If you own an LLC in Maryland, you might need to change your registered agent.
If that’s the case, it's critical to understand the steps involved and the regulations you must follow to have your amendment request approved and to keep your firm in compliance with Maryland state requirements.
To help you, we teamed up with our LLC experts with over fifteen years of experience and dedicated five weeks to researching the SOS website for the correct registered agent amendment documents and procedures.
Here's all you should know about changing your registered agent in Maryland.
Quick Summary
- To change your Maryland registered agent, you must file a Notice of Change of Principal Office/Resident Agent form with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division.
- It costs $25 to change a registered agent service in Maryland and $50 to expedite the process.
- It takes 4-6 weeks to change a Maryland resident agent service.
Who Can Be A Maryland Registered Agent?
Any business entity or individual can be a Maryland registered agent if they meet the state's requirements for being one.
To act as a reliable resident agent in Maryland, you must meet the following state's requirements:
- Must have a Maryland registered office address
- Must be eligible to provide registered agent services and handle legal documents
- Must be authorized to transact business in Maryland
- Must be available throughout regular business hours to accept service of process
- Must be 18 years and above
Note that a business entity in Maryland cannot act as its own registered agent service [1].
How To Change Your Maryland Registered Agent?
To change your Maryland registered agent, you must file a Notice of Change of Principal Office/Resident Agent form with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division.
It costs $25 to file this document, but you can pay an additional state filing fee of $50 to expedite the process [2].
Business owners can change their Maryland registered agents online, by mail, in person, or through a professional service.
1. Changing Your Registered Agent Using a Professional Service
If you're a busy Maryland LLC owner, you can save time by hiring a professional service to change LLC resident agent for you.
Create a user account on the professional service website you've hired, fill out your business details on the pre-populated amendment form, and email it to them.
They'll file the resident agent paperwork for you and notify you of the approval.
2. Changing Your Registered Agent Online
You can change your professional registered agent service online on the Maryland SOS website.
Once you create an online account, log in and navigate to the Notice of Change of Principal Office/Resident Agent form.
Proceed to fill it out and complete the payment using a credit card. The Maryland state department treats all online submissions as expedited, so expect your form to be approved within 7 business days.
3. Changing Your Registered Agent by Mail
If you want to change your Maryland registered agent service by mail, you must download the PDF form of the Notice of Change of Principal Office/Resident Agent, fill it out, and print it.
When filling out the form, you must include the following details:
- Name of the Maryland business entity
- State
- Principal office address of the old LLC resident agent in Maryland
- The principal address of the new Maryland resident agent
- Old resident agent name and address
- New designated registered agent name and address
You must also provide two official signatures under the signature lines:
- Signature of the authorized filer or general partner
- Signature of the new resident agent to show acceptance of the role
Once you verify all the details, print the form and attach the $25 filing fee as a money order or check. This amount is for standard processing, but you can pay extra for expedited processing.
Expedited processing costs $50, and you must indicate "EXPEDITED SERVICE REQUESTED" in bold on the cover letter and envelope and attach the additional fees.
This helps the SOS staff identify your documents quickly and prioritize your filing.
Mail the form to the following physical Maryland address:
State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division
301 W. Preston Street; 8th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201‐2395
4. Changing Your Registered Agent In-person
You can submit your form to the Maryland SOS head office Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm.
Once you download the form online, please fill it out and print it in black ink. Attach the filing fee as a check, money order, or cash.
Note that the standard processing time is 4-6 weeks, but you can pay extra fees for rush filing.
Expedited in-person submissions can be approved within the same day, but this applies to orders made by 4:15 pm.
All hand deliveries are directed to this official address:
State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division
301 W. Preston Street; 8th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201‐2395
FAQs
How Do I Remove a Resident Agent in Maryland?
To remove a resident agent in Maryland, the agent must first file the Statement of Resignation of Resident Agent to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division, by mail or in person. You will then change the details of your new agent by filing the Notice of Change form.
How Long Does It Take To Change a Registered Agent in Maryland?
It takes 4-6 weeks to change a registered agent in Maryland. Note that this is the standard processing time, but you can pay an additional $50 to expedite the process and have your papers approved within 7 business days.
How Much Does It Cost To Change a Registered Agent in Maryland?
It costs $25 to change a registered agent in Maryland. This filing fee covers processing the Notice of Change of Principal Office, Resident Agent, or Resident Agent's Address. However, the amount may be more if you pay for expedited processing.
Do You Want To Change Your Maryland Registered Agent?
As a company owner, you may need to change your registered agent at one point in your business term.
And because changing a registered agent and running the business simultaneously can be intimidating, we recommend hiring the best registered agent services in Maryland to do the heavy lifting.
These registered agent services will help you with your amendment form and punctually handle tax and compliance work on your behalf, assisting you in maintaining good business status with the SOS.
We recommend these resident agents because they offer top Maryland attorneys who provide expert guidance on how to set up and manage a business there.
References:
- https://businessexpress.maryland.gov/plan/register-your-business
- https://dat.maryland.gov/SDAT%20Forms/ch_addr.PDF
