The first step in filling out the Maryland Operating Agreement is to pick a business name.
There are a couple of requirements when choosing a Maryland LLC name.

1. The name of your LLC must not be too similar to the name of another business entity already registered with the state of Maryland. You can verify name availability by doing a Maryland LLC name search with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation to be sure the LLC name is available.

2. The name of the LLC must include one of the following entity identifiers at the end of the business name:
– Limited Liability Company
– L.L.C.
– LLC
– L.C.
– L C

You also have the option of selecting a comma between the business name and entity identifier, ex. “My Company LLC” versus “My Company, LLC”
Enter the LLC name, including the identifier, to continue. If you choose a name that is taken, the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation will return your application.

The principal physical office location may be, but is not required to be, the actual place of the business. You can choose the store’s address, but you can also choose an address where the business records are kept.

It’s important to note that a physical address in Maryland must be used and P.O. Boxes are not allowed.

Additionally, if there is an address where you would prefer correspondence from the state to be delivered, check the mailing address box and enter an address. You can choose the mailing address to be out of state and a P.O. Box as well.

Next, you are asked to provide an email address and phone number. Be sure to include contact details that are checked frequently as if there is a problem with the filing, you will be able to fix it quickly.

Having a business in the state may require certain licenses in order to operate, regardless of the business entity.

This is a nice option to be sure you get the business started correctly.

One requirement to have an LLC in Maryland is to appoint a Maryland resident agent (called a registered agent in many states). The resident agent is a party that is physically located in the state of Maryland that will receive important notices and service of process (which means to accept papers that start a lawsuit) on behalf of the LLC.

You can either appoint an individual such as yourself as the registered agent or appoint someone else, such as a friend, or family member (Select “An Individual” from the dropdown) or an entity such as a professional registered agent service (Select “Maryland Corporation/Maryland LLC” from the dropdown .

The main requirements to be a Maryland resident agent are that they are an adult and be at a physical address during normal business hours.

Related: What is a Maryland resident agent?

If you want to add an additional contact to receive information regarding the LLC, enter their information here.

Next, review the information provided to ensure it is correct. If everything looks good, click to “Proceed to Certification”

Include the name of an authorized person to certify the following information is correct. An authorized person can be an LLC member or anyone an LLC member has authorized to help with the filing of the Articles of Organization.

On this screen, you have the option of obtaining a Certified Copy of the Articles of Organization, for an additional $21. A certified copy can be useful, especially when registering your business to sell to the government.

Enter your payment information and submit the Articles of Organization to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.