The $100 state fee, the paperwork, the registered agent requirement — here's exactly what it costs, how long it takes, and the fastest legitimate path to an approved LLC. Worth noting: Maryland's annual fee afterward is a flat $300, higher than the fee to form in the first place.
Maryland keeps the filing itself straightforward — the part to watch is the annual fee that follows, not the paperwork to get started.
Must include “LLC” or “L.L.C.” — run it through the Maryland Business Express name search first, since a taken name is the #1 reason filings bounce.
Non-negotiable under Maryland law. Needs a real street address, staffed during business hours — no P.O. boxes.
Filed online or by mail with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, along with the $100 state fee. This is the step that makes it official.
Free straight from the IRS — you'll need it before a bank will let you open a business account.
Maryland requires an Annual Report / Personal Property Return, a flat $300, due April 15 each year — steeper than the $100 it cost to form, so budget for it. Miss it and Maryland can forfeit your LLC's good standing.
Northwest handles all five steps above and includes your Maryland registered agent free for year one.
Wrong entity designator, missing registered agent info, and name conflicts account for most bounced filings. Here's what changes with a formation service handling it.
| What matters | Filing it yourself | Using a formation service |
|---|---|---|
| Time spent | 3–5 hours of research + filing | ~10 minutes |
| Total cost | $100 state fee only | $100 state fee + service fee |
| Registered agent | Separate purchase, $100–$300/yr | Often included year one |
| Compliance reminders | You track manually | Automated deadline alerts |
| Rejection risk | Common on first attempt | Reviewed before submission |
Northwest handles the filing, includes your registered agent for the first year, and flags the details that trip people up — including that $300 annual fee — before you submit.
Files your Articles of Organization directly with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, includes a Maryland-address registered agent for the first year at no extra cost, and flags common rejection triggers before you submit.
"Filed within a couple weeks, no issues. Didn't expect the registered agent to already be set up when the confirmation came through."
"I tried filing myself first and got rejected over the entity name format. Second time, went through a service and it was fixed before submission."
"Nobody warned me the annual fee was $300 — way more than I expected after only paying $100 to form. Glad the reminder email gave me time to budget for it."
Northwest Registered Agent, $39 plus your $100 state fee, no long-term contract.