Maryland lesson 2 of 6
Appoint your Maryland resident agent
Maryland law requires every LLC to keep both a resident agent and a principal office inside the state at all times. This is where legal notices and service of process are delivered.
Who can act as resident agent
The resident agent is either an adult individual who lives in Maryland or a business entity already qualified to do business in Maryland. The agent's address must be a real Maryland street address, and it appears on the Articles of Organization as public record.
A PO box will not satisfy the resident agent address requirement. SDAT needs a physical location where the agent can actually be found.
The principal office requirement
Separately from the resident agent, Maryland law requires every LLC to maintain a principal office in the state. In practice many small LLCs use the same address for both, but they are two distinct requirements under the statute.
Changing agent or address later
If the resident agent or principal office changes, file a signed statement for record with SDAT. Keep this current, because notices sent to a stale address are still treated as valid service on the LLC.
Key takeaways
- A Maryland resident agent needs a real, physical Maryland address, not a PO box.
- Every LLC must also maintain a principal office in the state.
- File a change of resident agent or address with SDAT whenever it changes.
Official sources
Or let us file your Maryland LLC for you
Everything above is yours to use for free. If you would rather hand it over, we prepare and file the Articles of Organization, act as your registered agent, and track your ongoing deadlines.
Last reviewed: September 2026 - reviewed by Gullia Filing Legal & Formation Team