Maryland Business Entity Search
Find a registered business through Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division. Use the official link below, then check the search options and name rules for Maryland.
Official website: egov.maryland.gov · Opens in a new tab
Maryland search options and record coverage
Maryland Business Express searches by entity name and SDAT identification number and displays entity type, status, resident agent, principal office, annual reports, personal-property filings where applicable, and available charter documents. The portal supports formation, foreign qualification, annual reports, amendments, trade names, certificates, and document copies. Name searches are registry searches; review the full record for agent and business-person information.
Checking a business name in Maryland
SDAT requires a distinguishable entity name under Maryland corporation and LLC law and may reject a name that is confusingly similar despite capitalization, punctuation, spacing, articles, or a generic designator. Certain regulated words need agency approval. A name reservation or accepted charter is not trademark clearance and does not resolve Maryland trade-name, professional-license, or common-law rights.
Maryland name reservations
Maryland reserves a corporate, LLC, LLP, or LP name for $25.00 under the current statutory schedule; the accessible materials did not clearly state a universal reservation duration for every entity type. Confirm the current SDAT form for expiration and renewal. Reservation is filing priority only and does not clear trademark, trade-name, professional, or licensing rights.
DBA, trade names, and fictitious names
Maryland trade names are filed statewide with SDAT through Maryland Business Express, not generally with a county clerk. The current SDAT fee schedule lists a $25.00 domestic trade-name filing and $100.00 for a foreign trade-name filing, with $50.00 expedited amounts shown for many transactions. Use https://egov.maryland.gov/businessexpress/entitysearch and the Trade Name workflow; a trade name does not change the legal entity.
What do you need after the search?
- Official proof of standing — find certificate fees and ordering instructions.
- A missed report or inactive registration — check deadlines and reinstatement rules.
- A new business registration — compare Maryland formation and filing fees.