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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Maryland

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Maryland (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Maryland the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199), MD Registered Agent.org ($199) and Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your resident agent and the same price in every state.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick in Maryland

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.1 Editor score out of 10
$199 on top of the state fee, then the agent at $149 a year from year two

Mainstay Filing leads the card: it files the Maryland registration for $199 and acts as your resident agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.

After the free first year the agent costs $149 a year, in this state or any other.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $100 above MD Registered Agent.org's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • The foreign registration, handled for you
  • Same-business-day scans of service of process at no charge

Strengths

  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • Same price across all fifty states

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than MD Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Lower renewal than Mainstay

2. MD Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Maryland

8.9 Editor score out of 10
$199 on top of the state fee, then the agent at $99 a year from year two

MD Registered Agent.org takes second spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Maryland, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • One year of resident agent service

Strengths

  • $199 service fee plus the registration fee
  • First-year resident agent service included
  • $99 yearly for the agent after year one

Watch for

  • Limited to Maryland; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. MD Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #3 Low renewal

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

8.7 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

Maryland Registered Agent.co takes third spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Maryland, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Price for price and feature for feature, MD Registered Agent.org and Maryland Registered Agent.co match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • One year of resident agent service

Strengths

  • Includes the first resident agent year
  • $99 yearly for the agent after year one
  • Files the registration for $199 plus the state fee

Watch for

  • Limited to Maryland; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Maryland Registered Agent.co: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.1 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 MD Registered Agent.org 8.9 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit MD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Maryland Registered Agent.co 8.7 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every number out of 10 is an editorial mark from Formation Scorecard, produced with the criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.

Maryland foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Not stated
MD Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Maryland Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Maryland's $100 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

How the card was marked

Formation Scorecard scores cost across three years and coverage of the price at 25% each. Renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity account for the other 50%. In Maryland the tie was broken by coverage of the price.

A foreign registration touches two states, so a single provider at one price in both earned the most coverage points, ahead of MD Registered Agent.org.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Maryland: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Limited Liability Company Registration (For non-Maryland Limited Liability Company) to the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division, with a $100 state fee. Maryland additionally requires written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, dated no more than 60 days before filing.

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

Gather these before filing

  • Written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, issued no earlier than 60 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state resident agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $100, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the Business Entity Annual Report and Personal Property Return, Form 1 and its $300 fee.

The price of ignoring Maryland registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Maryland courts until it registers (4A-1007(a)). Its contracts remain valid (4A-1007(b)).

Maryland foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Maryland make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Maryland?

Expect $100 for the state plus $199 for the service.

Is a home-state certificate part of the Maryland filing?

Yes, the state wants written proof of existence from the home state, equivalent to a certificate of good standing, no older than 60 days.

Does a registered company still need a resident agent?

Yes, a resident agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration services sit on this card?

Mainstay Filing ($199), MD Registered Agent.org ($199) and Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199), top to bottom.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Maryland?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one resident agent service included.

See also

Where the figures come from

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