With our 5-step process, forming a company in Maryland is simple. A company may be formed by submitting formation paperwork with your state and forming a board of directors.
We’ll teach you how to form your own company in Maryland.
It is simple to establish a corporation in Maryland.
In Maryland, you may form a company by submitting the Certificate of Incorporation, drafting corporate bylaws, and naming your first director (s).
Table of Contents
To get started, follow the steps in our How to Start a Corporation in Maryland tutorial below:
Step 1: Give Your Maryland Corporation a Name
Step 2: Select a Registered Agent.
Hold an Organizational Meeting in Step 3
Step 4: Submit your Articles of Incorporation.
Step 5: Obtain an EIN
Step 1: Give Your Maryland Corporation a Name
The first step in forming a company is to choose a business name. You must choose a distinct name that conforms with Maryland company naming regulations.
1. Maryland naming conventions:
Your name must include the words “corporation,” “company,” “incorporated,” “limited,” or an abbreviation of one of these phrases (notice that “company” may only be used if it is not followed by the word “and” or a symbol for the word “and”).
Your company’s name cannot indicate that it was formed for a purpose other than the one stated in its articles of formation.
Your name must be distinct from any other businesses in your state. Reserved names are included.
Your company’s name cannot include terms that may be confused with a government organisation (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.).
For further information, see the Maryland state legislation on corporate name rules.
2. Is my business name accessible in Maryland?
Your Maryland company name must be distinct and distinct from existing Maryland business names. To see whether your selected business name is available, use the Maryland Business Express Entity Search.
Visit our How to Name a Business guide and pick Maryland from the drop-down box for further information on Maryland corporation name searches.
3. Is the URL accessible?
Before forming your Maryland company, check to see whether an appropriate URL for your selected business name is accessible. Even if you don’t intend to create a company website right immediately, we recommend purchasing a web domain right away to avoid other companies from obtaining it.
Step 2: Select a Registered Agent in Maryland.
When you form your company with the Department of Assessments and Taxation, you must choose a Maryland resident agent, also known as a registered agent.
What exactly is a Registered Agent? A registered agent is a person or organisation chosen by an LLC or corporation to accept service of process, government communications, and compliance paperwork on behalf of a company.
Who Is Eligible to Be a Registered Agent? An person, a corporate organisation, or a professional registered agent service may serve as your registered agent. Any organisation or individual may act as your Maryland resident agent as long as the person:
is at least 18 years old
has a physical address in the state where business is done
is accessible during regular business hours (in person).
Step 3 Hold an Organizational Meeting
Before filing the Articles of Incorporation formally in Step 4, you must conduct an organisational meeting to perform the following tasks:
Complete and sign the Articles of Incorporation.
Establish and approve bylaws
Choose your first director (s)
Determine your ownership structure.
Fill out an Incorporator’s Statement.
Establish and Approve Corporate Bylaws
Bylaws are the rules that regulate and control how your organisation is governed and operated. Consider the bylaws to be your corporation’s constitution. It clarifies the norms and priorities for all parties involved.
The bylaws of a company will augment any regulations established by the federal government or the state.
Include the following in your bylaws:
The governance of the company, including the roles of directors and officials
Meeting processes, voting procedures, and the election of executives or directors
How will records be preserved and managed?
How will disagreements be resolved?
How will bylaws be added/modified in the future?
The annual shareholders’ meeting date
Contract Negotiation Techniques
Fiduciary responsibilities to the company (i.e. acting in the best interests of the corporation)
What is a quorum for voting purposes?
What exactly is a quorum? A quorum is the minimal number of members of an assembly that must be present at a meeting in order for the meeting or any votes taken within to be legitimate.
The First Directors
At least one director must be appointed to monitor your Maryland company until the first shareholders’ meeting.
A corporate director is in charge of operational bylaw adoption, modification, and repeal, as well as the election, monitoring, and removal of officers.
Following the formation of the company by the incorporators, the first director(s) appointed in the Articles of Incorporation should hold an organisational meeting. They will elect the officers at this inaugural meeting.
Selecting a Share Structure and Strategy
A share of stock is a corporation’s unit of ownership. Each share of stock reflects a proportion of the company’s ownership. If a business issues one share of stock, the shareholder (stock owner) owns 100% of the corporation.
Shares may be divided into classes. Each class, known as a share class, has unique rights and advantages. There may be several classes, and each class can have an unlimited number of shares.
The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation’s Articles of Incorporation form may only be used to incorporate a company with one share class. You must write your own Articles of Incorporation if the organisation requires a multiple share class structure.
NOTE: We suggest that you begin with a large number of authorised shares. Many lawyers advocate for a million dollars. Starting with a large number allows you to issue shares as required without incurring legal expenses to enhance your original permitted share size.
Make and implement an Incorporator’s Statement
The incorporator(s) shall sign and preserve an Incorporator’s Statement with the full names and addresses of all initial directors in the corporate records book.
This document identifies the first director(s) who will serve until the board of directors is chosen at the first shareholder meeting. It should be kept with the rest of your company’s records.
Step 4: Submit the Articles of Incorporation to the State of Maryland.
To form a company in Maryland, you must submit the Maryland Articles of Incorporation. The Articles of Incorporation are the legal documents that establish your Maryland company. You may submit it with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation online, via mail, or in person.
If the total par value of authorised shares does not exceed $100,000 or if no par value is utilised, the filing fee is $120 if the total number of authorised shares is 5,000 or less. If your stock exceeds these limits, contact the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation at (410) 767-1340 to inquire about the cost.
This paper will address the fundamentals of your company, such as:
Name of the company, location, and mission statement
Name, signature, and street address of the corporate resident agent
The number of authorised shares that a company may issue.
Name(s) of corporate directors (s)
Name(s) and address of incorporator(s) (es)
Step 5 Get an EIN for Your Maryland Corporation
What exactly is an EIN? The federal government uses an Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Federal Tax Identification Number (FTIN) to identify a company organisation. It is effectively the company’s social security number.
Why do I need an EIN? An EIN is necessary for the following activities:
To establish a commercial bank account for the firm
In terms of federal and state taxation
To recruit workers for the firm
How can I get an EIN? After founding the firm, the business owner obtains an EIN from the IRS (free of charge). This may be done online or in the mail.