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Unpacked · Maryland

3 Best Registered Agents in Maryland (2026): Unpacked

Opened up for 2026, the registered agents in Maryland rank Maryland Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), MD Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), best on top. Inside the price: $99 to $149 for year one, and $297 to $447 across three years.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Four things inside

Required to name one?
Yes, by law
Label in the statute
Resident agent
What agents charge
$99 to $149 per year
Our pick
Maryland Registered Agent.co, MD Registered Agent.org then Mainstay Filing

Our Maryland picks, opened up

Prices come from each company's own page. See how we open it up.
Top of the stack

1. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for an LLC that stays in the state

Annual price $99, renewal price $99

What puts Maryland Registered Agent.co first: $99 a year, then $99, fits an LLC that stays in Maryland.

Its three-year cost is below Mainstay Filing's, and cost is the heaviest layer.

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • $99 a year, flat at renewal
  • A smaller yearly bill than the national pick

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing for other states
  • Nothing inside covers the Business Entity Annual Report
Maryland only

2. MD Registered Agent.org: best for another in-state option

Annual price $99, renewal price $99

MD Registered Agent.org lands second, and $99 a year, then $99, fits an LLC that stays in Maryland.

Its prices match Maryland Registered Agent.co exactly, so the order between them is close.

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • $99 a year, flat at renewal
  • A smaller yearly bill than the national pick

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing for other states
  • Nothing inside covers the Business Entity Annual Report
Holds up anywhere

3. Mainstay Filing: best for an LLC that may expand

Annual price $149, renewal price $149

What puts Mainstay Filing third: nothing inside changes by state: $149 a year, $149 at renewal.

Why not higher? Three years cost $150 more than Maryland Registered Agent.co, and cost is the heaviest layer.

Inside the price

  • A street address inside the state
  • Scans of three government mailings a year at no charge
  • Also covers corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

Inside, the good

  • $149 a year, flat at renewal
  • A single account works in any state

Inside, the catch

  • Maryland Registered Agent.co charges $50 less each year
  • The yearly report stays with you

Inside each price

#PickYear oneRenewalThree-year totalWhat is inside
1Maryland Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountOpen Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2MD Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountOpen MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447A street address inside the state; scans of three government mailings a year at no charge; Also covers corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofitsOpen Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from company prices read November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whichever pick you open.

Opened up, question by question

Is a resident agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

The law underneath: Md. Code, Corps. & Ass'ns § 1-101(x). mgaleg.maryland.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026

Who is allowed to be the agent?

A Maryland resident, or a Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership.

If you qualify, you can serve yourself at no cost.

What is inside an agent's price?

Services we rank charge $99 to $149 each year, which adds up to $297 to $447 over three.

State fees stay the same whichever agent you pick.

Why does the state want an agent?

Court papers and state notices for the company land at the agent's Maryland address first.

Ask how quickly the agent tells you when something arrives, so no deadline slips by. What is service of process?

What does the LLC owe the state each year?

Underneath it all, one filing repeats: the Business Entity Annual Report, every year, at $300 each time. The state phrases its deadline like this: April 15.

dat.maryland.gov holds the original, confirmed August 2026

What put number one on top?

On total across three years (34%), Maryland Registered Agent.co comes out ahead.

Five layers set the order: total across three years (34%), what is inside the price (29%), price laid out in the open (14%), how the renewal behaves (12%) and how far it reaches (11%).

Maryland Registered Agent.co stacks up to $297 over three years, $150 under Mainstay Filing.

How we open it up

Maryland: the agent checklist

RequirementAmount or rulePeek at source
Fee to form$100egov.maryland.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Resident agentYes, by lawmgaleg.maryland.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Business Entity Annual Report$300 every yeardat.maryland.gov holds the original, confirmed August 2026
What the state collects in three years$700The rows above, stacked
Every row above links to its official source. The final row is our own total of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax.

Also worth asking

Can I be my own agent?

Yes, if you meet the state's rules on who may serve and on the address, both shown above.

What address does an agent need?

The address has to be a Maryland address on file with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation; P.O. boxes are not accepted. The LLC also keeps a principal office in Maryland.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Maryland Registered Agent.co runs to $297 and MD Registered Agent.org runs to $297 and Mainstay Filing runs to $447

What do these numbers rest on?

Two kinds of source feed this page: Maryland's official documents for what the state charges, and company price pages for what services charge.

Does the law require one?

No law requires a service. It is a paid convenience.

What is the best registered agent for Maryland?

Open Maryland Registered Agent.co first, then compare MD Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.

What the page rests on

  1. Unpacking Maryland State Department of Assessments led us to dat.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  2. Unpacking Maryland State Department of Assessments led us to dat.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  3. Unpacking Maryland report due date led us to dat.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  4. Unpacking Md led us to mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  5. Unpacking Maryland formation fee: Filing fee led us to mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  6. Unpacking Maryland formation fee: Filing fee led us to egov.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  7. Unpacking Maryland registered agent statute led us to mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  8. The Maryland Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  9. The MD Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  10. The Mainstay Filing Maryland service page, opened November 13, 2026