Deal alert! Northwest will form your LLC for $39 (60% discount). See details.
In this lesson, we will walk you through filing your Articles of Organization with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). This is the document that officially forms your Maryland LLC.
The cost to form an LLC in Maryland is $100 by mail, or $150 online.
How much is an LLC in Maryland explains all the fees you’ll pay to start a Limited Liability Company, including the Articles of Organization filing fee.
By mail ($100): If you form your LLC by mail, it will be approved in 5-8 weeks (plus mail time). If you want it faster, you can pay $50 extra and your LLC will be approved in about 2 weeks.
Online ($150): If you form your LLC online, it will be approved in 2 weeks.
Note: Filing times may take longer due to government delays. For the most up-to-date LLC processing times, check how long does it take to get an LLC in Maryland.
We recommend the online filing if you need your LLC approved faster. If you don’t mind the wait and would like to save $50, you can file by mail.
Alternatively, if you want to hire a company to form your LLC, check out Best LLC Services in Maryland.
Go to the instructions:
Need to save time? Hire a company to form your LLC:
Northwest ($39 + state fee) or LegalZoom ($149 + state fee)
First, you will need to create an online account with the Maryland SDAT:
From your account dashboard, select “Start a New Filing”. Then click “New Business Filings”, and then select “Register a Business”.
From the list of business types under “Register a New Business”, click “Maryland Limited Liability Company”.
Click “I will use the online forms”. Then save & continue.
Enter your LLC name exactly as you want it, and select the suffix (aka “ending”) you want to use from the drop down list.
Maryland allows you to use these suffixes:
Note: The suffix at the end of the LLC name is also called a “designator”.
Click “Search Names”. If your name is available to use, you’ll be taken to the next page. If your name is not available, the system will tell you. If that happens, you’ll need to come up with a variation or a new LLC name altogether.
Enter your Maryland LLC’s Principal Office address.
What is a Principal Office Address?
It’s where the primary business activities take place and/or where your LLC records are kept.
This address must be a street address located in Maryland. It can’t be a PO Box.
Your Maryland LLC’s Principal Office address can be:
Note: If you hire Northwest Registered Agent, you can use their address for your LLC’s Principal Office address.
Have a different mailing address? Check the box at the bottom and then enter your mailing address.
Enter your email address and phone number. This information is only used by the state if they have any questions about your filing.
You can enter your personal email here.
Don’t panic if you’re not sure whether you need a business license yet. You don’t need to make a decision or do anything right now.
However, you can call the Circuit Court in the county where your LLC is located, and ask what type of business license your LLC needs (if any). Licensing is typically determined by where your LLC is located and what kind of business it is.
Or, if you don’t want to make phone calls and determine the licensing requirements, we recommend using IncFile.
In summary: Most people click “Uncertain” and take care of this later.
Note: Some states call the Registered Agent a Resident Agent or Statutory Agent. These all mean the same thing, so we always call it a Registered Agent to keep it simple.
Select “An Individual” from the drop down. And then enter that person’s name and contact information below.
Note: If you’ve hired a different Commercial Registered Agent, you’ll need to contact them and ask how to complete this section.
Click “Add Contact to My Contacts”. Then click “Save and Continue” to proceed.
This field has a confusing name, but it’s just showing where your LLC approval documents will be sent. Under “The Maryland Business Express Account Holder is…” the system lists the email address for the account holder. If you want to receive the LLC approval documents at that email address, just scroll to the bottom and click “Continue”.
If you’d like an additional person to receive a copy of those documents, enter their contact information here also.
Review your filing for accuracy and check for any typos.
If all looks good, click “Proceed to Certification”. If you need to make any changes, click the “Edit” buttons.
Authorized Person (aka Organizer):
The LLC Organizer is the person who signs and submits your filing to the state.
Most people filing their own LLC are also the Organizer. If this is the case, just enter your name in the first box. For more information, please see LLC Organizer vs Member and Registered Agent vs LLC Organizer.
Resident Agent:
Check the box agreeing to the terms.
Filing Party:
Enter your contact information.
Certified Copy (costs $41):
Certified Copies are not required and they are rarely used. Honestly, it’s a way for the state to make more money. Most people don’t need one and don’t check this box.
Click “Certify and Proceed” to continue.
If you want to register a Trade Name for your LLC, click “Register a Trade Name”. This costs $75 to file online ($25 filing fee plus a forced $50 expedited fee). In Maryland, all online filings have a forced $50 expedited fee.
Otherwise, click “Proceed to Payment” to file your Articles of Organization.
Note: Ignore the “Register Tax Accounts” button. It’s not urgent, and you can’t do it now anyway.
Pay for your LLC:
You can pay with a credit card or debit card. Enter your payment information, click “Submit”, and finalize your payment to the state.
Congratulations! Your LLC Articles of Organization have been submitted to the state. Now you just need to wait for approval.
If you form your LLC online, it will be approved in 2 weeks. Your approval will be emailed to you.
The State will email you a Confirmation Letter and copy of your Articles of Organization (stamped and approved).
Download the Articles of Organization form:
Articles of Organization
Note: If you hired a Commercial Registered Agent, you’ll need to call or email them and ask for their signed Maryland Articles of Organization, since the state requires that they also sign the form.
