Maryland (MD) Secretary of State (SOS) LLC & Business Search

Maryland.gov provides a business entity search delivered through Maryland Business Express which enables you to search their database of registered businesses and view key details that are held publicly. You can search their database by:

• Business name
• Department number

Search by business name

The Maryland business entity search can be searched by business name.

The results will be displayed in a list which will include all businesses that match your search name and will detail the department ID, business name and status.

If you want to view more information about the businesses you can click on the business name highlighted in blue to open up their full details. This includes information such as:

• Department ID
• Business name
• Principal office
• Resident agent details
• Status
• Good standing
• Business type
• Business code
• Date of formation or registration
• State of formation
• Stock status
• Close status
• Filing history
• Annual reports or personal property tax filings

You can also view some documents associated with the business such as formation documents and you can order documents at a charge of $20 per document.

Search by department number

The database of businesses can also be searched by department number if you have the number.

This should produce a list with only one business which you can click on the business name highlighted in blue to access more information. The business record provides a range of information such as address, agent details and filing history as well as much more as listed above in search by business name.

Contact details

Website: https://egov.maryland.gov/businessexpress

Phone: (410) 974-5521

Address: 16 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401

Hours: Monday-Friday 8.30am-4.30pm

How to register a business in Maryland?

When you are setting up your business in Maryland you will need to register it with Maryland.gov regardless of the business type. Here are some steps to help you register your business in Maryland:

1. You will need to decide what you are going to call your business first and you should check whether that business name is already in use in Maryland by checking the Maryland business entity search.
2. You will also need to decide what type of business structure you are going to operate your business as too.
3. You can then register your business online through Business Express which will require you to create an account with them if you don’t have one already.

How much does a Maryland business entity search cost?

There are no fees for conducting a business entity search on the Maryland.gov website but there are some fees for accessing documents or certified fees which are typically around $20 each.

How can I get a business license in Maryland?

In Maryland, business licenses are issued by the License Department at the Circuit Court for Howard County. You must register your business first before applying for a business license and have a federal employer identification number (FEIN) if you have employees. Some business licenses can be applied for online and others need to be submitted by paper. License fees start from $15 to hundreds of dollars depending on your business size.