Maryland

Foreign registration · no form number

West Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in Maryland

A corporation formed in West Virginia that wants to do business in Maryland files a paper registration (no form number), with $104.50 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maryland may ask for West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division from your West Virginia records, then serve as your resident agent there for year one.

What West Virginia and Maryland each ask for

	West Virginia formed here	Maryland registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence	Foreign Corporation Qualification (no form number)
State fee	$10	$104.50 at order (filing fee $100 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed on Maryland's paper form
Required expedite		$50 at order (7 business days)
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division
Official page	sos.wv.gov	egov.maryland.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every two years	Form 1 — Business Entity Annual Report and Business Personal Property Return, $300, every year
Due	July 1 each year	April 15
Turnaround	Certificate takes a few days	Required expedite processing: 7 business days
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Maryland resident agent

From West Virginia to Maryland, step by step

We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your Maryland resident agent, next to your West Virginia name and formation date. If Maryland wants the West Virginia certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your West Virginia corporation is registered with Maryland.

Your West Virginia name and Maryland's rules

Maryland can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Agents: Maryland and West Virginia

Maryland calls it a resident agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. Maryland papers come to us; West Virginia's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in West Virginia and Maryland

West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25); Maryland wants the Form 1 — Business Entity Annual Report and Business Personal Property Return every year ($300). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Maryland

An LLC formed in West Virginia files its own registration with Maryland ($104.50 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and Maryland's Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1) ($300). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Maryland company in West Virginia

A corporation formed in Maryland that registers with West Virginia files Form CF-1 with $101 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions West Virginia owners ask about Maryland

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Maryland?

Yes, once a West Virginia business operates there; Maryland registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Maryland calls it qualification for West Virginia corporations; other states say certificate of authority.

How much does the Maryland registration cost?

$353.50 at checkout, including the $50 required expedite; Maryland may also want West Virginia's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the Maryland registration take?

7 business days with Maryland's required expedite, plus time for West Virginia's certificate if Maryland asks for it.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Maryland?

Our resident agent renewal ($149 a year), West Virginia's report ($25, every two years) and Maryland's report ($300).

Does Maryland require a registered agent?

Yes: the West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Maryland for year one.

Can I form a new Maryland corporation instead?

Yes, but West Virginia keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Maryland's periodic report ($300), and the original keeps West Virginia's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Maryland later?

West Virginia companies leave by filing an Application for Termination for a Foreign Corporation; until then, Maryland's report stays due alongside West Virginia's filings.

Official sources

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