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Maryland is one of the few states where the business register is not kept by the Secretary of State. The State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) holds it, and the lookup is the Business Entity Search in Maryland Business Express. It is free. You can search by business name, Department ID or Employer Identification Number (EIN). The database covers corporations, LLCs, partnerships, professional corporations and trade names, and it is updated Monday to Friday. A lot of people search for a "Maryland secretary of state business search", and SDAT is the office that actually holds these records.
Maryland LLC and corporation search by name, ID or EIN
Each field has its own Search button: Business Name, Department ID and EIN. For a name, you can type all or part of it, and the Department ID shows in the results. The Department ID starts with a letter for the entity type, followed by eight digits. LLCs carry W or Z, and stock corporations carry D or F.
The EIN box helps when you have a company's federal tax number, say from an invoice or a W-9, but not its exact legal name.
To find a company's resident agent, open its record and select the General info link. For a corporation's officers and directors, SDAT asks you to send $1 with a request for the most recent annual report. Our registered agent lookup guide covers the agent side in more detail.
Status words on a Maryland record
SDAT uses three terms that matter:
- Good Standing: the entity is active and compliant.
- Not in Good Standing: the entity is out of compliance with one or more Maryland laws. A voluntarily terminated business also shows this, since only active entities can be in good standing.
- Forfeited: the entity's right to do business in Maryland is gone and it has no right to use its name. A forfeited domestic corporation has no legal existence.
The search lists the reason under the status entry. The most common causes are a missing Form 1, a penalty for a late Form 1, a bounced payment, no active resident agent, or an issue with the Comptroller or the Department of Labor. Our business entity status guide explains how to treat each status in a deal.
Most recent filed documents can be opened online as PDFs from the amendments link. If a document's eye icon is crossed out, you have to order a copy.
Maryland name rules
Under Corporations and Associations 1-502, an LLC name must include "limited liability company", "L.L.C.", "LLC", "L.C." or "LC". A corporation needs company, corporation, incorporated or limited, or an abbreviation of one. Section 1-504 says a name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Department from entities already organized or registered, from reserved or registered names, and from foreign entities' disclosed assumed names.
SDAT notes that name availability is not guaranteed over the phone. Run your own check first with our guide to checking LLC name availability. A reservation costs $25, plus $20 to expedite, and holds the name for an exclusive 30 days. See our name reservation guide.
The Maryland annual report and good standing
Maryland combines the annual report with the business personal property return on a single Form 1. It is due on or before April 15 every year, and a 60 day extension can be requested online. Form 1 lists a $300 fee for LLCs and for domestic or foreign stock corporations, while non-stock corporations pay nothing. Employers approved by MarylandSaves can have the $300 fee waived. A late Form 1 brings a monetary penalty, and an entity that stays out of compliance can be forfeited.
Proof of status is a Certificate of Status, also called a Certificate of Good Standing. It costs $20, and certificates ordered online can be verified in the same system. Our certificate of good standing guide compares other states.
The SDAT fee schedule sets $100 for LLC Articles of Organization and $100 to register a foreign LLC. Articles of Incorporation cost $100 plus a $20 organization and capitalization fee. Non-stock corporations seeking 501(c)(3), (4) or (6) status pay an extra $50. Payments through Business Express carry a 3% convenience fee.
Speed costs extra. A paper filing may take 4 to 6 weeks to review, and the same schedule puts online non-expedited filings at 6 to 8 weeks. A $50 expedite fee brings review within 7 to 10 business days. Same-day service is $425 on paper and $325 online.
Bulk data from SDAT
SDAT sells its data through a contractor, SpecPrint, Inc. The Corporate File covers corporations, LPs, LLCs, LLPs and trade names. The Corporate Master File is created monthly, and a weekly subscription is available. Custom selection reports cost $0.04 per account, with a $40 minimum. Details are on the SDAT services page.
Starting a company here? Read our guide on how to start an LLC in Maryland and the Maryland registered agent rules.
Also see our guides to the Maryland DBA and Maryland business license.