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  2. Registering in a second state, by state
  3. Maryland

Plain and short · Maryland

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Maryland (2026): Simply Ranked

Mainstay Filing ($199), MD Registered Agent.org ($199) and Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199): our 2026 order for foreign registration services in Maryland. The state charges $100 to register. Services cost $397 to $497 over three years.
Charter Simple editors

At a glance

Registration fee
$100
Certificate from home?
Yes (60 days old, at most)
Next
$300, Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1
Ranked first
Mainstay Filing, MD Registered Agent.org then Maryland Registered Agent.co

Maryland: the order

Why this order? The checks are explained here.
1 First

1. Mainstay Filing: best for adding more states

Service $199 plus $100 to the state. Agent renewal $149

Mainstay Filing ranks first in Maryland. It pairs a $199 service fee with a free first resident agent year, then $149 yearly.

The $100 extra over MD Registered Agent.org across three years pays for coverage outside Maryland.

The resident agent is free in year one. After that it is $149 a year, in any state.

Includes

  • Registration, filed
  • One fee for all fifty states

Good

  • The same fee in every state
  • Service fee $199

Against

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above MD Registered Agent.org
2 Maryland only

2. MD Registered Agent.org: best for one extra state

Service $199 plus $100 to the state. Agent renewal $99

MD Registered Agent.org takes second place because registration costs $199 over the state fee, agent covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Includes

  • Registration, filed
  • Agent for year one

Good

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent renews at $99

Against

  • Maryland only. The home state needs another agent
3 Maryland only

3. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for another local option

Service $199 plus $100 to the state. Agent renewal $99

Maryland Registered Agent.co takes third place because registration costs $199 over the state fee, agent covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Its prices match MD Registered Agent.org exactly. The order between them is close.

Includes

  • Registration, filed
  • Agent for year one

Good

  • Agent renews at $99
  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • $199 plus the state fee

Against

  • Maryland only. The home state needs another agent

Prices

#CompanyStartRenewalTotalIncludes
1 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497Registration, filed; one fee for all fifty states View Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 MD Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397Registration, filed; agent for year one View MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Maryland Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397Registration, filed; agent for year one View Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, read November 13, 2026. State fees are identical for every pick.

Key questions

When must an out-of-state LLC register?

An LLC formed elsewhere registers with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division, then begins business in Maryland.

Without registration, an LLC may face Maryland courts will not hear its claims (4A-1007(a)).

from mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 2026, kept short

What does registration cost?

$100 to the state. $199 more if someone files for you.

Three years of state fees, registration included: $700. from mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 2026, kept short

Which form, and where?

The Limited Liability Company Registration (For non-Maryland Limited Liability Company) goes to the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division. One filing registers the LLC.

Include written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing no older than 60 days.

What is due after registering?

A Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1 follows. Cost: $300.

Date set by the state: April 15.

What put the first pick first?

Mainstay Filing scores best on work included, which is 27% of the score.

Two checks carry most of the weight: three-year cost (38%) and work included (27%).

MD Registered Agent.org covers Maryland only. The home state needs someone else.

Method

Maryland: registering a foreign LLC

ItemRule or amountConfirm
Fee to register$100from mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 2026, kept short
Home-state certificateYes, 60 daysfrom mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 2026, kept short
Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1$300from mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 2026, kept short
Three-year state total$700The rows above, added
To check the total, add the filing fee, the next two reports and any minimum tax. Costs without a set amount are not counted.

Questions

Do I still need an agent at home?

Yes. Two states, two sets of rules. Mainstay Filing works in both. One-state services do not.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Across three years: Mainstay Filing at $497, MD Registered Agent.org at $397, Maryland Registered Agent.co at $397, before state fees.

Where do the figures come from?

State fees come from Maryland's official documents. Service prices come from each company's price page. Both are dated here.

Must I use a service?

Not required. The state takes filings from owners.

Does a service file it for me?

All of them do. Only the service fee differs.

Which ranks first in Maryland?

Put Mainstay Filing first, and MD Registered Agent.org and Maryland Registered Agent.co after.

Sources

  1. Charter Simple keeps Maryland State Department of Assessments on file from dat.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, and nothing more
  2. Charter Simple keeps Maryland State Department of Assessments on file from dat.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, and nothing more
  3. Charter Simple keeps Maryland report due date on file from dat.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, and nothing more
  4. Charter Simple keeps Md on file from mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, and nothing more
  5. Charter Simple keeps Maryland formation fee: Filing fee on file from mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and nothing more
  6. Charter Simple keeps Maryland formation fee: Filing fee on file from egov.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and nothing more
  7. Charter Simple keeps Maryland registered agent statute on file from mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and nothing more
  8. Charter Simple keeps Maryland Business Express on file from egov.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and nothing more
  9. Charter Simple keeps Corporations and Associations § 4A-1002 on file from mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and nothing more
  10. Charter Simple keeps Corporations and Associations § 4A-1009 on file from mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and nothing more
  11. Charter Simple keeps Corporations and Associations § 4A-1007 on file from mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and nothing more
  12. Charter Simple keeps Tax-Property § 11-101, annual report on file from mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, and nothing more
  13. Mainstay Filing Maryland service page, read November 13, 2026
  14. MD Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  15. Maryland Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026