Maryland Secretary of State - Business Entity Search

There are specific guidelines that you must follow if you are planning to start a business in Maryland. First, create a business name that is unique and decide what type of organization you want it to be. Next, do a Maryland Secretary of State Business Name Search. The SOS maintains records of all business entities in the state regardless of whether they are dissolved or are still running. It is easy to perform a name search in the state to determine if it is available for use.

start maryland business search

After you confirm the name is available, you will be ready to take the next steps in the registration process. If you find the name is taken, go through another brainstorming session and create a unique name. You may suggest several unique names before you conduct the name search on the SOS website. The key rule is to make sure the name is distinguishable which means it does not look similar to another registered name.

To conduct an LLC or Corporation search in Maryland, visit the Maryland Secretary of State Website. The types of organizations that you can search include:

Limited Liability Company (LLC)
Limited Partnership
Sole Proprietorship
Stock Corporation
Tax-Exempt Nonstock Corporation
General Corporation

Maryland Secretary of State Business Lookup Contact Details

Website	https://sos.maryland.gov/
Phones	(410) 767-1340 (Voice) (410)-333-7097 (Fax)
Address	OFFICE ADDRESS: Charter Division 301 W. Preston Street; 8th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201-2395 MAILING ADDRESS: Maryland Secretary of State, 301 W. Preston Street; 8th Floor Baltimore, MD 21201-2395.
Hours	Monday — Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EST)
Emails	Business: [email protected] , [email protected]

Maryland Business Entity & Corporation Search

Lookup Maryland Corporation Search

Step 1 – Visit the Maryland Secretary of State Website

Information for Maryland corporation search is available at the official website of the Maryland Secretary of State. The business entities you can search for include Sole Proprietorship, General Partnership, and Limited Liability Company.

Criteria for Business Name search in Maryland is done using: Business Name or Department ID. You do not have to fill in the full name of the entity you are searching for. If you want a more detailed report, contact the Maryland Secretary of State through email or telephone.

Step 2: Select Your Entity

After keying your options, click the search icon to generate your search results. If the name is registered, a list of names will be displayed as shown below.

Go through the matching results one by one and sort them out. To make your lookup easier, the table issued by the Maryland SOS displays both the active and forfeited entities from the database. It consists of the Department ID, Business Name, and Status. Once you have located the listing you are looking for, check the Business Name column and click the link. You will be redirected to the Maryland Corporation Search/Information Page, showing the details of the specific entity.

Step 3: Download the information

This is the last step of the lookup LLC Maryland. You now have all the registration details, including:

Department ID Number
Business Name
Principal Office
Resident Agent
Status
Good Standing
Business Type
Business Code
Date of Formation/Registration
State of Formation
Stock Status
Close Status

The Maryland Secretary of State allows the inspection of the filing history of an entity, its annual report, and personal property. To get certified copies of the search result, you will be required to pay $1 per page and an extra $20 for certification. All requirements made electronically attract a service/eCheck fee of $3 or 3% of the fees paid if you process through the Maryland Business Express portal.