2025 fees Maryland Secretary of State Rank #45 of 51

LLC Costs in Maryland (MD)

$525 all-in for your first year - $100 to file, $300 annual report, plus a registered agent. Maryland is $142 (37%) more expensive than the national average for first-year LLC costs.

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Annual report combined with personal property tax return ($300 minimum). Maryland has a higher annual cost due to personal property reporting. Proximity to Washington D.C. makes it attractive for government contractors.

Updated 2025 · Source: Maryland Secretary of State

Top-third first-year total

Top-third first-year total. $525 all-in ranks #45 of 51 - dearer third of the 51-row SOS fee book.Forming an LLC in Maryland costs about $525 in the first year, top-third of the 51-row book, about 37% above the national average, ranking #45 of 51. Fees are those published by the Maryland Secretary of State; registered agent is a $125/yr market-rate line, not a vendor quote.

According to the Maryland Secretary of State fee schedule; registered agent normalized at $125/yr. See methodology. How we calculate →

$100
One-time filing fee
$300 /yr
Annual report
$525
First-year total
#45 of 51
Cost rank (1 = cheapest)

Articles filing schedule card

Fee strip MD · Maryland SOS FY 2026 · rank #45

Maryland · $525 · file $100 · no pub

  • Y1 $100
  • PUB $300
  • ONLINE $525
  • PHOTO #45/51
  • SOS near District of Columbia
  • EXPEDITE 37% above avg

Dear-third stack: stamps derive from this state's Secretary of State fee schedule, not a recommendation of where to form. Read with tax planning against a dear SOS stack → · All 51 SOS fee rows →

1. Alabama$4252. North Carolina$4503. Alaska$4754. District of …$5245. Maryland$5256. Delaware$615
First-year SOS-fee total for Maryland and nearest-cost peers. Source: each Secretary of State + 51-row aggregate.

How the dear-third $525 stack breaks down

How your $525 first-year total breaks down Annual Report / Personal Property Tax Return (yr 1) drives 57% of a top-third first-year total.
  • State filing fee $100
  • Annual Report / Personal Property Tax Return (yr 1) $300
  • Registered agent $125
Cost Item Amount
State Filing Fee $100
Annual Report / Personal Property Tax Return $300
Registered Agent $125/yr
Expedited Filing (optional) $50
Total, First Year $525

Ongoing tax burden after formation

Maryland's 8.25% corporate tax rate ranks among the highest corporate tax burdens nationally, an ongoing cost that can outweigh the one-time $525 formation fee within a few profitable years.

Corporate income tax
8.25%
8.25% corporate tax rate, #42 of 51 lowest nationally
Effective property tax rate
0.97%
Of assessed property value, per year

Sources: Tax Foundation state corporate tax rates, Census ACS effective property tax rates.

Fee check: Dear-third first-year stack, verify current Maryland SOS fees before filing at https://dat.maryland.gov. Not legal or tax advice.

Maryland LLC quick facts (dear third)

Filing Fee $100
Annual Report $300 /yr
Processing Time 4-6 weeks
Expedited $50 → 7 business days
Online Filing Available
First-Year Total $525
File with Maryland SOS

Similar Cost States

North Carolina $450 Alaska $475 District of Columbia $524 Delaware $615

Lower-cost escapes

Jurisdictions with a lower first-year SOS-fee total than dear-third MD:

North Carolina $450 Alaska $475 District of Columbia $524

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Report a data error on this page.

Sources used on this page
  • Maryland Secretary of State - LLC filing fee, annual-report requirement, and processing time. dat.maryland.gov
  • Federation of Tax Administrators - cross-check of state fee and tax figures. taxadmin.org
LLC fees and requirements sourced from the Maryland Secretary of State. See our methodology for details.

Verify with the Maryland Secretary of State →