Registered Agent Rules in Maryland (Officially, a Resident Agent)

Why does Maryland say resident agent?

Maryland's Corporations and Associations article labels the role "resident agent," while nearly every other state and every national guide says registered agent. The duties are identical either way: one designated recipient for lawsuits, official notices, and state mail, on record with SDAT for the life of the company.

What does the law require?

Section 4A-210 hands every Maryland LLC two linked obligations: maintain a principal office inside the state, and keep a resident agent designated on the SDAT record. The agent's Maryland address becomes part of the public charter file the moment the designation is recorded, and the obligation runs continuously, not just at formation.

Who is allowed to take the job?

Section 1-101 draws the circle: "an individual residing in this State or a Maryland corporation, limited liability company, or limited partnership." Note the gap between that definition and SDAT's instruction sheet, which mentions only Maryland-resident citizens and active Maryland corporations. The statute is the broader and controlling text, so a Maryland LLC or limited partnership can serve even though the instructions never mention one.

Whoever takes the role needs a street address in the state with a human present during working hours, because process servers deliver by hand and a box at the post office cannot sign for a summons.

What lands on the agent's desk?

Lawsuit papers first and foremost, but also charter notices from SDAT, tax correspondence addressed to the entity, and every other document where a missed delivery carries consequences. All of it arrives at an address anyone can look up in the public record.

Can you just do it yourself?

If you live in Maryland, the definition above includes you, so an owner can absolutely put their own name down. What the statute never resolves is whether the LLC may appoint itself as its own agent, so companies stick with a person or a separate Maryland entity. Think hard before volunteering, though: your address goes public, your workday gets chained to that address, and a summons handed to nobody can become a judgment you hear about too late.

How do you switch agents later?

File the Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent with SDAT's Charter Division and pay $25. Like Maryland's other charter documents, it carries no form number; the current PDF sits on SDAT's forms page. When an agent resigns on their own, that filing is free.

What does our service run?

$99 a year, standalone, for any existing Maryland LLC. Form through us instead and year one is already part of the $199 formation package, then $99 a year from there. Either way you get a Maryland street address on the record instead of your own, scans of legal mail the day they arrive, deadline nudges before every April 15, and a portal archiving everything we have forwarded.

The short version

Maryland will not let an LLC exist without this role filled, and the statute gives you real options for filling it. Choose one that keeps your address private and your service of process in professional hands.

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