Get your forfeited Maryland LLC back in good standing in 24 hours.
Your Maryland LLC is showing "Forfeited" or "Not in Good Standing" on the SDAT website, and something urgent needs it fixed: a loan closing, a contract, a bank account, a license renewal. We get forfeited Maryland LLCs back in good standing every week. Back annual reports filed, the state filing that restores good standing submitted, and confirmation in your inbox, with a 24-hour expedited option when the deadline is real.
Why your Maryland LLC was forfeited
Maryland requires every LLC to file an Annual Report (Form 1) with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation by April 15 each year, with a $300 filing fee. Miss it and the LLC first drops to "not in good standing"; keep missing it and SDAT forfeits the charter, usually in the fall of the following year. Forfeiture isn't a fine you can ignore: a forfeited LLC legally cannot enter contracts, bring a lawsuit, or hold itself out as an LLC, and its name loses protection against being claimed by someone else.
The good news: forfeiture is reversible, and for most LLCs the process is entirely administrative. No court, no lawyer required. Just the right filings, in the right order.
How we get your LLC back to good standing
We pull your LLC's exact filing history from SDAT, clear every delinquent Annual Report at once (state fees paid directly to Maryland, no markup), then file the state document ($100 state fee) that formally restores the charter, updating your resident agent in the same filing if it's lapsed. When SDAT processes it, your LLC is active again (same name, same EIN, same history) and we send you the record showing good standing.
Worked example: 6 missed years
State fees go directly to Maryland SDAT. Fewer missed years = lower total. Optional 24-hour expedited processing: add $425 state fee (+3%). Exact quote confirmed in writing before you pay anything.
Standard vs. 24-hour expedited
Standard SDAT processing takes roughly 7 business days once filings are submitted. When you're up against a closing date, SDAT offers expedited handling for an additional $425. On a clean case we file same-day and your LLC is typically back in good standing within 24 hours. Most clients don't need it; when you do, it's the difference between making the settlement table and not.
What can complicate it (and how we handle each)
- Maryland tax debt: if the Comptroller placed a hold, tax clearance is required before SDAT will restore good standing. We coordinate the clearance; see our tax clearance & CCU service.
- CCU collections: penalties referred to the Central Collection Unit (which adds its own collection fee) must be resolved; we coordinate payoff and deliver proof to SDAT.
- Name taken while forfeited: if another entity claimed your LLC name during forfeiture, getting back to good standing includes adopting a modified name; we check name availability before filing so there are no surprises.
- No resident agent: updated in the same filing that restores good standing, no extra service fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to get a forfeited Maryland LLC back in good standing?
State fees are $300 per missed Annual Report year plus $100 for the filing that restores good standing, paid directly to SDAT (3% card processing applies). Our service fees are a flat $200 for the back reports and $575 for the good standing work. Six missed years totals about $2,732 all-in; fewer years, less.
What's the difference between "forfeited" and "not in good standing"?
"Not in good standing" is the warning stage: a filing was missed but the LLC still exists. "Forfeited" means the charter was revoked: no contracts, no lawsuits, no legal LLC protection until good standing is restored. Both are fixed with the same two-step process.
How long does it take to get back in good standing?
About 7 business days standard once everything is filed, or typically within 24 hours with SDAT's $425 expedited option on a clean case.
Does my LLC name stay protected while forfeited?
No. Forfeiture releases your name for others to claim. If that's happened, restoring good standing includes adopting a new name. Acting quickly avoids losing the name.
Do I need a lawyer?
No. Getting back to good standing is an administrative SDAT filing, not a court proceeding. We're a private filing service: we prepare and file everything and send you the record showing good standing.
What if my LLC owes Maryland taxes?
SDAT requires Comptroller tax clearance before it will restore good standing when tax is owed. We coordinate it; these cases can run past 24 hours and we quote a realistic timeline up front.
Is this the same thing as Maryland LLC reinstatement?
That's the phrase a lot of owners type into Google, yes. We just call it what you end up with: your LLC back in good standing, usually within 24 hours on a clean expedited case.
Related services
- Forfeited business in Maryland: what the status means and costs by entity type
- Maryland Corporation Revival: domestic corporations (Articles of Revival)
- Foreign LLC Re-Registration: out-of-state LLCs that lost Maryland authority
- Missed Annual Reports: Form 1 catch-up filings
- Tax Clearance & CCU Payoff: clearing state holds that block good standing