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Filing Verdict

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Foreign registration verdict · Maryland

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Maryland (2026)

Filing Verdict's 2026 verdict on foreign registration services in Maryland: Mainstay Filing ($199), MD Registered Agent.org ($199) and Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. Mainstay Filing takes first place: $199 plus the state's own fee, with the resident agent free for the first year and one price in every state.
The Filing Verdict editorial team
Number one here
Spot 1

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states

$199 on top of the state fee; the agent is $149 a year from year two

9.1Editorial score
out of 10

Mainstay Filing wins here: it prepares the Maryland registration for $199 and serves as your resident agent, free in year one, then $149 a year.

The agent renews at $149 a year after the free first year, in this state or any other.

The three-year bill is $100 higher than MD Registered Agent.org's, and the wider coverage is worth that to us.

What you get

  • Foreign registration paperwork prepared and filed
  • Same-business-day scan and upload of served papers, no charge

What we like

  • Service fee of $199, plus the state's fee
  • Same-business-day scans of served papers, free
  • One price in all fifty states

Cons

  • After year one its agent runs $149 a year, $50 above MD Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Mainstay Filing verdict
Best for a Maryland-only company
Spot 2

2. MD Registered Agent.org: best for companies adding only Maryland

$199 on top of the state fee; the agent is $99 a year from year two

8.9Editorial score
out of 10

Second place goes to MD Registered Agent.org: the Maryland registration for $199 with the first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

What you get

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • A year of resident agent service up front

What we like

  • Year-one resident agent service included
  • Agent at $99 yearly after the first year
  • Files the registration for $199 plus fees

Cons

  • Covers Maryland only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full MD Registered Agent.org verdict
Best value here
Spot 3

3. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for Maryland registrations only

Service fee $199, state fee extra; agent $99 yearly after year one

8.8Editorial score
out of 10

Third place goes to Maryland Registered Agent.co: the Maryland registration for $199 with the first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

On price and features MD Registered Agent.org and Maryland Registered Agent.co match line for line, which makes this a close call between safe choices.

What you get

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • A year of resident agent service up front

What we like

  • Registration at $199 before state fees
  • A year of resident agent service is part of the price
  • Agent at $99 yearly after the first year

Cons

  • Covers Maryland only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Maryland Registered Agent.co verdict

The 3 verdicts at a glance

No.ServiceVerdict scoreService feeYear twoBest forVisit
1Mainstay Filing9.1$199$149/yrCompanies registered in several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2MD Registered Agent.org8.9$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Maryland Registered Agent.co8.8$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
The marks out of 10 are editorial: Filing Verdict sets them from the criteria on How we rank, and customers do not rate anything here.

Maryland foreign registration service prices for 2026: year one, renewals and three years

ServiceYear 1Year 2Year 3Total, 3 yearsAgent covered in year one
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Not stated
MD Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Maryland Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included
Prices were read from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Maryland's $100 registration fee goes on top of every row and is not counted in these totals.

How the order was set

Filing Verdict gives total over three years and paperwork the price handles 35% each, and renewal behavior, match to the state and up-front pricing split the rest. In Maryland the order was settled by paperwork the price handles.

Registering in a second state involves two states, so one provider with one price in both scored best on coverage, ahead of MD Registered Agent.org.

The full list of criteria and weights is on How we rank.

Maryland foreign LLC registration: the fee, the form and the filing office

The company registers with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division by filing the Limited Liability Company Registration (For non-Maryland Limited Liability Company). The state fee is $100. Maryland also asks for written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, issued within 60 days of filing.

Afterwards the company files the Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1 ($300), due April 15.

Before you file: a checklist

  • Written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, issued within 60 days before you file.
  • The exact legal name from the home state, and the date the company was formed there.
  • A resident agent with a street address in the state; each service on this page can act in that role.
  • The $100 state fee, paid with the filing.
  • A calendar entry for the Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1 and its $300 fee.

What skipping Maryland registration can cost

Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC cannot bring suit in Maryland courts (4A-1007(a)). Contracts it signs stay valid (4A-1007(b)).

Maryland foreign registration service: questions answered

Does Maryland require an out-of-state LLC to register?

Yes, once it transacts business there. Until it registers, it cannot bring suit in the state's courts.

What does foreign registration cost in Maryland?

The state fee is $100, and the service fee is $199.

Does Maryland want a certificate from my home state?

Yes. It asks for written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, issued within 60 days of filing.

Is a resident agent required once I have registered?

Yes. The company still needs a resident agent here, with a street address in the state.

Which foreign registration services are ranked on this page?

Mainstay Filing ($199), MD Registered Agent.org ($199) and Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199), from first place to last.

Which foreign registration service is the best pick in Maryland?

Mainstay Filing, because $199 on top of the state fee, the same in any state, with the first year of resident agent service included.

More from us

Sources and dates

  1. Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, confirmed August 2026
  2. Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, confirmed August 2026
  3. Maryland report due date, confirmed August 2026
  4. Md. Code, Corporations & Associations sec. 4A-202, confirmed August 2026
  5. Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  6. Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  7. Maryland registered agent statute), confirmed October 2026
  8. Maryland Business Express, confirmed October 2026
  9. Corporations and Associations § 4A-1002, registration, confirmed October 2026
  10. Corporations and Associations § 4A-1009, activities that are not doing business, confirmed October 2026
  11. Corporations and Associations § 4A-1007, effect of not registering, confirmed October 2026
  12. Tax-Property § 11-101, annual report, confirmed October 2026
  13. Checked November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, Maryland service page
  14. Checked November 12, 2026: MD Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages
  15. Checked November 12, 2026: Maryland Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages