Maryland LLC Articles of Organization

How to Complete the Maryland LLC Articles of Organization

In this lesson, we will walk you through filing your Articles of Organization with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). This is the document that officially forms your Maryland LLC.

Maryland LLC cost

The cost to form an LLC in Maryland is $100 by mail, or $150 online.

How much is an LLC in Maryland explains all the fees you’ll pay to start a Limited Liability Company, including the Articles of Organization filing fee.

Maryland LLC approval time

By mail ($100): If you form your LLC by mail, it will be approved in 5-8 weeks (plus mail time). If you want it faster, you can pay $50 extra and your LLC will be approved in about 2 weeks.

Online ($150): If you form your LLC online, it will be approved in 2 weeks.

We recommend the online filing if you need your LLC approved faster. If you don’t mind the wait and would like to save $50, you can file by mail.

Alternatively, if you want to hire a company to form your LLC, check out Best LLC Services in Maryland.

Go to the instructions:

• File online
• File by mail

Step-by-step instructions for filing your Maryland LLC online

Create a new account on Maryland Business Express

First, you will need to create an online account with the Maryland SDAT:

• Visit Maryland Business Express: Registrations and Filings.
• Enter your name, phone number, and email. You don’t have to enter your address if you don’t want to.
• Set a username and password.
• From the dropdown list for “Type of User”, select “Business Owner/Representative”.

Start a New Filing

From your account dashboard, select “Start a New Filing”. Then click “New Business Filings”, and then select “Register a Business”.

From the list of business types under “Register a New Business”, click “Maryland Limited Liability Company”.

How would you like to file?

Click “I will use the online forms”. Then save & continue.

Name Search

• Helpful tips: Review Maryland LLC Name Search for help with LLC names.

Enter your LLC name exactly as you want it, and select the suffix (aka “ending”) you want to use from the drop down list.

Maryland allows you to use these suffixes:

• LC
• L.C.
• LLC (most common)
• L.L.C.
• Limited Liability Company

Click “Search Names”. If your name is available to use, you’ll be taken to the next page. If your name is not available, the system will tell you. If that happens, you’ll need to come up with a variation or a new LLC name altogether.

Business Information – Principal Office location in Maryland

Enter your Maryland LLC’s Principal Office address.

What is a Principal Office Address?
It’s where the primary business activities take place and/or where your LLC records are kept.

This address must be a street address located in Maryland. It can’t be a PO Box.

Your Maryland LLC’s Principal Office address can be:

• a home address
• an office address
• a virtual office address or mailbox rental
• the address of your Maryland Registered Agent (if your Registered Agent allows it)

Have a different mailing address? Check the box at the bottom and then enter your mailing address.

Contact Information

Enter your email address and phone number. This information is only used by the state if they have any questions about your filing.

You can enter your personal email here.

Business License

Don’t panic if you’re not sure whether you need a business license yet. You don’t need to make a decision or do anything right now.

However, you can call the Circuit Court in the county where your LLC is located, and ask what type of business license your LLC needs (if any). Licensing is typically determined by where your LLC is located and what kind of business it is.

Or, if you don’t want to make phone calls and determine the licensing requirements, we recommend using IncFile.

In summary: Most people click “Uncertain” and take care of this later.

Resident Agent (aka Registered Agent)

• Prior lesson: We recommend reading Maryland Registered Agent before you complete this section. Also explore our article on Is a Registered Agent a Member of an LLC?

If you or someone you know will be the Registered Agent:

Select “An Individual” from the drop down. And then enter that person’s name and contact information below.

If you hired Northwest Registered Agent:

• Select “a Maryland Corporation” from the drop down
• Corporation/LLC Name: Northwest Registered Agent Service, Inc.
• Title: Select “Officer”
• First Name: Taylor
• Last Name: Newman
• Phone: 509-768-2249
• Email: support@northwestregisteredagent.com
• Address: Enter their address as listed in your Northwest online dashboard

Click “Add Contact to My Contacts”. Then click “Save and Continue” to proceed.

Contact Information

This field has a confusing name, but it’s just showing where your LLC approval documents will be sent. Under “The Maryland Business Express Account Holder is…” the system lists the email address for the account holder. If you want to receive the LLC approval documents at that email address, just scroll to the bottom and click “Continue”.

If you’d like an additional person to receive a copy of those documents, enter their contact information here also.

Summary

Review your filing for accuracy and check for any typos.

If all looks good, click “Proceed to Certification”. If you need to make any changes, click the “Edit” buttons.

Certification

Authorized Person (aka Organizer):
The LLC Organizer is the person who signs and submits your filing to the state.

Most people filing their own LLC are also the Organizer. If this is the case, just enter your name in the first box. For more information, please see LLC Organizer vs Member and Registered Agent vs LLC Organizer.

Resident Agent:
Check the box agreeing to the terms.

Filing Party:
Enter your contact information.

Certified Copy (costs $41):
Certified Copies are not required and they are rarely used. Honestly, it’s a way for the state to make more money. Most people don’t need one and don’t check this box.

Click “Certify and Proceed” to continue.

Other Filing Options (or Proceed to Payment)

• Related article: Do I need a Trade Name for my LLC?

If you want to register a Trade Name for your LLC, click “Register a Trade Name”. This costs $75 to file online ($25 filing fee plus a forced $50 expedited fee). In Maryland, all online filings have a forced $50 expedited fee.

Otherwise, click “Proceed to Payment” to file your Articles of Organization.

Pay for your LLC:
You can pay with a credit card or debit card. Enter your payment information, click “Submit”, and finalize your payment to the state.

Congratulations! Your LLC Articles of Organization have been submitted to the state. Now you just need to wait for approval.

Maryland LLC Approval Time (online filings)

If you form your LLC online, it will be approved in 2 weeks. Your approval will be emailed to you.

What do I get back?

The State will email you a Confirmation Letter and copy of your Articles of Organization (stamped and approved).

How to file a Maryland LLC by Mail

Download Articles of Organization

Download the Articles of Organization form:
Articles of Organization

Mail filing video instructions:

Important: The video says the form can be handwritten. This is no longer the case. The state no longer accepts handwritten Articles of Organization. If filing by mail, the Articles of Organization must be typed.

Accepted Forms of Payment

You can pay the filing fee with a check or money order when you file by mail. Make your check or money order payable to “State Department of Assessments and Taxation”.

Maryland LLC Mail Filing Instructions

Mail your Articles of Organization with your check or money order (made payable to the “State Department of Assessments and Taxation”) to:

State Department of Assessments and Taxation
Charter Division
301 W. Preston Street, 8th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201-2395

Maryland LLC Approval Time (mail filings)

If you form your LLC by mail, it will be approved in 5-8 weeks (plus mail time) (this accounts for mail time). Your approval will be mailed to you.

Maryland offers expedited processing (within 2 weeks) for mail filings only. The expedited filing fee is $50 extra, or $150 total. Including mail time, this means you will get your LLC in about 3 weeks.

What do I get back?

The State will mail you a Confirmation Letter and a copy of your Articles of Organization.

State Contact Info

If you have any questions, you can contact the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation at 410-767-1330.

Their hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 3:30pm, Eastern Time.

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.