Maryland Registered Agent Service
Every business entity registered with the State of Maryland must maintain a resident agent and registered office address on state record. The resident agent serves as your business’s official point of contact for service of process, legal notices, and state correspondence. Many business owners choose to hire a service to fulfill this requirement because they know a good resident agent service will help protect their information privacy, securely receive their mail, and be there for them when they have business filing needs.
Our Maryland Registered Agent Service gives you all this and more. We can help your business meet the Maryland physical address requirement while giving you fast access to important mail and documents through a secure online account. For only $49 a year, your business can take advantage of our Maryland business address and a host of other services, like mail scanning, virtual office, phone service, business domain, website and web hosting tools.
What Is a Maryland Registered Agent?
A Maryland registered agent, also known as a “resident agent,” is the individual or company designated to receive legal documents and official government correspondence on behalf of a business. The registered agent’s name and Maryland registered office address become part of the public record maintained by the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).
Common documents sent to a Maryland registered agent include:
- Service of process (lawsuit documents)
- Court summons notices
- State compliance notices
- Tax correspondence
- Official mail from Maryland agencies
Any mail from outside these sources (phone bills, bank statements, etc.) is considered “regular mail” and may be refused by the registered agent service. However, at Maryland Registered Agent, we’ll never turn away your mail. Not only do we scan and upload your official registered mail to your online account, we’ll do the same with any regular mail we receive on your behalf. This is why we offer Mail Scanning and Virtual Office packages to assist you with ALL your mail, not just the official stuff.
Who Can Be a Maryland Registered Agent?
Maryland has specific requirements for who may serve as a registered agent, also known in Maryland as a resident agent. The registered agent must be available to receive legal documents and official notices on behalf of the businesses it serves.
To serve as a Maryland registered agent, the agent must be:
- An adult over the age of 18 with a physical street address in Maryland, or
- A Maryland corporation, Maryland LLC, or other Maryland business entity authorized by the state to serve as a registered agent
Before a registered agent can be listed on a Maryland business filing, they must consent to the appointment. This is usually done by gaining the registered agent’s signature on business formation or registration filings. It’s important to gain consent to the appointment because the agent’s name and physical address become part of public record for the life of the business.
Maryland Registered Agent Requirements
The requirements for a Maryland registered agent are fairly straight forward. A Maryland registered agent must:
- Maintain a physical street address in Maryland
- Be available at that address during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 8am-5pm EST)
- Accept service of process and other state and legal notices
- Forward received mail to the intended business in a timely manner
- Give consent to serve as the registered agent for each business they represent
Maryland businesses must maintain a registered agent and registered office address to remain in good standing with the state. If a registered agent resigns or the registered office address changes, the business must update its information with Maryland SDAT. Keeping an active registered agent helps ensure your business receives important legal and state correspondence right away, as well as avoid any state compliance issues that can arise from missed notices.
Pros & Cons of Being Your Own Registered Agent in Maryland
Maryland does allow many business owners to serve as their own registered agent. While this can save money, there are some trade-offs to consider before listing yourself as your own registered agent.
PROS
SAVE SOME MONEY
You won’t pay an annual registered agent service fee because you are serving as your own registered agent.
DIRECT RECEIPT OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS
Service of process and official state correspondence are delivered directly to you at the registered office address listed.
FEWER THIRD PARTIES INVOLVED
Some business owners prefer handling all business correspondence themselves rather than relying on a third party service provider.
CONS
LOSS OF PRIVACY
Your name and physical address will appear on Maryland public business records, accessible to customers, vendors, marketers, solicitors, or anyone that searches for it in state records. You can update it later, but it will always be there in the state’s record history for your business.
LOSS OF FREEDOM
One of the Maryland resident agent requirements is being physically present at the registered office address during all normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 8am-5pm EST). This schedule can feel very restrictive after awhile!
RISK OF MISSING IMPORTANT DOCUMENT DELIVERIES
If you have to leave to manage your business, run errands, or travel to a work site, you risk missing the delivery of time-sensitive legal notices.
BUSINESS GROWTH CAN COMPLICATE THINGS
As your business grows, keeping up with compliance notices, legal correspondence, and address changes can become more difficult. You would be responsible to file a change of address with SDAT each time you change locations.
A professional service, like Maryland Registered Agent, provides a reliable resident agent and registered office address for many business owners at an affordable price. We own our building and business address, so you’ll never have to worry about our address changing. We’re here to help you stay organized, maintain your name and address privacy, and make sure you receive all time-sensitive state and legal notices the same day they’re received.
How Our Maryland Registered Agent Service Works
Step 1: Sign Up Online
Create your account by choosing one of our business service packages:
- Maryland Registered Agent Service in Baltimore – only $49 per year, instant access to a Baltimore physical business address
- LLC Formation – price includes 1 year of registered agent service
- Corporation Formation – price includes 1 year of registered agent service
- Out-of-State Registration – choose this service to get your foreign LLC or corporation registered in Maryland. Price includes 1 year of registered agent service.
- Business Address & Mail Scanning Service – Choose from a variety of Mail Scanning packages or our Virtual Office service.
You’ll gain immediate access to your online account and our registered office address in Baltimore.
Step 2: List Us on Your Maryland Filing
Use our Baltimore office address when forming your business or changing your resident agent information. On business formation documents, or any state filing, you can use our Baltimore address as the:
- Business principle office address
- Business mailing address
- LLC Member and/or Manager address
- Corporate officer and director addresses
- Maryland resident agent address (of course!)
Basically, anywhere on a state filing that needs a Maryland address, you can use our registered agent address to protect your privacy. If we form your company for you, we’ll automatically put our address on your formation documents to protect your privacy.
Step 3: We Receive Your Legal Documents
We accept service of process and official state correspondence on your business’s behalf. We’re always here at our address to receive your mail in person.
With our service, you’ll never need to guess when or if you have mail waiting for you. You’ll receive an email notice each time we upload a document into your online account.
Need to receive the original copy of something we received for you? No problem! Just login to your account to make a mail request for the document you need, choose the address you want it mailed to, and pay the shipping and postage.
Step 4: Access Your Documents Online
Your documents are scanned and uploaded to your secure online account. From there, you can download them to your computer or phone, print them out, or email them to yourself or others. You never need to worry about junk mail again, we sort that out for you and only upload the important stuff.
We keep the original copies of your mail in storage for 30 days, after that, everything is shredded for your mail security.
How can I change my current Maryland Registered Agent information?
To update your current Maryland registered agent information on state record, you will need to file a “Resolution to Change Principle Office or Resident Agent” form with Maryland SDAT. The filing fee is $25 (add 3% if you pay with a credit card) and may take 4-6 weeks to process.
If you choose to file it online, there’s an automatic $50 expedited fee added ($75 total + 3% credit card fee), but the processing speeds up to seven days.
The form must be signed by your new resident agent (which proves consent to serve) and a representative of your business (you or any other authorized member or officer of your business).
Why Choose Maryland Registered Agent Service?
Not all Maryland registered agent services are the same. We focus on making it easy for business owners to stay organized and informed.
When you hire us, you get top tier registered agent service plus a ton of extras:
- A professional business address in Baltimore
- Same-day document scanning
- Secure online document storage
- Email notifications for new documents
- Maryland annual report reminders
- Access to a free library of pre-signed, pre-filled state filings
- Free Operating Agreement or By-Laws with every business formation order
- Free domain, website and web hosting, business phone & email service
- Friendly support from a host of local Baltimore business experts
Rather than worrying about missing legal notices or state correspondence, you can focus on running your business while we handle your registered agent responsibilities. Plus, take advantage of a ton of free services and know there’s a team of real people waiting to help you with all your business questions.
Maryland Registered Agent FAQs
Still have some questions? Check out our FAQs or contact us to connect with a real Baltimorean business expert.
Is a registered agent required in Maryland?
Yes, every business entity formed or registered in Maryland must provide and maintain a Maryland resident agent and physical Maryland registered office address on state record. The business owner is responsible for making sure this information is kept accurate and up to date.
This is one reason why choosing a registered agent service carefully becomes important. Filing change of agent paperwork with the state can get expensive. You’ll never have to worry about that with Maryland Registered Agent, we own our building so our address is reliable and stable.
What is the difference between a registered agent and a resident agent?
There is no difference between a registered agent and a resident agent. They are just two terms for the same job. Some states, like Arizona, use the term “statutory agent.” Same thing.
Can I be my own registered agent in Maryland?
Yes, you can be your own Maryland registered agent if you meet all of Maryland’s registered agent requirements and have a physical Maryland street address. To read more about Maryland registered agent requirements, check out our “Requirements” section.
Do I need a Maryland registered agent for a foreign LLC?
Yes, foreign LLCs, corporations, non-profits, and other foreign business entities that want to do business in Maryland must appoint a Maryland resident agent and provide a Maryland street address for the registered office address.
What documents does a Maryland registered agent receive?
A Maryland registered agent is responsible for receiving service of process, lawsuits, summonses, compliance notices, and other official state correspondence on behalf of individuals and businesses.
What is a registered office address?
A registered office address is the physical Maryland street address where a resident agent is available to receive legal documents and official notices for your business.
Where is your Maryland registered agent office located?
Our Maryland registered agent office is located in “The Charm City” Baltimore, Maryland.
How much does your Maryland Registered Agent Service cost?
Our Maryland Registered Agent Service is $49 per year, forever. Your service renewal date is a year from the day you first ordered. So, if you order our service on May 8th, 2026, your service renewal for another year will be due on May 8th, 2027.
Can I change my Maryland registered agent later?
Yes, you can change or update your Maryland resident agent and/or registered office address by filing the “Resolution to Change Principle Office or Resident Agent” form with Maryland SDAT. To read more about how to file this form, check out our Change Your Maryland Resident Agent section.
Do you provide online document access?
Yes, the documents we receive on your behalf with our service are scanned and uploaded to your private online account. We keep all original copies of your mail for 30 days before it get shredded. So, if you ever need us to mail you the original copy of your mail, you have time to make a physical mailing request from within your online account.