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Plain CharterLLC questions, short answers.

No legalese · Maryland

3 Best LLC Services in Maryland (2026), Plainly Answered

Asked who to hire in Maryland in 2026, we'd say Mainstay Filing ($199), Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199) and MD Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. On top of the $100 filing fee, the services cost $397 to $597 over three years.

By the Plain Charter editorial team ·

Quick answer

What the state charges
$100, at filing
Each year after
$300 each year
Resident agent
Yes
Best picks
Mainstay Filing, Maryland Registered Agent.co then MD Registered Agent.org

The Maryland picks

Our order, explained on how we choose.
1First choice

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one price that covers the paperwork

$199 per year plus $100 to the state

Start with Mainstay Filing: the annual report is part of its $199 yearly price, along with formation and the resident agent.

It costs $200 more than Maryland Registered Agent.co over three years, and for that you hand off more of the paperwork.

The Business Entity Annual Report is part of the service; Maryland still charges $300, billed at cost.

The price covers

  • The formation filing
  • Resident agent every month of the year
  • Annual report filed for you
  • The EIN application
  • No markup on state fees

Upsides

  • EIN step covered
  • Renewal stays $199
  • Flat $199 a year

What to weigh

  • $100 more per year after year one
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2One-state plan

2. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for budget formations

$199 plus state fees; renewal $99

Maryland Registered Agent.co is next: you pay $199 in year one and $99 in each later year.

The Business Entity Annual Report is not in its price, so you file that yourself.

The price covers

  • State filing handled
  • First agent year

Upsides

  • Low $99 renewal
  • Agent free for year one
  • Forms the LLC for $199

What to weigh

  • No help with the Business Entity Annual Report
  • EIN not included ($99)
Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3One-state plan

3. MD Registered Agent.org: best for owners who file their own reports

$199 plus state fees; renewal $99

MD Registered Agent.org is next: you pay $199 in year one and $99 in each later year.

The Business Entity Annual Report is not in its price, so you file that yourself.

Its prices match Maryland Registered Agent.co exactly, so either is a sound choice.

The price covers

  • State filing handled
  • First agent year

Upsides

  • Forms the LLC for $199
  • Agent free for year one
  • Low $99 renewal

What to weigh

  • No help with the Business Entity Annual Report
  • EIN not included ($99)
Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

How the picks compare

#ServiceYear 1Later years3-year costWhat it covers
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597the formation filing; resident agent every month of the year; annual report filed for youVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Maryland Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397state filing handled; first agent yearVisit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3MD Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397state filing handled; first agent yearVisit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 12, 2026. State fees are the same with every pick.

What owners ask

What does it cost to form an LLC here?

$100 to the state, plus $199 if a service files it for you.

Counting the recurring report, the state's own fees reach $700 by the end of year three. egov.maryland.gov (October 2026)

Who receives the filing?

Just one document creates the LLC: the Articles of Organization, submitted to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).

Processing time: Non-expedited review in the second calendar month after submission. egov.maryland.gov (October 2026)

Does the law require 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.

mgaleg.maryland.gov (October 2026)

What comes due after the LLC exists?

Keep the Business Entity Annual Report current, every year, for $300. When: April 15.

dat.maryland.gov (August 2026)

Can I file it myself?

It is allowed. Do-it-yourself cost for three years: $700 in state fees.

A service adds $397 to $597 over three years for doing the filings and, with Mainstay Filing, the reports.

Why this order?

Mainstay Filing wins on what the price takes off your plate, our 30% criterion.

What we weigh most: three-year cost (35%) and what the price takes off your plate (30%). Three smaller criteria break close calls.

We value a filed Business Entity Annual Report over a few dollars saved, so the bundle comes first.

How we choose

What Maryland requires

RequirementWhat it isSource
LLC filing fee$100egov.maryland.gov (October 2026)
Resident agentYesmgaleg.maryland.gov (October 2026)
Business Entity Annual Report$300 every yeardat.maryland.gov (August 2026)
Three-year state total$700Total of these fees
The three-year line adds the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax. Costs without a fixed amount, such as newspaper publication, are left out.

People also ask

What is the processing time?

Non-expedited review in the second calendar month after submission.

Do they apply for the EIN?

Only Mainstay Filing includes it. Elsewhere: $99 at Maryland Registered Agent.co, $99 at MD Registered Agent.org.

What is the three-year cost of each?

Mainstay Filing $597, Maryland Registered Agent.co $397 and MD Registered Agent.org $397 in service fees.

Where do these figures come from?

Official schedules for state fees, company pricing for service fees, all dated on this page.

Do I have to use a service?

No. The state accepts filings from owners; a service saves time and handles the agent role.

Which LLC service would you pick in Maryland?

Mainstay Filing tops our list because it forms the LLC, serves as its resident agent and files the annual report for $199 a year, and the price stays $199 at renewal; Maryland Registered Agent.co and MD Registered Agent.org come next.

Sources for this page

  1. dat.maryland.gov (Maryland State Department of Assessments, August 2026)
  2. dat.maryland.gov (Maryland State Department of Assessments, August 2026)
  3. dat.maryland.gov (Maryland report due date, August 2026)
  4. mgaleg.maryland.gov (Md, August 2026)
  5. mgaleg.maryland.gov (Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, October 2026)
  6. egov.maryland.gov (Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, October 2026)
  7. mgaleg.maryland.gov (Maryland registered agent statute, October 2026)
  8. egov.maryland.gov (Processing, official source, October 2026)
  9. Prices from the Mainstay Filing Maryland service page on November 12, 2026
  10. Prices from the Maryland Registered Agent.co pricing page on November 12, 2026
  11. Prices from the MD Registered Agent.org pricing page on November 12, 2026