Maryland LLC Cost: Average Fees Explained

Maryland's filing fee looks modest, but the state has the widest spread of rush options on this list, and its yearly filing is the line owners notice most. How you file, how fast you need it, and what the annual filing costs decide the real total.

Fees on this page come from the sources named in each table and were checked on Oct 11, 2026. Confirm current amounts with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation before you pay.

The base fee for Articles of Organization is $100. Filing online, with expedited handling included, costs $150.

Reserving a name for 30 days costs $25, and a trade name, or DBA, costs $25. Fixing an error in a filed document with a Certificate of Correction costs $25. An LLC formed in another state registers in Maryland for $100.

Maryland's rush options range from a modest mail add-on to a same-day walk-in.

• Expedited mail processing, in 7 to 10 business days: $50
• Same-day online service: $325
• Same-day dropbox service: $425

These are added on top of the filing fee. The faster tiers cost several times the base filing, so they make sense only when a deal or a bank account is waiting on the LLC. Standard handling creates the same LLC.

Maryland LLCs file an annual report, and the filing is tied to the state's personal property return. LLC University lists the cost at $300/yr.

That figure can differ from what your LLC actually pays. Confirm the amount and due date with the state, and ask a licensed CPA about how the personal property return applies to your business.

Maryland calls its registered agent a resident agent. You can serve as your own agent if you live in Maryland and can accept documents at a physical address. Otherwise a commercial resident agent typically costs $100 – $300/yr, per LLC University.

The three sources give different pictures of the same filing.

One source gives a range that spans the mail and online fees. Another gives a single online figure that is slightly higher than the base, which may reflect a processing charge. The differences mostly come from whether the figure includes expedited handling and a service fee. Each number describes a different bundle of services.

A DBA is only needed if you operate under a name other than the LLC's legal name. A Certificate of Correction is worth knowing about because a typo in your Articles is easier to fix at that price than to live with. Check your name and your agent's address before you submit.

Filing directly means paying the state fee plus any rush option you choose. A formation service adds its own charge and may bundle a resident agent. Both produce the same LLC.

If you have co-owners, ask a licensed attorney about an operating agreement. It is not part of the filing cost, but it records how profits and decisions work.

Because Maryland pairs a base fee with several rush tiers, two quotes can differ widely for the same LLC. Start by deciding whether you need speed at all. If you do not, the base fee is the number to hold providers to.

If you do need speed, ask exactly what turnaround the rush tier guarantees. Standard handling, mail expedite, same-day online, and same-day dropbox are different products with different timelines. A provider that quotes the fastest tier by default is charging for something you may not need.

Ask whether a resident agent is included and for how long. Ask whether the quote already includes the expedite fee, and whether the service will remind you of the annual filing. Check that your LLC name matches your Articles before filing, since fixing it later costs extra.

The annual filing is the recurring task, and it carries the largest recurring state cost in the tables above. Mark the due date as soon as you form, confirm it with the state, and keep your resident agent's address current so notices reach you.

For a small business with little property, ask a licensed CPA how the personal property return applies. The answer affects what you file, and a quick conversation costs less than a mistaken filing.