Every limited liability company operating in the United States needs to designate a resident agent. Even after you identify your initial resident agent in your formation paperwork, there are several reasons for why you may need to change the resident agent for your LLC in Maryland.
Your resident agent could be moving out of state, or they could be a former co-owner or employee who no longer works for your organization. Maybe you want to switch from an individual resident agent to a professional service that operates in all 50 states, or perhaps you’re simply unsatisfied with your current resident agent’s service.
Whatever the reason may be, each state allows you to change your resident agent at any time, and in most states the process is both simple and inexpensive. Let’s dive into the specifics of how to change your LLC’s resident agent in Maryland.
NOTE: If you need help changing registered agents, the same services that are known for offering good LLC services — like LegalZoom and Zen Business — can also take over registered agent duties and file the needed paperwork.
Who Can Be a Maryland Resident Agent?
A Maryland resident agent is a person or business entity that has a physical address in the state. In nearly every other state, this role is referred to as a “registered agent,” but Maryland uses the term “resident agent” instead. You or one of your co-owners can serve as your own resident agent, you can designate a friend or family member for this role, you can hire a lawyer or accountant as your agent, or you can hire an online business services company to provide resident agent service.
No matter who you choose to be your resident agent, they need to be physically present at the address provided to the state during all standard business hours. This person or entity does not need to have any prior experience being a resident agent, but it’s wise to choose a resident agent who is familiar with the serious responsibilities that come with this role.
The state of Maryland has an age requirement of 18 or older to fill this role. According to the Maryland Attorney General’s office, these are the qualifications to serve as a resident agent in this state:
“A resident agent is a person or entity that is designated to accept service of process on behalf of the entity in the event of a lawsuit. The address of a Maryland resident agent must be an actual physical location and not a post office box. A corporation’s resident agent must be one of the following:
- An adult resident of Maryland
- A Maryland corporation
- A Maryland limited liability company”
For more general information regarding the role of a resident agent with a Maryland LLC, we encourage you to check out our full guide on the topic.
What Is the Procedure for Changing Your LLC Resident Agent in Maryland?
While the role of the resident agent is vitally important for any American business entity, this role can always be changed, and there are different rules for how to change your agent depending on which state your business operates in.
An LLC in the state of Maryland can change its resident agent by filing a Resolution to Change form, or by amending its articles of organization.
Option 1) Filing a Resolution to Change Form
Both domestic and foreign LLCs can change their Maryland resident agent by filing the Resolution to Change Principal Office or Resident Agent form. The form costs $25 to file. You can file this form online, via mail, or in person.
Option 2) Filing an Amendment to the Articles of Organization
LLCs in Maryland can also change their resident agent by filing an Articles of Amendment form. The form costs $100 to file, and it may be filed online, via mail, or in person.
Processing Times
The standard processing time for business filings in Maryland is about four weeks, although it can take up to eight weeks. Expedited service is available as well, which has a processing time of up to ten business days via mail, and up to three business days if filed online.
Prefer to Have a Resident Agent Service Handle Your Requirements?
A resident agent service is a company that specializes in being a resident agent for a wide variety of businesses across the country, bringing tons of expertise and a healthy dose of reliability to the role.
Most professional resident agent services operate on a national basis, meaning there’s no restrictions on which states you can operate your business in. They also tend to charge affordable rates, as you can find several resident agent services that charge around $10/month or even less for this service. In addition, most of these companies will also offer to handle the process of changing a resident agent for you.
If you’re interested in this option, we highly recommend Northwest Registered Agent.
The Law for Changing Your LLC Resident Agent in Maryland
It’s always important to be well-informed regarding the specific laws for changing your resident agent. The laws regarding resident agents in Maryland are separated by entity type, but not by classification, so the following law applies equally to both domestic and foreign limited liability companies.
According to Title 4A, Subtitle 2 of the Maryland Code, an LLC in this state may change its resident agent if it files a statement including the following information:
- “The name of the limited liability company for which the change is effective;
- The old and new addresses of the resident agent; and
- The date on which the change is effective.”
Conclusion
If you operate a limited liability company in the state of Maryland, you need to designate a resident agent to receive important government document deliveries on your behalf. If you decide at any time that you would rather change your resident agent to a different individual or business entity, it’s important to know what that process looks like.
In Maryland, an LLC can change resident agents by filing a Resolution to Change form, or by amending its articles of organization. Both are simple documents with reasonable filing fees, but if you’d rather have a resident agent service handle this task for you, you certainly have that option.
We hope this article helped you improve your understanding of changing a resident agent in Maryland, and as always we thank you for choosing Registered Agent Ready!