Register a Maryland Foreign LLC
A Maryland Foreign LLC is a business formed in another state or jurisdiction that wants to operate in Maryland. To do so, you must register with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation and pay a $100 filing fee (add $55 for expedited online filing).
Northwest can do it for you for just $225 + state fees. We'll handle the paperwork, provide a full year of registered agent service, a custom domain, local phone number, email, web hosting, and a local Maryland business address. Everything your business needs to get going in Maryland.
$225 Foreign Registration
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How To Register a Foreign LLC in Maryland
The process to register a foreign LLC in Maryland is known as foreign qualification. To foreign qualify your LLC in Maryland, you need to do three things:
- Appoint a local registered agent
- Obtain a certificate of good standing from your LLC’s home state
- Complete and submit a Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration to Maryland’s State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT)
The guide below shows you how to foreign qualify your LLC in Maryland.
Your first step is to appoint a Maryland registered agent (also sometimes called a Resident Agent for Service of Process). Whoever you choose to be your registered agent must have a physical address in Maryland where they’ll be available to accept service of process in person during regular business hours. So, if you don’t already live in Maryland, you cannot be your own registered agent. Instead, you’ll need to appoint a Marylander you trust or hire a registered agent service that has a Maryland office.
You will need to provide a certificate of good standing when you register your foreign LLC with Maryland’s SDAT. A certificate of good standing is written proof of existence from your home state, showing that your LLC is legally allowed to operate, and is up to date on all filings and fees. The process to obtain a certificate varies by state, but in general you can get one on your state’s Secretary of State website.
Note: Maryland only accepts certificates issued within the last 60 days, but your certificate does not need to be an original copy.
As your LLC expands operations to Maryland, it’s important to connect with local customers. A strong online presence helps build trust and make your business look professional, even if you’re new to the area. Northwest makes business expansion easy. We can set you up with a custom website, secure hosting, a unique domain, a local phone number, and a professional email address to establish your business in Maryland.
Learn more about how to launch your business identity in a new state.
Before your foreign LLC can start legally doing business in Maryland, you’ll need to complete a form called the Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration and submit it with the $100 filing fee to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.
Here’s what you’ll need to include on your Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration:
- Your LLC’s legal name in your home state or jurisdiction
- The alternate name you will use if your original business name is unavailable in Maryland
- The state or jurisdiction where your business was formed
- The date your business was formed
- The address of your LLC’s principal office
- A brief description of your business activity
- Whether or not your foreign LLC is a Series LLC
- The name and address of your Maryland registered agent (cannot be a P.O. Box)
- Whether your company has done business in Maryland prior to its registration. If it has, you’ll be required to pay a $200 penalty.
- Signature of authorized person from the LLC
- Signature of your registered agent
Ready to go? Register your foreign LLC in Maryland with Northwest.
Once approved, Maryland will send you an acknowledgment that your foreign LLC is registered to do business. If you need a physical certificate, you’ll need to request one. You can do this one of three ways:
- Online through the Maryland Business Express website
- In person at:
Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation
123 Market Place
Baltimore, MD 21202 - By sending a letter requesting a certificate to:
SDAT – Corporate Charter Division
301 W. Preston Street, Room 801
Baltimore, MD 21201
How you request your certificate will determine how much you pay. Online and in-person requests cost $40 and are automatically expedited. Mailed requests cost $20 and take about seven days (unless you expedite for an extra $20—then you’ll get it in about three days).
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Maryland Foreign LLC Registration FAQ
$100 for normal processing. Need faster approval? Maryland offers expedited filings for an additional $50 (add $5 for the online filing fee).
You can file your Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration online, in person or by mail.
Online:
Maryland Business Express
Mail or in person:
SDAT – Corporate Charter Division
301 W. Preston Street, Room 801
Baltimore, MD 21201
Your filing method determines how long it takes the state to approve your foreign LLC.
- Mail and in person filings: Up to eight weeks (add $50 for expedited 10-day service and a $5 online filing fee)
- Online filings: 10 days
Note: If you’re in a hurry, you can hand-deliver your documents to the Maryland SDAT office and pay for two-hour processing ($425). You’ll need to be in line no later than 4:15 PM.
No. Only an LLC that was originally formed in Maryland would need file Articles of Organization with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, making it a domestic Maryland LLC. Foreign LLCs just file the Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration.
An LLC from outside of Maryland will need to register as a foreign LLC in Maryland if it is doing business there. But what does that mean?
Maryland law (MD Corp & Assn Code § 4A-1009) says an LLC is doing business if it owns income-producing property in the state. So if your LLC owns a warehouse, office, or other property that generates taxable income, you must register as a foreign LLC.
Other activities—like hiring employees, getting a professional license, or selling goods or services—can also require registration, even though they’re not specifically listed in the statute.
Some activities don’t count, such as handling a lawsuit in Maryland.
Read more about what counts as doing business in another state.
Yes. To amend your foreign LLC in Maryland, you will need to file a Certificate of Amendment to the Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration form and pay the $100 filing fee. If your foreign LLC’s name in Maryland is different than its original name, use the current Maryland name on the form.
Note: The changes you make on this form need to match the formation document you filed in your home jurisdiction.
Yes. Your foreign LLC will need to file a Maryland Annual Report (also called the Maryland Personal Property Return) every year. It is due April 15. It costs at least $300 to file, but may be more depending on your Maryland Business Personal Property Tax.
Do you live in Maryland? Do you plan to be available, 9 AM to 5 PM, every weekday? No vacations, no business meetings, no time off? This is where a registered agent comes in handy. Plus, any registered agent worth hiring will allow you to use their address on public documents, which can help you live privately.
Unless you elect to be taxed as an S-corp or C-corp, Maryland LLCs (both foreign and domestic) are taxed as pass-through entities. This means that profits pass through the business to each LLC member. Members then report these profits (or losses) on their personal tax returns. Each member will also be on the hook for self-employment taxes of 15.3% (12.4% for social security and 2.9% for Medicare).
If you’d like to withdraw a foreign Maryland LLC, you’ll need to file a Certificate of Cancellation of a Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation. Filing with non-expedited processing is free, but there is a $50 fee for expedited processing.
