reside in Maryland; a Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership you own can also serve. The catch is residency and exposure: an out-of-state owner or an out-of-state company does not qualify, and the address you give becomes public record at SDAT, where it drives every state notice you receive.
What happens if my Maryland LLC has no resident agent?
SDAT treats a missing or inactive resident agent as a good-standing problem, which surfaces the moment a bank, lender or counterparty checks your status. If the defect is not fixed, the state forfeits the entity’s charter or registration — and a forfeited business cannot legally operate in Maryland until it is revived.
How do I change my resident agent in Maryland?
Resident-agent designation or change for a Maryland domestic LLC under Corporations and Associations section 4A-210. A Maryland domestic LLC files a statement authorizing the resident-agent change with SDAT. An authorized person signs for the LLC, and the replacement's written consent must be obtained before designation. Current resolution-download and delivery details were access-limited in this review. Section 4A-210 governs Maryland LLCs. The shared resolution form also accommodates corporations and other entities, but corporate authorization and certification are not the LLC's authorized-person rule. A foreign LLC or corporation must use its existing Maryland registration and the applicable entity-specific requirements.
How much does a Maryland resident agent cost?
Pricing is custom to your portfolio of entities and states, and most quotes are same-day. Call 212-202-5750 or start a filing and we’ll price exactly what you need. State filing fees are set by the state and confirmed with you before anything is filed.
Figures verified against the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) (businessexpress.maryland.gov/manage/maintain-good-standing-status) · Last updated September 2026
Appoint LLCity as your Maryland resident agent
Appoint LLCity as your Maryland resident agent in minutes. Same-day appointment.