Mainstay Filing takes the top spot because the fee is $199 plus the state's own, with a free first year as resident agent, and the price is identical in every state.
Past the free first year, agent service runs $149 a year, and that holds in every state.
Its three-year total is $100 above MD Registered Agent.org's, and what the price covers justifies that gap for us.
In the price
- Registration paperwork done for you
- Free scans of served papers on the same business day
Good
- Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day at no charge
- $199 service fee, with the state's fee added
- The same price in each of the fifty states
Watch for
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 above MD Registered Agent.org
MD Registered Agent.org makes the list at number two because registering costs $199 plus the state fee, with the first resident agent year covered, then $99 a year for the agent.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
In the price
- Registration prepared and filed
- The first year as resident agent
Good
- $99 yearly for the agent after year one
- $199 to register, plus state fees
- Year one as your resident agent is covered
Watch for
- Maryland only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
Maryland Registered Agent.co makes the list at number three because registering costs $199 plus the state fee, with the first resident agent year covered, then $99 a year for the agent.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
The published prices and features of MD Registered Agent.org and Maryland Registered Agent.co are identical, so the order between them is a coin flip between solid options.
In the price
- Registration prepared and filed
- The first year as resident agent
Good
- $99 yearly for the agent after year one
- Registers the company for $199 and the state fee
- A year as your resident agent comes included
Watch for
- Maryland only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
The 3 picks side by side
Filing Shortlist sets each score out of 10 itself, using the criteria on How we rank; no customer ratings feed in.
Maryland foreign registration service pricing in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total
Every price comes from the company's own pages as of November 12, 2026. The $100 Maryland registration fee comes on top of each row and is left out of the totals.
How the cut was made
On Filing Shortlist's shortlist, three-year price and what the price covers carry 28% each and renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity share the other 44%. In Maryland, what the price covers made the difference.
Registering in a second state touches two states, and one provider with one price in both scored highest on coverage, ahead of MD Registered Agent.org.
Every criterion and weight is set out on How we rank.
Registering a foreign LLC in Maryland: fee, form and office
Registration goes to the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division on the Limited Liability Company Registration (For non-Maryland Limited Liability Company). The state fee is $100. Along with the form, Maryland expects written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, no older than 60 days when you file.
Each year after that, the company files the Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1 for $300, due April 15.
What to have ready before you file
- Written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, dated within 60 days of filing.
- The company's exact legal name and its formation date in the home state.
- A resident agent at a street address in the state. Every company on this shortlist can be that agent.
- Payment of the $100 state fee with the filing.
- A reminder in your own calendar for the Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1 and its $300 fee.
The cost of skipping Maryland registration
An unregistered out-of-state LLC cannot sue in Maryland courts (4A-1007(a)). Its contracts remain valid (4A-1007(b)).
Common questions about Maryland foreign registration services
Must an LLC from another state register in Maryland?
It must, once it does business in the state. An unregistered company cannot sue in the state's courts until it does.
What is the full price of a foreign LLC registration in Maryland?
The state fee is $100, and service fees run $199.
Does Maryland ask for proof of good standing from home?
It does. The state wants written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, dated no more than 60 days before the filing.
Does a registered foreign LLC still need a resident agent?
Yes. The company keeps a resident agent in the state, at a street address there, for as long as it stays registered.
Which foreign registration services made this shortlist?
Mainstay Filing ($199), MD Registered Agent.org ($199) and Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199), listed from the top pick down.
Which service leads the Maryland foreign registration shortlist?
Mainstay Filing, because it charges $199 on top of the state fee, serves as resident agent free for year one and prices every state the same.
Where the figures come from
- Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (checked again August 2026)
- Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (checked again August 2026)
- Maryland report due date (checked again August 2026)
- Md. Code, Corporations & Associations sec. 4A-202 (checked again August 2026)
- Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Maryland registered agent statute) (checked again October 2026)
- Maryland Business Express (checked again October 2026)
- Corporations and Associations § 4A-1002, registration (checked again October 2026)
- Corporations and Associations § 4A-1009, activities that are not doing business (checked again October 2026)
- Corporations and Associations § 4A-1007, effect of not registering (checked again October 2026)
- Tax-Property § 11-101, annual report (checked again October 2026)
- Pulled from Mainstay Filing: Maryland service page, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from MD Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from Maryland Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026