Skip to content
RegistryWise

Maryland

Maryland Business Entity Search (SDAT Business Express)

Written byRegistryWise Editorial TeamFact-checked against the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) · How we research

The short answer

Maryland business records are searched for free on Maryland Business Express, run by the Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), by business name or Department ID. The record shows good standing, filing history, and annual report status, and most LLCs pay a $300 annual report fee due April 15.

On this page
  1. LLC lookup, step by step
  2. What the status means
  3. Agent, filings, owners
  4. Your Department ID
  5. Is the name available?
  6. DBA and UCC search
  7. Fees and deadlines
  8. Questions
  9. Sources

Maryland at a glance

Who runs it
Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT)
Maryland Business Express
Cost to search
Free
Account needed
No
Search without signing up
Search by
Business name, Department ID

State fees

  • Form an LLC$100Online you choose non-expedited ($0 extra), expedited ($50 extra), or rush ($325 extra), and Business Express adds a 3% technology fee. On paper it's $100, plus $50 to expedite.Articles of OrganizationOfficial source
  • Annual Report and Business Personal Property Return$300For the annual report only. The personal property tax return has no fee. Business Express adds a 3% technology fee online. Businesses approved by MarylandSaves can get the fee waived.April 15 each year, starting the year after the LLC is formed.Official source
  • Certificate of Status$20Proof the business is currentOfficial source
  • Change resident agent$25Resolution to Change Resident Agent/Principal Office.Every LLC must have oneOfficial source

An LLC lookup in Maryland is the same search as a business search. The Maryland Business Express, kept by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), lists LLCs alongside corporations and other registered businesses. You can search by business name or department ID. It's free, and you don't need an account.

  1. Open the Business Entity Search on Maryland Business Express. No account is needed.
  2. Search by business name or Department ID.
  3. Open the result. The General Information tab shows the business details and its Good Standing status.
  4. The Filing History tab lists documents filed for the business and any actions taken against it by other state agencies.
  5. The Annual Report/Personal Property tab shows whether required reports were filed and whether late fees are owed.

Good to know in Maryland: A Maryland record shows whether the business is in Good Standing. A business can fall out of good standing for a missing annual report or personal property return, unpaid late fees, a problem with the Comptroller or Department of Labor, a bounced payment, or no resident agent. If it isn't fixed, the state forfeits the business. The registry is run by the Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).

What the search shows you

  • General Information tab: business details and Good Standing status
  • Filing History tab: documents filed for the business and actions by other state agencies
  • Annual Report/Personal Property tab: whether required reports were filed and any late fees owed

What the status words mean

Maryland uses its own words for a company's status, and they don't always mean the same thing as in other states. Here's what you'll see on the Maryland Business Express, in the state's own wording.

StatusWhat it means
ActiveThe business exists on SDAT records. Check its Good Standing status too.
Good StandingThe business has filed its annual reports, paid its fees, and has no open compliance problems.
Not in Good StandingThe business hasn't met a requirement, such as a missing annual report or personal property return, unpaid late fees, a tax or labor issue, a bounced payment, or no resident agent.
ForfeitedThe state shut the business down because it stayed out of good standing. A forfeited business can't legally operate in Maryland.

For how these compare across states, see what business entity status means.

Finding the registered agent, filing history and owners

Resident Agent

Check the General Information tab. A business with no active resident agent falls out of good standing. You can change the agent online with a Resolution to Change Resident Agent ($25).

Filing history

On the Filing History tab. To get copies, use the Order Documents tab on the entity's page. Certified copies are $20 each.

Owners, managers and officers

The Articles of Organization are signed by the authorized person who formed the LLC, so that filing names the person who signed it. If the state record doesn't name anyone, our guide on how to find the owner of an LLC covers where else to look.

Finding a Maryland Department ID

Maryland gives every business on its register a Department ID. It's the quickest way to pin down the right company when names are alike.

What it looks like
A letter for the entity type followed by eight digits. W is a limited liability company, D a stock corporation, M a limited partnership, A a limited liability partnership, L a general partnership, and B a business trust. SDAT's example is A12345678.
Where to find yours
On the confirmation letter SDAT sent after you filed your formation document, and on a Certificate of Status. Business Entity Search also shows it. You need it to set up tax accounts with the Comptroller.
Search by it
Yes. The Maryland Business Express accepts it.

Your federal EIN is a different number again. See which business number a form is asking for.

Checking whether a business name is available in Maryland

  1. Search Business Express for the name you want.
  2. The name can't be misleadingly similar to another entity's name, according to SDAT's Articles of Organization instructions.
  3. Reserving a name costs $25.

A clear result on the state search isn't a trademark clearance. If the name matters to you, also search the USPTO trademark database and check the domain. More in our business name search guide.

DBA and UCC search in Maryland

DBAs and assumed names

What it's called
Trade Name
Where they're filed
Registered with SDAT's Charter Division. SDAT checks the name only against other trade names filed with it.
Search
No statewide online search.
State fee
$25. Expedited service is $50 more.
How long it lasts
Five years from the date SDAT accepts it. Renew in the last six months for another five years, or SDAT forfeits the name.

UCC liens

Lenders file UCC financing statements with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), UCC Division. Our Maryland UCC search guide has the steps and fees.

Maryland fees and deadlines

These are the state's own fees, before any service charges. Each row links to the official page we took it from.

Form an LLC

$100
  • Articles of Organization.
  • Online expedited filings get a first review in 7 to 14 business days. Online filings without the expedited fee are reviewed in the second calendar month after you submit. Paper filings are reviewed within 7 to 10 business days if expedited, or within eight weeks if not.
  • Faster options: Expedited $50. Rush is $325 online and is reviewed within three hours if submitted before 2:30 p.m. Paper rush service is $425.
File online Fee source

Annual Report and Business Personal Property Return

$300
  • Due: April 15 each year, starting the year after the LLC is formed.
  • If you're late: A late return gets an initial penalty of 1/10 of 1% of the county assessment, plus 2% of that penalty for each 30 days late. Not filing leads to estimated assessments and forfeiture of the Maryland charter or the right to do business in Maryland.
  • You can request a two-month extension by April 15, which moves the deadline to June 15.
File the report Fee source

Change your resident agent

$25
  • Every Maryland LLC must have one.
  • Resolution to Change Resident Agent/Principal Office.
Fee source

Certificate of Status

$20
  • Proof the company exists and is current, from the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).
Order one Fee source

87,179 new business applications were filed in Maryland from January to September 2026, up 13.6% on last year, according to the Census Bureau. See every state.

Starting a business in Maryland?

A lot of people search the Maryland Business Express to see if a name is taken before they file. If that's you, here's the order to do things in.

  1. 1Check the name is free in MarylandTakes two minutes, steps on this page
  2. 2File your LLC with the stateArticles of Organization, $100 state fee
  3. 3Or let a service file it for youCompared on what you pay in year two

Step 3 goes to our comparison page, which has sponsored links. We earn a commission if you buy, and it doesn't change our rankings. How that works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I look up an LLC in Maryland?

Search the Maryland Business Express, the official database kept by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). You can search by business name or department ID. It's free, and you don't need an account. Open the matching record to see the LLC's status, registered agent and filing history.

Is the Maryland business entity search free?

Yes. Searching Maryland Business Express is free. A Certificate of Status is $20, and certified copies are $20 each.

What does "Not in Good Standing" mean in Maryland?

The business hasn't met a requirement, such as a missing annual report or personal property return, unpaid late fees, a tax or labor issue, a bounced payment, or no resident agent. Fix the problem to get back in good standing. If it isn't fixed, the state forfeits the business.

Is the Maryland annual report really $300?

For most LLCs, yes. The $300 is for the annual report only. The personal property tax return has no fee. It's due April 15, and you can request a two-month extension to June 15 by April 15. Businesses approved by MarylandSaves can get the fee waived.

Who runs Maryland's business registry?

The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). Maryland Business Express is the online portal for searching and filing.

Sources

We take every fee, deadline and rule on this page from these pages and nowhere else. Rules change, so open the source before you pay anything.

  1. 1.Maryland Business Express entity searchChecked November 8, 2026
  2. 2.Maryland Business Express: fee scheduleChecked November 8, 2026
  3. 3.Maryland Business Express: processing timesChecked November 8, 2026
  4. 4.Maryland Business Express: maintain good standing statusChecked November 8, 2026
  5. 5.SDAT: 2026 Form 1 annual report and personal property return (PDF)Checked November 8, 2026
  6. 6.SDAT: forms and extension deadlineChecked November 8, 2026
  7. 7.SDAT: fee schedule for charter documents (PDF)Checked November 8, 2026
  8. 8.SDAT: corporate charter fee schedule with name reservation fee (PDF)Checked November 8, 2026
  9. 9.SDAT: Articles of Organization form and instructions (PDF)Checked November 8, 2026

See something out of date? Report it and we'll look into it.

Guides people read next