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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Session 1 · Maryland

Maryland LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services

Graded for 2026, the best help with starting an LLC in Maryland comes from Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199), MD Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. The class has 7 assignments and a $100 state fee, and it finishes with the Business Entity Annual Report.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

Need-to-know facts

Formation fee$100Source for this: egov.maryland.gov, October 2026
Business Entity Annual Report$300 a yearDeadline set by the state: April 15
What the state collects in three years$700Filing plus the repeating state fees
Assignment count7Listed below

Class objectives

  • The official Maryland fee and form
  • Who can be the resident agent
  • What you file every year after that
  • How the picks stack up

If you want someone else to file

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we grade), and three-year tuition and homework done count most.
Highest grade

1. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for owners who plan to stay in Maryland

Formation $199, renewal $99 yearly

The class favorite is Maryland Registered Agent.co, because a formation fee of $199, followed by $99 a year for the agent.

Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and three-year tuition is 30% of the grade.

Handing in the Business Entity Annual Report every year stays on your homework list.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • A $199 formation fee
  • No agent fee in year one
  • A small $99 renewal

Weak spots

  • No Business Entity Annual Report service on offer
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Local choice

2. MD Registered Agent.org: best for a small agent renewal

Formation $199, renewal $99 yearly

Second place goes to MD Registered Agent.org, since a formation fee of $199, followed by $99 a year for the agent.

Handing in the Business Entity Annual Report every year stays on your homework list.

Maryland Registered Agent.co and this service cost the same.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • A small $99 renewal
  • A $199 formation fee
  • No agent fee in year one

Weak spots

  • No Business Entity Annual Report service on offer
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Any state

3. Mainstay Filing: best for having the annual report filed by someone else

First year $199; renewal $199; state fee extra

Our third pick, Mainstay Filing: for one yearly fee of $199 the class assignments on filing, resident agent and annual report are all done for you.

Maryland Registered Agent.co undercuts it by $200 over three years, which keeps this one out of first.

Included: the Business Entity Annual Report, with the state's $300 charged just as Maryland sets it.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • Resident agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • No markup on the state fee

Strengths

  • $199 every year
  • $199 per year for the whole package
  • No extra charge for the EIN application

Weak spots

  • Renewal costs $100 above Maryland Registered Agent.co

Grades and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Maryland Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2MD Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. The $100 state fee is left out of these figures.

Formation in order

  1. Assignment
    1

    Check that nobody else has the name

    the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) holds the records, so begin there; in Maryland, a name that is taken may get the filing returned.

    Keep a backup in your notebook.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Pick 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.

    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.

    Every class favorite here can be your resident agent.

    Textbook page: Source for this: mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 2026

  3. Assignment
    3

    Weigh doing it alone against paying for help

    With no service, the bill is the state's $100. Each of the graded services adds $199 and handles the paperwork.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Work up the Articles of Organization

    the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) forms the LLC once it accepts the Articles of Organization and $100. The state describes its processing time as Non-expedited review in the second calendar month after submission.

    Textbook page: Source for this: egov.maryland.gov, October 2026

  5. Assignment
    5

    Apply to the IRS for an EIN

    Once the state says yes, you request an EIN, which lets the LLC open accounts under its own name. Mainstay Filing does this one for you at no added charge.

  6. Assignment
    6

    Prepare the operating agreement

    The operating agreement is where the Maryland LLC's owners write down who owns what and how decisions get made. The company keeps it; the state never sees it.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Handle Maryland's recurring filing

    The filing that comes around again is the Business Entity Annual Report ($300, every year, by April 15).

    Textbook page: Source for this: dat.maryland.gov, August 2026

The bill

What forReceiverAmount
The formation assignmentState agency$100
Business Entity Annual ReportState agency$300 every year
Paid helpThe service$199 in year one
State fees over years one to threeState agency$700
Rows for the state use Maryland's published fee schedules (see the textbook pages beneath the table), and each service row uses that company's own price. Over three years the state row adds the filing, the year-two report, the year-three report and any minimum tax.

The reasoning behind the grades

What decided it was tuition across three years, which carries 30% of the grade.

Count three years and Maryland Registered Agent.co totals $397, $200 below Mainstay Filing.

Common questions

How much does Maryland charge to start an LLC?

The state's fee is $100. The graded services bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Hand the Articles of Organization to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).

Is a resident agent required?

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

How long does Maryland take to process the filing?

Stated processing time: Non-expedited review in the second calendar month after submission.

What does Maryland require each year?

Hand in the Business Entity Annual Report every year, $300; deadline April 15.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing stops you. Maryland wants $100, and the LLC has to name a resident agent, which you can do yourself or hire out.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Maryland Registered Agent.co, MD Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing, from the highest grade to the lowest.

Next class

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. If you want proof of the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation facts, dat.maryland.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
  2. If you want proof of the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation facts, dat.maryland.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
  3. If you want proof of the Maryland report due date facts, dat.maryland.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
  4. If you want proof of the Md facts, mgaleg.maryland.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
  5. If you want proof of the Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source facts, mgaleg.maryland.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
  6. If you want proof of the Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source facts, egov.maryland.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
  7. If you want proof of the Maryland registered agent statute facts, mgaleg.maryland.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
  8. If you want proof of the Processing, official source facts, egov.maryland.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
  9. Pulled November 13, 2026: pricing page from Maryland Registered Agent.co
  10. Pulled November 13, 2026: pricing page from MD Registered Agent.org
  11. Pulled November 13, 2026: Maryland service page from Mainstay Filing