Do I file my Maryland operating agreement with the state?
No. An operating agreement is an internal document kept in your company records. You file Articles of Organization with SDAT to create the LLC, but the operating agreement is never submitted to or reviewed by the state, so it stays private among the members.
Quick facts
- Required by law?
- No - optional, but strongly recommended
- Filed with the state?
- No - internal document, never sent to SDAT
- Filing fee
- $0 (there is nothing to file)
- Governing law
- Maryland LLC Act, Corporations & Associations Article, Title 4A
- If you have none
- Title 4A default rules apply automatically
- Applies to
- Single-member and multi-member LLCs alike
The same question in every other state
This requirement is set at state level, so the answer changes when you cross a state line. Below is how 17 other states answer the same question, each linked to the page that cites the agency it came from. The full breakdown is on How to Form an LLC.
| State | Answer |
|---|---|
| Arizona | No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept with your business records. |
| Arkansas | No, an Arkansas LLC operating agreement is an internal document and is not filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State or any other state agency. It should be kept with the LLC's records. |
| Colorado | No. The operating agreement is an internal document that you keep with your business records. |
| Connecticut | No. You file only the Certificate of Organization ($120) with the Connecticut Secretary of the State to create the LLC. |
| Iowa | No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept with your company records. |
| Maine | No. The operating agreement is a private, internal document that you keep with your company records. |
| Minnesota | No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept with your business records. |
| Missouri | No. The operating agreement is an internal document you keep with your business records. |
| Montana | No. The operating agreement is an internal document. |
| New Hampshire | No. The operating agreement is an internal document. |
| Ohio | No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept with your company records. |
| Oklahoma | No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept with your business records. |
| Pennsylvania | No. The operating agreement is a private, internal contract among the members. |
| Utah | No. You file only the Certificate of Organization ($59) with the Utah Division of Corporations & Commercial Code to create the LLC. |
| Virginia | No. An operating agreement is an internal document. |
| Washington | No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept in your company records. |
| Wisconsin | No. The operating agreement is an internal document you keep with your business records. |
Full context for Maryland
This page answers one question. The complete Maryland guide -- covering the surrounding requirements, the forms, the agency, and what happens if you get it wrong -- is at Maryland LLC Operating Agreement: Guide (2026).
Sources
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gca§ion=4a-402
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gca§ion=4a-101
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gca§ion=4a-403
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gca§ion=4a-204
- https://dat.maryland.gov/businesses/Pages/default.aspx
- https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/limited-liability-company-llc
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