Resident Agent Maryland.us

Maryland · Agent changes

Changing a Maryland resident agent

Maryland records a new resident agent when the company files the Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent and pays $25. The steps, the form and the source for each.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Changing the resident agent

Short answer

File the Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division and pay $25[2]. The new resident agent must meet Maryland's eligibility and address rules[3].

Mainstay Filing prepares and files the change for new agent customers, at $149 a year plus the state fee at cost[1].

Updated October 29, 2026. Fees from official sources.

Steps

  1. Choose the new resident agent and get its consent; it has to qualify under Md. Code, Corps. & Ass'ns § 1-101(x).
  2. File the Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division.
  3. Include the $25 filing fee.
  4. Check the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) business search to confirm the change shows on the record.

Line up the new resident agent before filing so there is no period without a valid agent on record.

Common reasons to change

  • The current resident agent moved out of Maryland or closed
  • An owner who served personally wants the address off the public record
  • A service's renewal price went up
  • The company is consolidating states with one provider

Mainstay Filing charges $149 a year for Maryland resident agent service, the same at renewal, and files the change for you[1]. Other services' published Maryland renewals on October 20, 2026 ran $125 to $596.

Who the new agent can be

The replacement has to qualify like any Maryland resident agent. Under Md. Code, Corps. & Ass'ns § 1-101(x)[3], that means a Maryland resident, or a Maryland corporation, LLC or limited partnership. Owners who live in Maryland qualify as individuals and can take the resident agent role themselves.

The new resident agent's Maryland address has to pass the same test. The address has to be a Maryland address on file with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation; P.O. boxes are not accepted. The LLC also keeps a principal office in Maryland.

The form

Maryland change of resident agent
ItemDetailSource
FormResolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent[4] dat.maryland.gov, updated October 29, 2026
Fee$25[2] dat.maryland.gov, updated October 29, 2026
Filed withMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division[5] dat.maryland.gov, updated October 29, 2026

At $25, the fee is above the 50-state median of $15.

Change fees in nearby states

Change-of-agent fees: Maryland and its neighbors
StateFeeLegal term
Maryland$25resident agent
Delaware$50registered agent
Pennsylvania$5registered agent
Virginia$0registered agent
West Virginia$15agent for service of process

Each state's fee from its own fee schedule or statute, verified August 12, 2026.

Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia charge less than Maryland for the same filing. A company registered in more than one of these states files a separate change in each.

Questions

How much does it cost to change a resident agent in Maryland?

$25[2].

Which form changes a Maryland resident agent?

The Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent, filed with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division.

Can a service file the Maryland change for me?

Yes. Mainstay Filing prepares and files it when you switch to its $149-a-year resident agent service, with the $25 state fee at cost[1].

Sources

  1. Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
  2. Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Charter Division: Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent fee. dat.maryland.gov/businesses/Documents/FEES.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
  3. Md. Code, Corporations & Associations sec. 4A-210 (principal office and resident agent required; change procedure) with 'resident agent' defined at sec. 1-101(x). mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gca&section=4A-210. Updated October 29, 2026.
  4. Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent. dat.maryland.gov/Documents/Accessible%20Documents/Charter%20-%20Make%20Changes%20to%20an%2. Updated October 29, 2026.
  5. State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). dat.maryland.gov/. Updated October 29, 2026.