Registering a Business in Maryland is Easier Than Ever

ANNAPOLIS, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The State of Maryland recently released an updated version of the popular Central Business Licensing and Registration Portal (CBL), offering new features as well as improvements to existing functionality. Maryland's CBL Portal was initially launched in early 2013 as part of Governor O'Malley's Maryland Made Easy initiative to make conducting business in Maryland easier. The CBL Portal is a virtual “one-stop shop” where business owners can register a new business, create legal entities, file trade names and establish state tax accounts. The CBL Portal is available through the State's official website, www.maryland.gov or through the Maryland Made Easy website, www.easy.maryland.gov.

New features on the site include the ability to file Foreign Limited Liability and Foreign Corporation (Non-Maryland) business filings, the ability to order certified copies, and other updates to streamline the user workflow for faster filing. The next release, scheduled for early 2015 will offer businesses the ability to submit their annual business personal property filing with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.

“Thousands of Maryland entrepreneurs use the Central Business Licensing and Registration Portal to register their company online every day – the portal is truly a 'one-stop shop' for conducting business in Maryland,” said Governor Martin O'Malley. “We've simplified the registration process to ensure that entrepreneurs can spend more time growing and running their businesses and less time sifting through paperwork.”

Customers who use the CBL Portal are not required to know which specific agencies they must interface with to successfully complete the process for starting a new business. Entrepreneurs are now empowered to more quickly establish new businesses through the CBL Portal, while avoiding the hassle of submitting redundant applications in-person, at multiple agencies. Through CBL, business owners register their business in a simple 4-step process and receive an electronic notification when their filing(s) have been approved or denied. To date, more than 40 percent of sole proprietorship and general partnerships are filed through the system and are approved in less than two business days. Entrepreneurs on the go are taking advantage of the online application's responsive design with nearly 15 percent of filings being completed on a mobile device.

The Central Business Licensing and Registration Portal is a collaborative effort between Governor O'Malley's office, the Department of Information Technology, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the Comptroller of Maryland and the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation. The CBL Portal was developed at no charge for the State of Maryland by NIC Maryland, through the self-funded eGovernment services contract with the State Department of Information Technology (DoIT).

About NIC Maryland

NIC Maryland builds, operates, maintains, supports and markets Maryland.gov and its eGovernment services. Maryland.gov is the official website of the State of Maryland (http://www.maryland.gov) and is a collaborative public/private partnership managed by the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) and NIC Maryland. NIC Maryland helps Maryland state and local government entities web-enable their services and operates without tax funds through a Self-funded eGovernment Services contract. NIC Maryland has developed more than 28 eGov products and services for the State of Maryland since the contract was awarded in August 2011.

About NIC

Founded in 1992, NIC EGOV is the nation's leading provider of official government websites, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company's innovative eGovernment services help make government more accessible to everyone through technology. The family of NIC companies provides eGovernment solutions for more than 3,500 federal, state, and local agencies in the United States. Forbes has named NIC as one of the “100 Best Small Companies in America” five times, most recently ranked at No.11 (2013), and the company has been included three times on the Barron's 400 Index. Additional information is available at http://www.egov.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140827005129/en/