Register your Maryland LLC Online
Complete the form below in 2–3 minutes. Your LLC and EIN come at no extra cost — you only pay Maryland’s own $195.70 state fee.
- Enter your desired LLC name
- Choose your state
- Receive your LLC and free EIN by email
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What is an LLC in Maryland?
An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a simple structure for running your business under a professional name. It separates your business from your personal name, and it's the most common way to add a partner, sell the business, or look like a real company instead of a side project.
That separation goes further than the name. If the business owes money or gets sued, your house, car, and personal bank accounts are generally off-limits — as long as you run the LLC properly. It doesn't protect you from something you personally did wrong.
A sole proprietorship skips all of that. You're doing business under your own name or a DBA, and everything stays tied to you personally.
A corporation does the same separation as an LLC, but it's built for a different job: issuing stock and bringing in outside investors. An LLC is simpler to run and cheaper to keep up if that's not you right now.
Benefits of an LLC in Maryland
- Add partners or co-owners whenever you're ready
- Transfer ownership if you sell the business
- “Maryland Company, LLC” shows you’re a real business
- Shows you’re registered (Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation)
- Get a matching domain like MarylandCompanyLLC.com
- Simpler upkeep than forming a corporation
What's different about a Maryland LLC
Maryland's Articles of Organization cost a flat $100 — the State Department of Assessments and Taxation doesn't itemize a separate registered-agent charge into that fee the way some states do. Standard filing runs 4 to 6 weeks. Paying an extra $50 moves your filing into a 7-to-10-business-day queue, and true same-day service is available for $325 filed online or $425 filed in person.
Maryland has no separate LLC franchise tax — LLC income passes through to your own personal tax return, and the Annual Report above is the one recurring state fee every Maryland LLC owes, regardless of income. Maryland also doesn't require you to publish a notice in a newspaper, unlike a handful of other states.
Cost to start an LLC in Maryland
$195.70 to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation — that's it. We don't charge a filing fee on top of it. A Maryland corporation runs $216.30 through the same process.
| What you get |  | Others |
|---|---|---|
| EIN (Tax ID) | Free | up to $99 |
| Registered agent | Freefirst year | up to $249per year |
| Name check | Free | usually free |
| Maryland state filing feespaid to the state — same for everyone | $195.70 | $195.70 |
Free EIN with your Maryland LLC
Your EIN (Employer Identification Number) is what opens a business bank account and identifies your company to the IRS — it's like a Social Security Number for your LLC. It's included at no extra cost, right alongside your LLC.
LLC vs Corporation in Maryland
An LLC is simpler and more flexible, and keeps “LLC” in your business name. A corporation is a more formal structure built for issuing stock and outside investment, and keeps “Inc” or “Corp” in the name instead. 97% of our clients choose an LLC.
What is a Sole Proprietor in Maryland?
A sole proprietorship means you're doing business as an individual. In Maryland, you can register a Trade Name with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation to use a name other than your own — a state-level filing, not a city or county one. As an individual, you can't add a partner to the business, because everything is tied to your personal name and Social Security Number. If you later want to add partners or sell the business, you'll need to start an LLC or corporation.
File a DBA Under Your LLC
A DBA (Doing Business As) — Maryland's own term is a Trade Name — lets one LLC operate under more than one business name. In Maryland, that's a separate $25 filing with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation — the same office that formed your LLC.
A DBA isn't required if you're fine using your LLC's own name.
Example: Maryland Company, LLC dba Maryland Auto Brokers.
DBA vs LLC in Maryland
A DBA only gives you another name to use. The LLC is the actual business entity that owns the DBA name and holds all legal rights.
Common Questions
Why start an LLC in Maryland?
It separates the business from your own name, lets you add or remove owners as the business grows, and reads as a real, established company.
How long does it take to get a Maryland LLC?
Filing takes a few minutes on this page. Standard processing with the state typically runs 4 to 6 weeks. Paying extra moves it faster — 7 to 10 business days for $50, or same-day for $325 online.
What's Maryland's LLC annual report, and what does it cost?
$300 a year, due every April 15 with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation. It's combined with your Business Personal Property Return on one form, but the $300 is the Annual Report fee — the property return itself has no separate charge. Miss the deadline, and Maryland can revoke your LLC's right to do business in the state.
Do I need an EIN for my Maryland LLC?
Yes, for a business bank account and for the IRS to recognize your company. It's included free when you file here.
What's a registered agent, and do I need one?
Maryland calls it a resident agent — the person or company the state sends legal mail to. Every LLC needs one with a Maryland street address, and it's included free for your first year when you file here.
Do I need an operating agreement?
Maryland doesn't require one to file, but a bank often asks for one to open your business account. You can add it when you file, or write your own later.
Still deciding on a name?
Try the free name generator — type a word you like, get real available options back, then come straight here to file.
Page updates (1)
- October 1, 2026 — Maryland lets an LLC list a commercial mailbox or virtual-mail-service address as its SDAT principal office, instead of a home or office address (the resident agent still needs a real Maryland street address). Maryland General Assembly, HB 308 →
Sources (6)
Every fact on this page was checked directly against Maryland's own filing agency and statutes — verified September 20, 2026.
- Maryland SDAT — Fee Schedule for Corporate Charters — the $100 LLC fee, $120 corporation fee, trade name fee, expedite tiers
- Maryland Business Express — Fee Schedule — confirms the $300 Annual Report fee and that the Personal Property Return itself carries no fee
- Maryland SDAT — Charter Filing FAQs — processing times, resident agent rule, Annual Report non-filing consequence
- Maryland SDAT — Trade Name Application — the $25 trade name fee and 5-year term
- Md. Code, Corporations & Associations §4A-210 — the resident agent requirement in law
- Maryland General Assembly — HB 308 (Chapter 247) — the new 2026 commercial-mailbox principal-office law