The 5 Best Registered Agents in Maryland (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan The 5 best registered agents in Maryland in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest Registered Agent, MD Registered Agent.org, Bizee, and Maryland Registered Agent.co.

Maya Welcome to The Business Formation Podcast. Maryland. What should a listener watch for?

Dan Two numbers. The state calls the role a resident agent and charges $25 to change it, but filing online adds $50. And the yearly report is $300, which makes the agent's price look small.

0:37 What Maryland requires

Maya What does the law say?

Dan Every Maryland LLC must have a principal office in the state and a resident agent. That's section 4A-210 of the Corporations and Associations article.

Maya Who counts as a resident agent?

Dan An individual who lives in Maryland, or a Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership on file with the state. A foreign entity isn't in the definition.

Maya Is there an age rule?

Dan Not in the statute. The state's form just says a citizen of Maryland who resides there, or an active Maryland corporation.

Maya What about the address?

Dan A complete physical address in Maryland. The Articles instructions say plainly that P.O. boxes cannot be accepted.

Maya I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan.

Dan Thanks, Maya. Now the five.

1:27 Mainstay Filing

Maya Number one?

Dan Mainstay Filing, $149 a year, the same $149 when you renew.

Maya What's in it?

Dan Its Maryland address on the public record instead of yours. Served papers are scanned and uploaded the same business day at no fee, and the first three government mailings a year are scanned free.

Maya And if I already have an agent?

Dan Mainstay files the change. The $25 base state fee passes through at cost.

Maya The honest catch?

Dan It isn't the lowest flat price. Two agents further down are $99.

2:03 Northwest Registered Agent

Maya Second?

Dan Northwest Registered Agent, $125 a year. Its page says the price hasn't gone up in 20 years, and up to 10 pieces of business mail a year are scanned free.

Maya The catch?

Dan It enrolls you automatically in an annual report service, $100 plus state fees per filing, until you cancel.

Maya Maryland's report is $300.

Dan So that's $400 for a filing you could do yourself. Cancel it unless you want the hand off.

2:32 MD Registered Agent.org

Maya Third?

Dan MD Registered Agent.org, $99 a year, same at renewal. A physical Maryland address, same-day scanning of lawsuits and legal mail, and compliance reminders.

Maya Switching?

Dan The $25 base state fee plus any expedite. Filing the annual report is a separate service.

Maya Compared with Mainstay?

Dan $50 less each year, $150 over three.

3:01 Bizee

Maya Four?

Dan Bizee, formerly Incfile. Free the first year with a formation package, then $149 a year.

Maya Fine print?

Dan The free year needs a formation order, and it renews on its own at $149.

Maya If I formed my company some other way?

Dan You start at $149, so two years is $298.

3:25 Maryland Registered Agent.co

Maya And five?

Dan Maryland Registered Agent.co, a flat $99. A physical Maryland address, scanned court documents and reminders for compliance dates.

Maya Is it different from number three?

Dan On the listings, no. Same price, same catch: annual report filing is its own service.

3:46 Naming the agent at formation

Maya Where does the agent go when I form the LLC?

Dan In the Articles of Organization, in the items for the agent's name and Maryland address.

Maya Does the agent sign?

Dan The Articles carry a consent line: "I consent to serve as Resident Agent for this LLC."

Maya What does the filing cost?

Dan $100 as the base, with $50 more to expedite.

Maya Why would anyone expedite?

Dan Speed. The department's fee schedule lists expedited and rush options, and the rush fee is $325.

4:23 Changing the agent

Maya How do I change it later?

Dan A form called the Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent. It has no form number. The fee is $25.

Maya Who signs?

Dan An authorized person for the company, and the new resident agent has to sign as well, consenting to the designation.

Maya Online or paper?

Dan Both. Online filings are considered expedited, which adds $50, and card or PayPal payments carry a 3% fee.

Maya And paper?

Dan Mail it to the department in Baltimore. The department says non-expedited paper filings are reviewed within eight weeks.

Maya Eight weeks?

Dan When we checked, online resolutions were being reviewed after about two weeks. The change takes effect when the department accepts it for record.

Maya So a change of agent costs?

Dan $25 on paper, or $75 online with the expedite, before the card fee.

5:20 If the agent resigns

Maya What if the agent quits?

Dan The agent files a signed resignation with the department, and it costs them nothing.

Maya When does it take effect?

Dan The moment it's filed, if you've already named a successor. If not, 10 days after filing.

Maya Is the agent required to tell me?

Dan The statute doesn't spell out a notice to the company. So don't count on a warning.

Maya That's thin.

Dan Which is why you name a replacement before the old one leaves.

5:46 When there's no agent

Maya What happens if papers need to reach a company with no agent?

Dan Under Maryland Rule 2-124, the plaintiff serves two copies on the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.

Maya In which cases?

Dan If the company has no resident agent, if the agent is dead or no longer at the address on file, or if two good faith attempts on separate days to serve the agent have failed.

Maya Then what?

Dan The department forwards a copy to the company's mailing address, if known, or its principal place of business.

Maya Does having no agent cost the company its standing?

Dan The forfeiture rules in 4A-911 are about unfiled annual reports and unpaid taxes, not a missing agent.

6:30 The annual report

Maya What does Maryland want every year?

Dan An annual report, Form 1, filed with the business personal property return. It's due April 15, and for an LLC the fee is $300.

Maya What if I skip it?

Dan Companies that haven't filed the prior year's report are listed after September 30 and lose the right to do business in Maryland and the right to the use of the name.

Maya So that's the number that matters.

Dan It is. With Mainstay, $149 plus $300 is $449. With a $99 agent, $399.

Maya Does the state send a reminder?

Dan We couldn't find where reminders come from, so put April 15 on the calendar.

7:13 Doing it yourself

Maya Can I be my own agent in Maryland?

Dan If you're an individual living in Maryland, with a physical address there, yes.

Maya What's the downside?

Dan Your name and home address are on the public record, and a process server knows where to find you.

Maya And if I move?

Dan Then the record is stale. Service can go to the department instead, and it forwards to the last known address.

7:38 Picking one

Maya How would a Baltimore or Rockville owner decide?

Dan Three questions. Does the price hold, is there a real Maryland street address, and who files the Resolution when you change.

Maya And your answer?

Dan Mainstay Filing. Our pick for Maryland, at $149 a year.

7:58 The five in a row

Maya All five, once more?

Dan One, Mainstay Filing: $149, same at renewal. Two, Northwest: $125, with the report service to cancel. Three, MD Registered Agent.org: $99 flat. Four, Bizee: free the first year with a formation order, then $149. Five, Maryland Registered Agent.co: $99 flat.

Maya The links are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.