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Maryland state guide · Formation

How to form a
Maryland LLC

Forming a Maryland LLC is a filing, not a ceremony. Here is the actual process — what gets submitted to the Maryland SDAT, how long approval takes, and what arrives in your inbox when it's done.

Filing agencyMaryland SDAT
State filing fee$100
Typical approval7–10 business days
Annual report$300 annually

The filing, in plain English

A Maryland LLC is created when the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation accepts your Articles of Organization and issues a certificate. Everything else — the EIN, the operating agreement, the bank account — happens around that central act. Our $299 flat service walks through all of it; you pay the Maryland filing fee of $100 separately, directly to the state.

Most founders forming a single-member Maryland LLC are done in 7–10 business days of standard processing time. Multi-member filings take about the same; the additional complexity lives in the operating agreement, not at the state.

Maryland note

Filing fee: $100 by mail, $150 online through Maryland Business Express.

The six steps we take

  1. I.

    Confirm your name is available

    We check your chosen LLC name against the Maryland SDAT database before anything is submitted. If the first choice is taken, we call before filing — we do not submit a filing you did not authorize.

  2. II.

    Draft the Articles of Organization

    A formation specialist prepares the Articles to Maryland's exact format, with your members, resident agent, principal office address, and effective date.

  3. III.

    Submit electronically

    Filed through the Maryland SDAT's online system. Your Maryland resident agent of record is our Annapolis office for the first year.

  4. IV.

    Maryland approves the LLC

    Approval typically arrives in 7–10 business days. We watch the queue daily and forward the stamped certificate the moment it clears.

  5. V.

    We obtain the EIN

    Once the LLC is approved, we file SS-4 with the IRS to get your Employer Identification Number — the federal tax ID you need to open a business bank account.

  6. VI.

    We deliver the bank-ready packet

    Stamped certificate, EIN letter, custom operating agreement drafted to your ownership structure, and your resident agent confirmation. You sign the operating agreement and open the account.

What you need to have ready

Before we file, we need a handful of decisions from you. None of them are heavy, but we have to confirm each one on the reservation call:

  • A Maryland LLC name — ending in "LLC," "L.L.C.," or "Limited Liability Company," distinguishable from other Maryland entities.
  • A principal office address — home, commercial, or mail-forwarding. Becomes part of the public record.
  • Members — the individuals or entities that own the LLC. Maryland allows single-member LLCs.
  • Management structure — member-managed (most common) or manager-managed. We draft the operating agreement to match.
  • An effective date — either immediately on approval, or a future date if you want a January 1 start for tax reasons.

What's included in the $299 flat fee

State filingArticles of Organization, by a formation specialist
EIN includedFederal tax ID, issued by the IRS after approval
Operating agreementDrafted to your ownership structure — not a template
Resident agentOne year included in Maryland, Annapolis on file

The $299 is a flat service fee for everything on our side. Maryland's state filing fee of $100 is paid directly to the Maryland SDAT and is the same whether you file with us or on your own. There are no upsells — no basic, plus, or premium tiers. One price, four things.

Ready to form in Maryland?

$299 flat, plus Maryland's $100 state fee.

Reservation takes three minutes. A formation specialist in Annapolis handles the rest.

Start your Maryland filing