Does Maryland have a Certificate of Formation?
No. Maryland does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. To create an LLC you file Articles of Organization with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) for a $100 fee. Certificate of Formation is the term used in Texas, Delaware, Washington, and a few other states.
How Maryland compares
- Maryland
- $100
- Rank
- 9 of 11 states, lowest to highest
- Median
- $50 - Maryland sits above it
- Range
- $40 (Kentucky) to $500 (Massachusetts)
Quick facts
- Maryland term
- Articles of Organization (LLC) - no "Certificate of Formation"
- LLC filing fee
- $100 (2026) to SDAT; +$50 expedited review
- Corporation form
- Articles of Incorporation - also filed with SDAT
- Where "Certificate of Formation" applies
- Texas, Delaware, Washington, New Jersey
- Ongoing
- $300 Annual Report to SDAT, due April 15
- File through
- Maryland Business Express (SDAT)
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 27 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. Arizona does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| California | No. California does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Colorado | No. Colorado does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Connecticut | No. Connecticut does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Florida | No. Florida does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Idaho | Not by that name. Idaho's LLC formation document is called the Certificate of Organization, filed with the Idaho Secretary of State. |
| Iowa | No. Iowa does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Kentucky | No. Kentucky forms an LLC by filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State for a $40 fee. |
| Louisiana | No. Louisiana does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Massachusetts | No. Massachusetts does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Michigan | No. Michigan does not use the term Certificate of Formation. |
| Minnesota | No. Minnesota does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Missouri | No. Missouri does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Nevada | No. Nevada does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| New Mexico | No. New Mexico does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| New York | No. New York does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Ohio | No. Ohio does not use the term Certificate of Formation. |
| Oklahoma | No. Oklahoma does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation' for LLCs. |
| Oregon | No. Oregon does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation' for LLCs. |
| Pennsylvania | No. Pennsylvania does not use a Certificate of Formation. |
| South Carolina | No. South Carolina does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Tennessee | No. Tennessee does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Utah | No. Utah does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation.' The document that forms a Utah LLC is the Certificate of Organization, filed with the Utah Division of Corporations & Commercial Code under Utah Code ยง 48-3a-201. |
| Vermont | No. Vermont creates an LLC through Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State under 11 V.S.A. |
| Virginia | No. Virginia does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| West Virginia | No. West Virginia LLCs file Articles of Organization on Form LLD-1 with the Secretary of State. |
| Wisconsin | No. Wisconsin does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
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 Certificate of Formation: What to File (2026).
Sources
- https://dat.maryland.gov/businesses/Pages/default.aspx
- https://dat.maryland.gov/businesses/documents/fees.pdf
- https://dat.maryland.gov/SDAT%20Forms/artorgan.pdf
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gca§ion=4a-202&enactments=false
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gca§ion=4a-210&enactments=false
- https://dat.maryland.gov/SDAT%20Forms/PPR_Forms/2025_Form1.pdf
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