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EntityWire/States/Maryland

Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Business Services Division, Business Charter Unit

Maryland business entity search

Office facts, status meanings and filing rules for Maryland. The steps below show how to search Maryland's official registry.

Federal filings only here. Maryland registry records are on the official site.

Maryland registry at a glance

Registry agency
Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Business Services Division, Business Charter Unit
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Phone
410-767-1184
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Address
700 East Pratt Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 2700, Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Mailing address
State Department of Assessments and Taxation, 700 East Pratt Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 2700, Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Registry number
Department ID number (SDAT identification number). A letter prefix that shows the entity type, usually D, F, W, L or Z, followed by digits; the 2026 Form 1 lists D or F for corporations and W or Z for LLCs
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06

How to search the Maryland registry

The Maryland Business Express Business Entity Search searches by business name and department ID number.

  1. Open the Business Entity Search on Maryland Business Express.Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
  2. Enter the business name or the SDAT Department ID number and run the search.Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
  3. Select the entity in the results to see its status, standing and resident agent.Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
  4. Open the Filing History tab to see filed documents, including any forfeiture action and its reason.Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
  5. Open the Personal Property tab to check whether the yearly Form 1 annual report was filed.Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06

Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06

Open the official Maryland search →

Three numbers, three agencies

Asking for the wrong number is a common reason a search comes back empty.

Federal EIN
Internal Revenue Service
Identifies the business for federal tax. It is the same number in every state.
Source: irs.gov
Department ID number (SDAT identification number)
Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Business Services Division, Business Charter Unit
Identifies the entity's record in the Maryland registry. A letter prefix that shows the entity type, usually D, F, W, L or Z, followed by digits; the 2026 Form 1 lists D or F for corporations and W or Z for LLCs
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Maryland Comptroller tax account number (Combined Registration)
Comptroller of Maryland
SDAT issues its own Department ID, usually starting with D, F, W, L or Z, which is not the federal EIN. The EIN comes from the IRS, and state tax accounts come from the Comptroller's Combined Registration, which asks for both numbers.
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06

What a Maryland status means

Good Standing
The active entity complies with the Maryland filing and payment rules SDAT tracks.
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Not in Good Standing
The entity is out of compliance with one or more Maryland laws, often a missing Form 1 or an unpaid late penalty; voluntarily terminated entities also show this.
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Forfeited
The entity's right to do business in Maryland and to use its name has been relinquished; a forfeited domestic corporation has no legal existence.
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06

Fees and annual filings

LLC formation
$100 (Articles of Organization)
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Corporation formation
$100 (Articles of Incorporation) plus a $20 organization and capitalization fee when aggregate par value of stock is not over $100,000
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Annual filing
Form 1, Business Entity Annual Report and Business Personal Property Return
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Annual fee, LLC
$300 (Form 1)
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Annual fee, corporation
$300 for stock corporations; $0 for nonstock corporations (Form 1)
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
When it is due
Due April 15 for every entity that existed on January 1, whether or not it owns property.
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Late filing
A late filing penalty is assessed; unpaid penalties go to the Central Collection Unit, which adds 17%. A missing Form 1 or unpaid penalty puts the entity out of good standing and can lead to forfeiture.
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Filed with
State Department of Assessments and Taxation, online through Maryland Business Express or by mail
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Note
Expedited paper filings add $50. Same-day rush service costs $425 on paper or $325 online.
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06

As published by the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Business Services Division, Business Charter Unit, checked 2026-10-06. Fees change, and the official schedule decides.

Forming or running a business in Maryland

Registered agent
Maryland calls it a resident agent; an entity without an active resident agent falls out of good standing.
Source: dat.maryland.gov · checked 2026-10-06

Maryland businesses on file

Sources

A fact that could not be confirmed on an official page is left out.

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