To register a business name in Maryland, file with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT): a Trade Name Application if you want to operate under a name other than your own or your entity’s legal name, or articles of organization or incorporation if you’re forming a new LLC or corporation. A trade name filing costs $25 and lasts five years.1Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. SDAT Corporate Charter Fee Schedule
Decide Which Filing You Actually Need
Maryland treats legal names and trade names as two different things. A legal name is what you assign when you form an entity: “Chesapeake Consulting LLC” on the articles of organization is a legal name, and it follows the business onto tax returns and contracts. A trade name (also called a DBA, for “doing business as”) is a public-facing name that a person or existing entity uses without forming something new.
A sole proprietor who wants to operate under anything other than their own personal name needs a trade name. If Maria Torres sells baked goods as “Bay Breads,” she registers “Bay Breads” as a trade name tied to her. An LLC or corporation that already exists can also register a trade name for a product line or division it wants to market separately. If you’re forming a new company from scratch, you file entity formation documents instead, and you can add a trade name later if you need one.
Check the Name Before You Pay
Filing fees are non-refundable, so run the name through the Maryland Business Express search before you do anything else.2Maryland Business Express. Select a Business Name The tool shows every entity on file and its status. A name marked “Active” or in “Good Standing” is taken. A “Forfeited” or “Inactive” name may be available, but the original owner can sometimes revive it, so treat those with caution.
The SDAT database only covers Maryland. It won’t flag a federal trademark held by a business in another state. Before you commit to a name for the long run, search the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s trademark database as well.3United States Patent and Trademark Office. Search Our Trademark Database A federal trademark holder can force you to rebrand even if your state registration came first.
Rules Your Name Has to Follow
Your name must be distinguishable from every name already on file with SDAT, including names reserved by businesses that haven’t yet registered and assumed names used by foreign entities.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Corporations and Associations Code 1-504 – Name to Be Distinguishable Minor spelling tweaks often don’t clear that bar.
An LLC’s name must include “Limited Liability Company” or an abbreviation: “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “LC,” or “L.C.” A corporation must include “Corporation,” “Incorporated,” “Company” (as long as “and” doesn’t immediately precede it), or “Limited,” or a standard abbreviation of one.5Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Corporations and Associations Code 1-502 – Requirements Trade names registered by sole proprietors don’t need those suffixes.
Your name also can’t suggest a purpose different from what your formation documents describe.6Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Corporations and Associations Code 1-503 – Prohibited Language in Names Words like “Bank,” “Trust,” or “Insurance” generally require sign-off from the relevant Maryland regulatory board before SDAT approves them. Language implying government affiliation carries similar restrictions.
Fill Out the Application
Sole proprietors and existing entities adding a public-facing name file a Trade Name Application. New LLCs file articles of organization; new corporations file articles of incorporation. All of the forms live on the SDAT forms page.7Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Departmental Forms and Applications
For a trade name application, be ready to provide:
- The exact trade name, with the spelling and formatting you’ll actually use commercially.
- The full legal name of each individual owner, or of the parent entity claiming the trade name.
- A clear description of the goods or services offered under the name.
- A physical business address and a mailing address for SDAT correspondence.
The form must be signed by an authorized person: the sole proprietor, a corporate officer, or an LLC member. Check every field. If the registered information doesn’t match what you use in practice, it can cause problems later at the bank, with contracts, or in a dispute.
Resident Agent (Entities Only)
An LLC or corporation must designate a resident agent in Maryland to receive legal papers and official notices. The agent needs a physical street address in the state; a P.O. box doesn’t count. A Maryland resident can serve as their own entity’s agent, or you can hire a commercial service. Keep the information current with SDAT, because a lapse can put your good standing at risk.
Sole proprietors registering only a trade name don’t need a separate resident agent for the trade name. If the business later becomes an LLC or corporation, you’ll designate one during entity formation.
How to File and What It Costs
You can file online through Maryland Business Express or by mail.8Maryland Business Express. Register Your Business in Maryland Online is faster: create an account, complete the application electronically, and pay by credit card. Paper filings go to SDAT with a check or money order payable to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.
Budget for a trade name filing:1Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. SDAT Corporate Charter Fee Schedule
- Standard filing fee: $25. Processing takes roughly 4 to 6 weeks by mail and 6 to 8 weeks for non-expedited online filings.
- Expedited processing: an additional $50 on top of the filing fee, with review in 7 to 10 business days.
- Amendment to a trade name: $25, or $75 with expediting.
- Cancellation of a trade name: $25, or $75 with expediting.
Fees are non-refundable, which is why the availability search matters. Once SDAT processes the filing, you’ll get an acknowledgment confirming the registration is active.
If you’re not ready to file but want to hold a name you’ve already cleared, Maryland lets you reserve it for 30 days for $25, with an optional $20 expedite fee.9Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Corporate Name Reservation Application Thirty days passes quickly if you’re still finalizing partnership terms or funding.
Keeping the Registration Alive
A Maryland trade name lasts five years from the filing date. To keep it, file a new Trade Name Application and pay the $25 fee again before it expires. There’s no built-in grace period, and a lapsed name can be claimed by someone else. Put the renewal date on your calendar the day the confirmation arrives.
Annual Reports for LLCs and Corporations
If you formed an LLC, corporation, or other formal entity, Maryland requires an Annual Report and Personal Property Tax Return every year by April 15. The filing fee is $300 for most entities, and it applies whether or not the business earned income or owned property that year.10Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Instructions for Form 1 – Annual Report and Business Personal Property Return A free 60-day extension is available if you request it by April 15.
Late penalties run from $30 to $500 depending on how late the filing is, and continued failure to file leads to forfeiture of the right to do business in Maryland.11Maryland Business Express. Maintain Good Standing Status A forfeited entity can’t legally operate, sign contracts, or maintain a lawsuit. This is the most common way Maryland businesses lose their good standing, and it’s entirely preventable.
State Registration Is Not Trademark Protection
Registering with SDAT creates a public record of your business identity in Maryland. It does not give you exclusive rights to the name. Another business in another state, and under some circumstances a business inside Maryland, can use an identical or similar name without violating your state registration. A federal trademark registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is what provides nationwide protection and the legal right to stop others from using a confusingly similar name in your industry.3United States Patent and Trademark Office. Search Our Trademark Database If branding is central to the business, look at a federal trademark filing separately, once your state registration is done.
What to Do After You’re Registered
Get an EIN
Most businesses need an Employer Identification Number from the IRS, which is free to apply for on the IRS website. If you already have an EIN and you’re only adding a trade name to an existing business, you don’t need a new one. Adding or changing a business name doesn’t trigger a new EIN for sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, or LLCs.12Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
Check Local Licenses and Permits
State registration doesn’t cover local requirements. Most Maryland counties and municipalities require their own business licenses or permits depending on your location and industry.13Maryland Business Express. Obtain Licenses or Permits Contact your county’s office of inspections, licensing, or permits to find out what applies. Skipping this step can lead to fines or forced closure even when your SDAT filings are in order.
Open a Business Bank Account
Banks generally want your SDAT registration confirmation (or a certificate of status), your EIN, and a government-issued ID. If you’re an LLC or corporation, expect to bring your formation documents too. Running business money through a personal account creates accounting problems, and for LLCs and corporations it can weaken the liability protection the entity is meant to provide.