LaunchPath

Flagship channel-state reference guide

Start Facebook Marketplace in Maryland: full reference guide

Use this page when you want the complete dense version: all sections, all appendices, and the full official source directory in one scrollable reference surface.

Last verified: April 29, 2026 Reference mode Dense appendix

Built from reviewed public pages for Maryland, IRS, FinCEN, Baltimore, Facebook Marketplace. Use it as a first-pass guide, then verify the official links that match your setup.

How to use this page

Dense appendix modeFull source directory attachedLast verified April 29, 2026

This version favors completeness over pacing. Use it when you need the appendix, the dense source trail, or the full long-form reference in one place.

Best reading order

  1. Use the fast-answer and official-links sections first if you only need the main route and source trail.
  2. Open the entity, setup, tax, and local sections only where your exact launch path actually branches.
  3. Use the full source directory last as the appendix, not the starting point, unless you already know the exact agency task.
Fast answer appendix Official links first Full source directory
Back to the guided journey

Reference mode

Everything in one dense page

The guided journey is the easier starting point. This page keeps the full accordion guide and source appendix when you want the complete research-backed reference view.

Best when you need

  • The full section map in one scroll without the lighter journey framing.
  • The appendix and official-source directory preserved next to the answer sections.
  • A clearer audit trail before you print, compare, or cross-check another route.

Still better handled in the journey

  • First-pass reading when you want the shortest, safest beginner route.
  • Deciding what to do first before you need the full appendix.
  • Switching states or platforms quickly without reading the full dense version.
Reference map
Start here Fast answer If you want to open Facebook Marketplace in Maryland, you usually need to do five things in order: Everyone 5 steps

If you want to open Facebook Marketplace in Maryland, you usually need to do five things in order:

  1. Choose your setup: sole proprietorship vs single-member LLC.
  2. Decide whether you are really doing local meetup/direct sale, shipped checkout through Meta if eligible, or later off-Facebook direct sales, because the Maryland tax and licensing answer changes across those paths.
  3. Handle your Maryland name, tax, and license branches before launch, especially the CRA vs marketplace-facilitator vs Trader's License vs resale split.
  4. Verify local permit, zoning, and city licensing rules, especially if you will operate in Baltimore.
  5. Confirm that your Facebook account can actually use Marketplace, and only build around shipping or business-mode tools if your real account has them.

Practical first-launch recommendation

If you are casually selling a few low-risk items and want the lightest setup, sole proprietor can work.

If you intend to build a real resale business in Maryland, single-member LLC is usually the better long-term path.

Important state-law note:

For a Maryland-based seller, the cleanest conservative reading is not to assume that Meta checkout alone erases Maryland registration or licensing. The public Maryland record is stronger on the existence of the CRA, resale, and Trader's License branches than it is on any pure marketplace-only no-registration theory for a home-based Maryland reseller.

Important platform note:

Public Meta help still treats Marketplace as a consumer-facing product with gated seller tools. Marketplace access belongs to the seller's main profile, some accounts are restricted entirely, shipping and checkout are not available to all users, and listings that do not follow policy can be removed. That means your legal business can be ready before your actual Facebook account is ready.

Avoid these first-launch mistakes

  • Treating Maryland's facilitator alert as if it also answers the basic business license, Trader's License, resale, and local clerk branches
  • Using a Baltimore address for inventory, meetups, or shipping without clearing zoning and occupancy limits first
  • Treating every Facebook Marketplace sale like a marketplace-facilitated transaction

Maryland-specific friction

Maryland's marketplace-only facilitator alert does not answer the separate basic business license, Trader's License, resale, or local clerk-license questions.

  • Maryland's marketplace-only facilitator alert does not answer the separate basic business license, Trader's License, resale, or local clerk-license questions.
  • If the business is in Baltimore, home-occupation, use-and-occupancy, and clerk-issued license branches can matter before the first listing is ever live.
  • If you later add direct or off-platform sales, Maryland facilitator relief no longer answers the full tax and licensing posture.

Facebook Marketplace-specific friction

Facebook Marketplace is not one stable business-seller program in the public record. It still mixes consumer local sales, feature-gated shipping flows, and help pages that are partly account-specific.

  • Facebook Marketplace is not one stable business-seller program in the public record. It still mixes consumer local sales, feature-gated shipping flows, and help pages that are partly account-specific.
  • Marketplace access runs through the seller's main Facebook profile and can be restricted.
  • Public Meta help still says Marketplace is intended for consumers and says businesses that list there may be blocked or have listings removed.
  • Shipping, checkout, seller verification, payout setup, protection, and listing limits should be treated as live account and action-date questions rather than permanent certainties.

Insurance reality

Physical-product sellers should think about general liability and product liability coverage early, but no public Facebook Marketplace seller-wide liability-insurance threshold or universal insurance mandate was identified in the reviewed official public sources on April 29, 2026.

  • Physical-product sellers should think about general liability and product liability coverage early, but no public Facebook Marketplace seller-wide liability-insurance threshold or universal insurance mandate was identified in the reviewed official public sources on April 29, 2026.
  • Separate carrier, landlord, warehouse, payment, or commercial-lease requirements can still create insurance obligations even if Facebook Marketplace itself does not publish a universal threshold.
Back to top Next: Quick-start checklist
Checklist Quick-start checklist Use the research-backed checklist groups before you spend, before your first sale, and before launch goes live. Everyone 3 groups

Do these before you spend money

  • Pick your entity.
  • Pick your business name.
  • Decide whether you are starting with local pickup, local delivery, or shipping with checkout if your account is eligible.
  • Stay with low-risk physical goods you can inspect, photograph, and hand off or ship yourself.
  • Avoid prohibited or beginner-hostile items like services, animals, healthcare products, recalled products, alcohol, supplements, and obvious counterfeit-risk goods.
  • Make sure you can document sourcing and item condition.

Do these before your first sale

  • Form the business or file the Maryland trade-name branch if needed.
  • Get an EIN from the IRS if applicable.
  • Open a dedicated business bank account.
  • Resolve whether your actual Maryland fact pattern is a marketplace-only shipped-checkout branch or a direct-sale branch.
  • If you want tax-free inventory purchasing, settle the CRA, resale, and trader's-license branch before you assume you have it.
  • Check local permits and home-business rules, especially the Baltimore home-occupation, use-permit, use-and-occupancy, and clerk-license branch if you will operate there.
  • Confirm your Facebook account can access Marketplace, and if you want shipping, confirm that seller verification, tax info, and payout setup are actually available to your account.

Do these before launch goes live

  • Build one low-risk listing first.
  • Choose either a safe meetup workflow or a shipping workflow you can actually support.
  • Keep local pickup and off-Facebook direct sales separate from any marketplace-only tax assumptions.
  • Re-check the current Meta help and legal pages for fees, chargebacks, and shipping rules before you price inventory.
Back to top Next: Official links you will use first
Choose your setup Entity choice Compare the sole-proprietor and single-member LLC paths before banking, tax setup, and platform onboarding. Everyone 2 options

Sole proprietor

Best for: Best if you want the cheapest and simplest start.

What it means

  • If you operate under your own personal legal name, Maryland does not require a separate entity-formation filing just to be a sole proprietor.
  • If you use a business name, the reviewed SDAT filing path is Trade Name Application.
  • Maryland Business Express says sole proprietorships and general partnerships still register so business personal property can be assessed and licenses can be obtained if required.
  • Business income generally runs through your personal tax return unless the facts later change.
  • You do not get a liability shield.

Why someone chooses it

  • Faster launch
  • Lower up-front filing costs
  • Fewer entity-maintenance steps

Main downside: Personal liability

single-member LLC

Best for: Best if you want a more durable setup for a real resale business.

What it means

  • You form the LLC by filing Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company with Maryland.
  • The reviewed public filing pages show a $100 formation fee.
  • Maryland requires a resident agent and says the business itself cannot act as its own resident agent.
  • Maryland's current public annual-filing materials still show a $300 annual-report fee with an ordinary April 15 deadline and a 2026 extension branch to June 15, 2026.

Why someone chooses it

  • Liability protection
  • Cleaner setup for banking, bookkeeping, and repeat inventory buying
  • Better fit for recurring sales, hiring, and later channel expansion

Main downside: Higher setup friction and cost than a sole proprietorship

Back to top Next: What to do in order
Main path What to do in order The full end-to-end setup path, kept in the same order as the researched guide. Everyone 14 steps

  1. Step 1: Choose a low-risk launch model

    Main guide step 1

    For a first launch, stay inside the safest lane:

    Why it matters: Meta-specific warning: Practical rule: If the item touches health, safety, children, regulated chemicals, heavy IP risk, or specialized compliance, slow down and do separate product research before buying inventory.

    • ordinary physical general merchandise
    • truthful condition descriptions
    • one or two low-risk listings first
    • no high-risk categories from food, supplements, cosmetics, medical claims, batteries-heavy hazmat, alcohol, children's products
    • Marketplace listings must comply with Meta's Commerce Policies and Community Standards.
    • Meta's current public Marketplace help says no services, no animals, no healthcare products, and no recalled products.

  2. Step 2: Choose your name and brand approach

    Main guide step 2

    You need to decide whether you are:

    Why it matters: Important:

    • operating under your own legal name,
    • using a Maryland trade name,
    • selling casually through your existing profile,
    • using a more formal business backend behind the listings,
    • or trying to use any business account features only if Meta actually makes them available.
    • Your Facebook profile or seller display name does not replace your Maryland legal-entity or trade-name setup.
    • Meta's public help shows that some business on Marketplace features are only available to select or certain sellers, so do not build your launch plan around those features unless your own account has them.

  3. Step 3: Form the business

    Main guide step 3

    If you choose sole proprietor: If you use only your own legal name, there is generally no separate Maryland entity filing.

    • If you choose sole proprietor: If you use only your own legal name, there is generally no separate Maryland entity filing.
    • If you choose sole proprietor: If you use a trade name, file the Maryland Trade Name Application.
    • If you choose sole proprietor: Maryland's current public trade-name instructions show a $25 filing fee and say the filing is effective for 5 years from acceptance.
    • If you choose sole proprietor: This does not replace Maryland tax registration, local permits, or Marketplace follow-up.
    • If you choose single-member LLC: Do this in order:
    • If you choose single-member LLC: Run a preliminary Maryland name check and make sure the LLC name is distinguishable.
    • If you choose single-member LLC: File Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company.
    • If you choose single-member LLC: Create the internal operating agreement and recordkeeping setup even though the state does not require filing that document.
    • If you choose single-member LLC: File the Maryland trade-name branch as well if your public-facing business name will differ from the LLC legal name.

  4. Step 4: Get your EIN

    Main guide step 4

    Use the IRS EIN application if applicable. Most LLCs need one. For many sole proprietors it is optional, but it is still useful for banking, tax registration, and keeping Marketplace records cleaner.

  5. Step 5: Open banking and bookkeeping

    Main guide step 5

    Do this right away:

    • Open a business checking account.
    • Use one account and one card for business only.
    • Save every invoice, shipping receipt, payment-platform record, refund record, and tax record.
    • Track each sale by transaction type: local pickup, local delivery, shipped checkout, or off-Facebook direct sale.

  6. Step 6: Resolve the Maryland marketplace-only, direct-sale, and resale branch before you act

    Main guide step 6

    This is the most important Maryland decision point in this pack.

    Why it matters: What Maryland officially says: Safe practical reading for Facebook Marketplace: Practical beginner takeaway:

    • Maryland Business Express says businesses that sell goods or taxable services in Maryland typically need state tax accounts and that the Combined Registration Application (CRA) can register a Sales and Use Tax License.
    • The Comptroller's September 2019 marketplace-facilitator alert says a marketplace seller is not required to collect Maryland sales and use tax if the marketplace facilitator collects it.
    • Maryland's public resale guidance says a resale certificate must include the buyer's Maryland sales and use tax registration number.
    • Maryland Business Express and the Comptroller's licensing materials separately keep the basic business license and Trader's License branches alive for goods sellers.
    • If you are using Facebook Marketplace for local meetup, local pickup, local delivery, cash, or other direct-payment flows, that does not cleanly fit the marketplace-facilitator collection branch. Treat that as the direct-sale branch.
    • If your account is eligible for shipping and checkout and Meta is collecting payment and transmitting payout, that looks closer to the marketplace-facilitator branch for those transactions.
    • But Maryland's public record still leaves the CRA, resale, and Trader's License branches visible even when platform collection exists.
    • If you later add off-Facebook invoice sales, website sales, or repeat direct pickup sales, that is a separate direct-sale branch again.
    • If you plan to do regular local pickup, door dropoff, cash, card, Venmo, or other direct-payment sales, treat the startup path as a direct-sale branch and handle Maryland registration early.
    • Even if you are trying to stay inside Meta-managed shipping and checkout, do not assume that Maryland's CRA, trader's-license, or resale branch disappears.
    • The cleaner beginner path is to resolve the Maryland registration and license posture first, then treat Meta-managed checkout as a narrower tax-collection side branch.

  7. Step 7: Handle the resale-certificate branch separately

    Main guide step 7

    If you want to buy inventory tax free for resale:

    Why it matters: Practical rule:

    • Maryland provides a suggested blanket resale certificate.
    • Maryland's resale guidance says the certificate must include the buyer's Maryland sales and use tax registration number.
    • Maryland's public materials do not give a clean marketplace-only shortcut that removes the need to settle your registration posture before using the resale branch.
    • Do not assume that being on Facebook Marketplace alone gives you resale authority.
    • If you want regular wholesale or tax-free inventory purchasing, handle the Maryland registration path first.

  8. Step 8: Check the trader's-license and local permit branch separately

    Main guide step 8

    This is one of Maryland's main friction points.

    Why it matters: What Maryland publicly says: Practical rule:

    • Maryland Business Express says almost all businesses need a basic business license.
    • The same page says you need a Trader's License if you buy goods from other businesses and sell those goods to customers.
    • Comptroller Business Tax Tip #64 says a trader's license is required for selling goods and merchandise in Maryland and applies to retailers and wholesalers, subject to listed exemptions such as growers, makers, or manufacturers.
    • Comptroller registration help says some businesses also need clerk-issued licenses such as Traders, Chain store, and Storage warehouse.
    • Keep the trader's-license branch separate from the marketplace-facilitator collection branch.
    • A seller may have Meta collecting checkout tax on some transactions while still needing a Maryland clerk-issued business license or related registration step.

  9. Step 9: Create your Facebook Marketplace account and listing workflow

    Main guide step 9

    Have these ready:

    Why it matters: What the public pages say: What that means in practice:

    • government-issued ID
    • main Facebook profile in good standing
    • phone number
    • email address
    • bank account information if you are using shipped checkout and payouts
    • tax information if you are using shipped checkout and Facebook asks for it
    • Marketplace access is for adults with active Facebook accounts and uses the seller's main profile rather than an additional profile.
    • Access can be restricted for new, inactive, or policy-violating accounts.
    • Public Meta help also says Marketplace is intended for consumers and that businesses that list on Marketplace may be blocked or have listings removed.
    • Do not assume a normal Maryland business can rely on Facebook Marketplace the same way it could rely on a conventional business-seller marketplace.
    • Treat account standing and feature availability as a live operational risk, not a one-time setup item.

  10. Step 10: Choose the right platform plan

    Main guide step 10

    Local or message-based sales: No public universal listing fee was identified for ordinary local-only listings.

    • Local or message-based sales: No public universal listing fee was identified for ordinary local-only listings.
    • Local or message-based sales: Local payment is generally arranged between buyer and seller, often through cash or person-to-person payment methods.
    • Local or message-based sales: This branch does not use the Meta payout stack described in shipping-help pages.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Public Meta merchant-policy pages reviewed on April 29, 2026 say Individual Sellers using onsite checkout are charged a 5% selling fee per transaction with a minimum fee of $0.40.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: The public policy wording says the fee is calculated on the full transaction amount including item price, shipping fees, and applicable taxes.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Public help pages show a feature-gated payout stack and reference both PayPal and bank-account update help pages.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Safe practical takeaway:
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Keep payout guidance provider-agnostic.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Treat local sales and shipped-checkout payouts as different branches.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Re-check the actual account flow on the day you use it.

  11. Step 11: Decide whether brand or authenticity records belong in the initial launch

    Main guide step 11

    Facebook Marketplace does not offer a clean public brand-registry-style program for ordinary sellers in the reviewed public record.

    • Facebook Marketplace does not offer a clean public brand-registry-style program for ordinary sellers in the reviewed public record.
    • What matters first is authenticity, ownership rights, and clean sourcing records.
    • If you are reselling branded goods, keep invoices, receipts, and condition records from day one.
    • If you are building your own brand, trademark planning can still matter, but Facebook Marketplace is usually better treated as a resale or lead-generation surface than as the primary long-term brand system.

  12. Step 12: Decide whether you will ship, meet locally, or both

    Main guide step 12

    Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: Best if you want the simplest first launch and do not need onsite checkout.

    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: Best if you want the simplest first launch and do not need onsite checkout.
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: What you need:
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: a realistic meetup or handoff plan
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: clear listing descriptions and condition disclosures
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: safe public meeting habits
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: records showing what was sold, when, for how much, and how payment happened
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: Important:
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: Local transactions are the clearest direct sale branch.
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: They do not get flattened into Facebook-protected or marketplace-facilitated transactions just because the listing started on Marketplace.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Best if:
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: the account is actually eligible,
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: the item qualifies,
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: and you want Facebook-facilitated checkout rather than a pure local deal
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: What the public record says:
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Shipping is not available to all users.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Shipping performance includes Cancellation Rate and Missed Handling Rate.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Public help says cancellation rate should stay below 10%.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Public Meta merchant-policy pages say an individual-seller order that is not fulfilled within 3 business days from purchase may be automatically canceled by Meta.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Public help and policy pages also keep seller protection narrower than many sellers assume.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Practical beginner recommendation:
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Start with one or two low-risk local or seller-managed listings and keep the operational model simple. Expand into shipped checkout only if the account actually supports it and the first live flow matches the public Meta rules you reviewed that day.

  13. Step 13: Confirm product, condition, and category eligibility before scaling

    Main guide step 13

    Before you scale, confirm four different things:

    Why it matters: Important Facebook Marketplace public rules:

    • Listings must be physical products for sale.
    • Services are not allowed.
    • Animals, medical and healthcare products, recalled products, and other noncompliant items are not allowed.
    • Buyers and sellers are also responsible for complying with applicable laws and regulations.
    • the item is lawful in Maryland
    • the item is lawful in Baltimore if local rules matter
    • the item is allowed by Facebook Marketplace, Meta Commerce Policies, and Community Standards
    • the item is described and priced in a way that will not trigger policy or scam concerns

  14. Step 14: Launch with a compliance-first operating routine

    Main guide step 14

    Once live, keep these habits:

    • separate local direct records from any shipping and checkout records
    • reconcile proceeds, refunds, fees, and tax reports
    • keep invoices and supplier records
    • keep tax reserves separate
    • avoid mixing personal and business spending
    • review listing accuracy and reported issues early

Best practical order for the LLC launch path

  1. Choose a low-risk product lane first so you are not mixing basic Maryland setup with restricted-category compliance.
  2. Choose the legal LLC name and decide whether you also need a separate Maryland trade name for the public brand.
  3. File the Maryland Articles of Organization, choose the resident agent, and keep the operating agreement internally.
  4. Get the EIN and open the business bank account immediately after formation.
  5. Decide whether you will make any direct Maryland sales outside Facebook Marketplace before buying inventory, because that answer changes the CRA and licensing branch.
  6. If you will make direct taxable Maryland sales, register with Maryland through the CRA before launch.
  7. Even if you think Meta-managed checkout narrows the tax-collection answer, resolve the trader's-license and resale branch separately instead of treating the platform as a complete substitute.
  8. Line up the resale-document branch only after the tax-registration posture is clear.
  9. Clear the local branch next. If you are in Baltimore, that means home-occupation, use-permit, use-and-occupancy, and any clerk-license follow-up tied to the real address and real inventory pattern.
  10. Build the Facebook Marketplace seller path only after the legal name, address, bank, and tax records are aligned across your source documents.
Back to top Next: Maryland tax stack
State filing and tax Maryland tax stack Keep the Maryland registration, tax, and maintenance rules together while you launch. Everyone 7 checks

1. EIN

A single-member LLC generally needs one.

  • A single-member LLC generally needs one.
  • A sole proprietor may not always need one federally, but it is often the cleaner operating choice for Facebook Marketplace, banking, and supplier paperwork.

2. Maryland sales tax, seller permit, or equivalent registration

Maryland Business Express says the CRA can register a Sales and Use Tax License.

  • Maryland Business Express says the CRA can register a Sales and Use Tax License.
  • The same page says businesses that sell goods or taxable services in Maryland typically need state tax accounts.
  • For a Facebook Marketplace seller, keep the marketplace-only alert separate from the mixed-channel, resale, and clerk-license analysis instead of assuming one answer controls every fact pattern.
  • New businesses can file the CRA through Maryland channels, and Maryland Tax Connect remains part of the state's live tax-account workflow.

3. Marketplace or platform tax rule

Maryland's September 2019 marketplace alert says a marketplace seller is not required to collect Maryland sales and use tax if the marketplace facilitator collects it.

  • Maryland's September 2019 marketplace alert says a marketplace seller is not required to collect Maryland sales and use tax if the marketplace facilitator collects it.
  • That alert is a side branch only when the sale is actually routed through a marketplace facilitator.
  • A seller that later adds direct website, invoice, or in-person sales should re-check the Maryland registration and filing posture before using the facilitator answer as a blanket rule.

4. Resale purchases or exempt purchasing

Maryland provides a suggested blanket resale certificate.

  • Maryland provides a suggested blanket resale certificate.
  • The certificate expects a Maryland sales and use tax registration number.
  • If you are buying finished goods or inventory for resale, re-check the Maryland resale-certificate branch carefully and keep it separate from the business-license analysis.

5. Entity tax treatment

For federal tax purposes, a default single-member LLC is generally disregarded unless it elects otherwise.

  • For federal tax purposes, a default single-member LLC is generally disregarded unless it elects otherwise.
  • The reviewed Maryland startup pages did not surface a separate Maryland-only income-tax return for a default single-member LLC in this starter path.
  • If the founder changes federal tax elections, refresh the Maryland tax branch before filing.

6. Entity filing-fee or recurring state-maintenance rule

The clearly verified recurring Maryland entity filing in the reviewed record is the annual report with a current public LLC filing fee of $300, ordinarily due April 15.

  • The clearly verified recurring Maryland entity filing in the reviewed record is the annual report with a current public LLC filing fee of $300, ordinarily due April 15.
  • Maryland also keeps the separate business-personal-property branch alive where applicable.
  • As of April 29, 2026, the public SDAT annual-report pages still show an approved 2026 extension branch to June 15, 2026; use the live annual-report page on the action date.

7. If the founder changes entity type later

Treat a structure change as a fresh compliance event.

  • Treat a structure change as a fresh compliance event.
  • Re-check EIN rules, state tax registrations, banking records, supplier files, and Facebook account details before assuming the old setup carries over cleanly.
Back to top Next: Facebook Marketplace account and operations
Platform setup Facebook Marketplace account and operations Use this section for the Facebook Marketplace-specific account, plan, eligibility, and operations work. Everyone 5 steps

  1. Step 9: Create your Facebook Marketplace account and listing workflow

    Platform step 1

    Have these ready:

    Why it matters: What the public pages say: What that means in practice:

    • government-issued ID
    • main Facebook profile in good standing
    • phone number
    • email address
    • bank account information if you are using shipped checkout and payouts
    • tax information if you are using shipped checkout and Facebook asks for it
    • Marketplace access is for adults with active Facebook accounts and uses the seller's main profile rather than an additional profile.
    • Access can be restricted for new, inactive, or policy-violating accounts.
    • Public Meta help also says Marketplace is intended for consumers and that businesses that list on Marketplace may be blocked or have listings removed.
    • Do not assume a normal Maryland business can rely on Facebook Marketplace the same way it could rely on a conventional business-seller marketplace.
    • Treat account standing and feature availability as a live operational risk, not a one-time setup item.

  2. Step 10: Choose the right platform plan

    Platform step 2

    Local or message-based sales: No public universal listing fee was identified for ordinary local-only listings.

    • Local or message-based sales: No public universal listing fee was identified for ordinary local-only listings.
    • Local or message-based sales: Local payment is generally arranged between buyer and seller, often through cash or person-to-person payment methods.
    • Local or message-based sales: This branch does not use the Meta payout stack described in shipping-help pages.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Public Meta merchant-policy pages reviewed on April 29, 2026 say Individual Sellers using onsite checkout are charged a 5% selling fee per transaction with a minimum fee of $0.40.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: The public policy wording says the fee is calculated on the full transaction amount including item price, shipping fees, and applicable taxes.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Public help pages show a feature-gated payout stack and reference both PayPal and bank-account update help pages.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Safe practical takeaway:
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Keep payout guidance provider-agnostic.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Treat local sales and shipped-checkout payouts as different branches.
    • Shipped orders with checkout on Facebook: Re-check the actual account flow on the day you use it.

  3. Step 11: Decide whether brand or authenticity records belong in the initial launch

    Platform step 3

    Facebook Marketplace does not offer a clean public brand-registry-style program for ordinary sellers in the reviewed public record.

    • Facebook Marketplace does not offer a clean public brand-registry-style program for ordinary sellers in the reviewed public record.
    • What matters first is authenticity, ownership rights, and clean sourcing records.
    • If you are reselling branded goods, keep invoices, receipts, and condition records from day one.
    • If you are building your own brand, trademark planning can still matter, but Facebook Marketplace is usually better treated as a resale or lead-generation surface than as the primary long-term brand system.

  4. Step 12: Decide whether you will ship, meet locally, or both

    Platform step 4

    Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: Best if you want the simplest first launch and do not need onsite checkout.

    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: Best if you want the simplest first launch and do not need onsite checkout.
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: What you need:
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: a realistic meetup or handoff plan
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: clear listing descriptions and condition disclosures
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: safe public meeting habits
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: records showing what was sold, when, for how much, and how payment happened
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: Important:
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: Local transactions are the clearest direct sale branch.
    • Option 1: Local meetup, pickup, or drop-off: They do not get flattened into Facebook-protected or marketplace-facilitated transactions just because the listing started on Marketplace.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Best if:
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: the account is actually eligible,
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: the item qualifies,
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: and you want Facebook-facilitated checkout rather than a pure local deal
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: What the public record says:
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Shipping is not available to all users.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Shipping performance includes Cancellation Rate and Missed Handling Rate.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Public help says cancellation rate should stay below 10%.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Public Meta merchant-policy pages say an individual-seller order that is not fulfilled within 3 business days from purchase may be automatically canceled by Meta.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Public help and policy pages also keep seller protection narrower than many sellers assume.
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Practical beginner recommendation:
    • Option 2: Seller-managed shipping with checkout on Facebook if available: Start with one or two low-risk local or seller-managed listings and keep the operational model simple. Expand into shipped checkout only if the account actually supports it and the first live flow matches the public Meta rules you reviewed that day.

  5. Step 13: Confirm product, condition, and category eligibility before scaling

    Platform step 5

    Before you scale, confirm four different things:

    Why it matters: Important Facebook Marketplace public rules:

    • Listings must be physical products for sale.
    • Services are not allowed.
    • Animals, medical and healthcare products, recalled products, and other noncompliant items are not allowed.
    • Buyers and sellers are also responsible for complying with applicable laws and regulations.
    • the item is lawful in Maryland
    • the item is lawful in Baltimore if local rules matter
    • the item is allowed by Facebook Marketplace, Meta Commerce Policies, and Community Standards
    • the item is described and priced in a way that will not trigger policy or scam concerns
Back to top Next: Local permits and Baltimore branch
Local branch Local permits and Baltimore branch These local and city checks can still change the answer even after the state and platform path is clear. Location-specific 2 branches

Local permits and location checks

Maryland pushes many operating questions down to counties and municipalities.

  • Maryland pushes many operating questions down to counties and municipalities.
  • For any place where the business will operate:
  • start with the city or county office that handles business licensing or permits,
  • check zoning or planning if the business will operate from home, store inventory, receive frequent carrier pickups, or use business vehicles at the address,
  • check building or occupancy staff if the business activity could change the official occupancy or life-safety demands of the property,
  • ask whether a local license renewal will require state tax proof or other local paperwork.
  • Typical local risk areas:
  • city business license
  • zoning clearance or occupancy clearance
  • home occupation restrictions
  • inventory storage
  • truck or carrier activity at a residence
  • fire-code or life-safety limits
  • clerk-issued licensing where state law routes the license through the court system

Baltimore Appendix

If the business operates in Baltimore, add one more review layer.

  • If the business operates in Baltimore, add one more review layer.
  • Baltimore's home-occupation code limits employees, visits, deliveries, vehicles, and outside storage.
  • Baltimore's zoning and DHCD materials keep use permit and use and occupancy permit branches visible.
  • The current public DHCD materials keep the use-and-occupancy filing branch alive through ePermits and describe the live information requirements.
  • If the business needs a clerk-issued trader's or related license in Baltimore City, use the Baltimore City Circuit Court clerk contact path to confirm the current local handling.
Back to top Next: Employees and insurance
Optional branch Employees and insurance Use this branch if you plan to hire or need the insurance follow-up that comes with scaling. Only if hiring or scaling 5 branches

1. Employer registration

Maryland Labor's new-employer guidance covers wage reporting, quarterly unemployment filings, claim responses, and poster obligations.

  • Maryland Labor's new-employer guidance covers wage reporting, quarterly unemployment filings, claim responses, and poster obligations.
  • New hires and rehires must be reported within 20 days of the employee's first day of work.

2. Workers' compensation

With few exceptions, Maryland employers with one or more employees must carry workers' compensation coverage.

  • With few exceptions, Maryland employers with one or more employees must carry workers' compensation coverage.

3. Disability, paid leave, or similar coverage

Maryland's public FAMLI materials say payroll contributions begin on January 1, 2027, with the first remittance due April 30, 2027.

  • Maryland's public FAMLI materials say payroll contributions begin on January 1, 2027, with the first remittance due April 30, 2027.
  • Maryland's public FAMLI materials say benefits begin in January 2028.

4. Exemption certificate if applicable

A general statewide exemption certificate similar to some other states' contractor certificates was not verified in the reviewed Maryland employer baseline.

  • A general statewide exemption certificate similar to some other states' contractor certificates was not verified in the reviewed Maryland employer baseline.

Insurance reality

Physical-product sellers should think about general liability and product liability coverage early, but no public Facebook Marketplace seller-wide liability-insurance threshold or universal insurance mandate was identified in the reviewed official public sources on April 29, 2026.

  • Physical-product sellers should think about general liability and product liability coverage early, but no public Facebook Marketplace seller-wide liability-insurance threshold or universal insurance mandate was identified in the reviewed official public sources on April 29, 2026.
  • Separate carrier, landlord, warehouse, payment, or commercial-lease requirements can still create insurance obligations even if Facebook Marketplace itself does not publish a universal threshold.
Back to top Next: Ongoing compliance calendar
Stay compliant Ongoing compliance calendar Keep the recurring compliance checks and live-operating routine visible after launch. Everyone 5 groups

Before first sale

  • Finish the entity or assumed-name setup.
  • Get the EIN if applicable.
  • Open the bank account.
  • Complete the controlling Maryland registration or marketplace-tax analysis that fits your facts.
  • Check local permits.
  • Confirm your live Facebook account branch and listing flow.

Before first live launch

  • Confirm the product is allowed and accurately described.
  • Confirm whether the listing is local direct or shipping and checkout.
  • Finish meetup, shipping, returns, and recordkeeping setup.
  • Build accurate listings.

Monthly

  • Reconcile payments, fees, refunds, and chargebacks.
  • Review tax reserves and supporting records.
  • Review listing status, seller ratings, and policy notices.
  • Review whether your account access or shipping eligibility changed.

Quarterly

  • If the state assigns you a filing cadence, follow the cadence on the account.
  • Review whether your sales mix changed enough to alter the Maryland marketplace or direct-sale answer.
  • Review whether home-based inventory, meetup, or shipping activity still fits your local rules.

Annual or periodic

  • Re-check the state annual-report or entity-maintenance branch that applies to your legal setup.
  • Re-check any local business-license, occupancy, or personal-property renewals that apply to your operating address.
  • Re-check the state employer pages if you add employees.
  • Re-check live Meta help and policy pages before relying on an older feature, fee, or protection assumption.
Back to top Next: Common mistakes
Avoid these Common mistakes These are the repeated beginner errors called out in the research pack. Everyone 7 mistakes

Common Mistakes New Operators Make

  • Treating Maryland's facilitator alert as if it also answers the basic business license, Trader's License, resale, and local clerk branches
  • Using a Baltimore address for inventory, meetups, or shipping without clearing zoning and occupancy limits first
  • Treating every Facebook Marketplace sale like a marketplace-facilitated transaction
  • Treating Facebook Marketplace like a stable business-seller platform instead of a consumer-oriented, feature-gated surface
  • Assuming a payout rail, shipping option, or protection benefit exists just because an old help page mentioned it
  • Mixing personal and business money
  • Adding local pickup, direct invoicing, or off-platform sales later without re-checking the state tax posture

Practical first-launch recommendation

If you are casually selling a few low-risk items and want the lightest setup, sole proprietor can work.

If you intend to build a real resale business in Maryland, single-member LLC is usually the better long-term path.

Important state-law note:

For a Maryland-based seller, the cleanest conservative reading is not to assume that Meta checkout alone erases Maryland registration or licensing. The public Maryland record is stronger on the existence of the CRA, resale, and Trader's License branches than it is on any pure marketplace-only no-registration theory for a home-based Maryland reseller.

Important platform note:

Public Meta help still treats Marketplace as a consumer-facing product with gated seller tools. Marketplace access belongs to the seller's main profile, some accounts are restricted entirely, shipping and checkout are not available to all users, and listings that do not follow policy can be removed. That means your legal business can be ready before your actual Facebook account is ready.

Back to top Next: Full official source directory
Full appendix Full official source directory Every official source row from the research pack, kept in its full table structure. Everyone 54 rows

Source group

Statewide Start

Maryland Business Express

State start-here page

Form / portal Start your business hub
Fee None for the page
Timing First decision
Who needs it Everyone

Central Maryland startup hub.

Open official link

Maryland Business Express

State registration planning page

Form / portal Registration planning page
Fee None for the page
Timing Before formation
Who needs it Filing entities and founders planning formation

Says the main office must be a real Maryland street address and that the business cannot act as its own resident agent.

Open official link

SDAT

Maryland startup checklist

Form / portal Maryland Checklist for New Businesses
Fee None for the page
Timing First decision
Who needs it Everyone

Says sole proprietorships and general partnerships require no legal entry formalities except compliance with licensing and taxation requirements.

Open official link

Source group

Entity Choice and Formation

SDAT

Fee schedule

Form / portal Charter fee schedule
Fee Varies
Timing Before filing
Who needs it Filing entities

Current public fee schedule shows Articles of Organization at $100, trade-name filing at $25, and name reservation at $25.

Open official link

SDAT

Formation form

Form / portal Articles of Organization
Fee $100 base filing fee
Timing At formation
Who needs it single-member LLC founders

Instructions say the LLC address must be in Maryland and the resident agent can be a qualifying Maryland individual or Maryland entity.

Open official link

SDAT

Forms hub

Form / portal Forms and online filing hub
Fee Varies
Timing Before filing and later maintenance
Who needs it Filing entities

Main forms page for online and PDF charter filings.

Open official link

SDAT

Name reservation

Form / portal Name reservation
Fee $25
Timing Optional before formation
Who needs it Founders reserving a name

Optional hold step if the founder wants time before filing.

Open official link

Source group

Sole Proprietor, Trade Name, and Personal Property Branches

SDAT

Trade-name filing

Form / portal Trade Name Application
Fee $25; expedited is additional $50
Timing When using a public-facing name
Who needs it Sole proprietors and entities using another name

Instructions say the filing is effective for five years from acceptance and may be renewed during the last six months.

Open official link

SDAT

Trade-name and filing hub

Form / portal Online and paper filing paths
Fee Varies
Timing Before filing
Who needs it Businesses using a trade name

Official forms hub for trade-name registration.

Open official link

SDAT

SDAT bank-account warning

Form / portal Tax ID or FEIN help
Fee None for the page
Timing Early in setup
Who needs it Sole proprietors opening bank accounts

SDAT says individuals or businesses without employees who want to operate as a sole proprietorship still must register with the Department if they wish to open a bank account.

Open official link

Maryland Business Express

Business FAQ

Form / portal Business FAQ
Fee None for the page
Timing During setup
Who needs it Sole proprietors and general partnerships

Says unincorporated businesses that own or lease personal property or need a business license must obtain an identification number and file an annual personal property return.

Open official link

SDAT

Home-based business exemption

Form / portal Home-based business exemption guidance
Fee None for the page
Timing If operating a qualifying home-based sole proprietorship
Who needs it Sole proprietors only

Public page sets the under-$10,000 original-cost threshold, initial Form 2 filing rule, and trader's-license inventory declaration note.

Open official link

Source group

Federal and State Tax Setup

IRS

EIN application

Form / portal Online EIN application
Fee Free
Timing Early in setup
Who needs it LLCs, employers, founders who want an EIN

IRS says U.S. businesses can apply online, by fax, or by mail.

Open official link

IRS

EIN paper form

Form / portal Form SS-4
Fee Free
Timing If not applying online
Who needs it Paper, fax, or mail applicants

Current official reference page for Form SS-4.

Open official link

Maryland Business Express

Maryland tax-account registration

Form / portal Combined Registration Application (CRA)
Fee No fee stated on reviewed page
Timing Before collecting tax, hiring, or opening other tax accounts
Who needs it Businesses needing Maryland tax accounts

Current page says the CRA can register a Sales and Use Tax License, withholding, and other accounts.

Open official link

Comptroller of Maryland

Combined registration entry

Form / portal Combined Registration Online
Fee No fee stated
Timing During registration
Who needs it Businesses opening Maryland tax accounts

Public page says a sole proprietor applying only for a sales and use tax license may proceed without a FEIN, but other applicants generally need one first.

Open official link

Maryland Tax Connect

Tax account updates

Form / portal Maryland Tax Connect
Fee No fee stated for account creation
Timing During registration or updates
Who needs it New and existing businesses

Maryland Business Express points users here for some updates and filings.

Open official link

Comptroller of Maryland

Marketplace-facilitator tax alert

Form / portal Sales and Use Tax Alert
Fee None for the alert
Timing Before and after launch
Who needs it Marketplace sellers and facilitators

Alert says a marketplace seller is not required to collect Maryland sales and use tax if the marketplace facilitator collects it.

Open official link

Comptroller of Maryland

Resale-certificate guidance

Form / portal Business Tax Tip #4
Fee None for the tip
Timing After registration if applicable
Who needs it Sellers buying inventory for resale

Guidance says a resale certificate must include the buyer's Maryland sales and use tax registration number.

Open official link

Comptroller of Maryland

Suggested resale certificate

Form / portal Suggested Blanket Resale Certificate
Fee None for the form
Timing After registration if applicable
Who needs it Sellers buying inventory for resale

Sample certificate expects the buyer's Maryland sales and use tax registration number.

Open official link

Source group

Business Licenses, Trader's License, and Local Clerk Branch

Maryland Business Express

Maryland license overview

Form / portal Business licenses and permits guidance
Fee Varies
Timing Before operating
Who needs it Goods sellers and other regulated businesses

Says almost all businesses need a basic business license, and a Trader's License is needed if you buy goods from other businesses and sell those goods to customers.

Open official link

Comptroller of Maryland

Trader's-license guidance

Form / portal Business Tax Tip #64
Fee Inventory-based fee
Timing Before selling goods if applicable
Who needs it Retail and wholesale goods sellers

Says a trader's license is required for selling goods and merchandise in Maryland and applies to retailers and wholesalers.

Open official link

Comptroller of Maryland

Clerk-issued licenses help

Form / portal Sales and Use Tax Questions Help
Fee None for the page
Timing During sales-tax and license planning
Who needs it Businesses needing local clerk licenses

Lists clerk-issued licenses such as Traders, Chain store, and Storage warehouse.

Open official link

Maryland Courts

Maryland courts business-license FAQ

Form / portal Business-license FAQ
Fee Varies by license
Timing During local license review
Who needs it Founders checking whether a trader's license applies

Official courts FAQ notes that fee amounts range up to $2,125 in Baltimore City and says to contact the local clerk or State License Bureau to determine if a license is needed.

Open official link

Source group

Entity Tax Maintenance and Personal Property

SDAT

Annual report due date and extension

Form / portal Annual filing hub
Fee Generally $300 for most business entities; some exemptions apply
Timing File or request extension by April 15; approved 2026 extensions run to June 15, 2026
Who needs it Registered entities

Live SDAT page confirms the 2026 due date and extension branch.

Open official link

SDAT

2026 annual-filing release

Form / portal 2026 annual-filing release
Fee None for the release
Timing 2026 cycle
Who needs it Registered entities

Confirms April 15, 2026 deadline, June 15, 2026 extension date, and good-standing consequences.

Open official link

SDAT

Annual-report fee examples

Form / portal 2026 Form 1 Instructions
Fee $300 for domestic and foreign LLCs in the live fee table
Timing Annual filing cycle
Who needs it LLCs and other covered entities

Current instructions still show the live fee table used for annual business filings.

Open official link

SDAT

About SDAT property-tax role

Form / portal Department overview
Fee None for the page
Timing Planning and annual review
Who needs it Businesses holding taxable property

Says business property valuation certifies values to local jurisdictions so they may issue tax bills.

Open official link

Source group

Federal Reporting

FinCEN

BOI reporting status

Form / portal Interim final rule Q&A
Fee None
Timing Check before filing
Who needs it Everyone forming an entity

FinCEN says companies created in the United States are no longer reporting companies, and only certain foreign entities remain in scope.

Open official link

Source group

Employees, Payroll, and Insurance

Maryland Department of Labor

New-employer overview

Form / portal New Employers page
Fee None for the page
Timing At first hire
Who needs it Employers

Lists wage reporting, quarterly UI taxes, new hires, claims responses, and poster duties.

Open official link

Maryland Department of Labor

BEACON employer portal instructions

Form / portal BEACON employer portal
Fee No fee stated on reviewed page
Timing At first hire and quarterly
Who needs it Employers

Explains how to register or activate the employer UI account and file quarterly reports.

Open official link

Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission

Workers' compensation

Form / portal Employer workers' compensation guidance
Fee Premium-based or varies
Timing Before or at hiring
Who needs it Employers with covered workers

Public employer guidance says coverage is generally required with one or more employees.

Open official link

Maryland Paid Leave

FAMLI contributions

Form / portal FAMLI contribution schedule
Fee Contribution-based
Timing Contributions start January 1, 2027; first payment due April 30, 2027
Who needs it Employers with Maryland employees

Current public page gives quarterly due dates beginning in 2027.

Open official link

Source group

Platform Setup

Facebook Help Center

Marketplace access and account eligibility

Form / portal Marketplace access rules
Fee None stated
Timing Before launch
Who needs it All operators on the platform

Public help says Marketplace is for adults with active accounts, uses the seller's main profile, and can be restricted for new, inactive, or policy-violating accounts. Public help also says Marketplace is intended for consumers and that businesses that list there may be blocked or have listings removed.

Open official link

Facebook Help Center

Listing creation

Form / portal Listing flow
Fee No public listing fee identified on the reviewed page
Timing Before first listing
Who needs it All operators

Public help describes creating an Item for sale listing with photos, item information, and publishing. Direct open may redirect to login or device-specific help.

Open official link

Facebook Help Center

Selling modes overview

Form / portal Ways to sell
Fee None for the page
Timing Before launch
Who needs it All operators

Public help says you can sell through Marketplace and may be able to offer shipping depending on where you live.

Open official link

Facebook Help Center ; Meta legal page

Shipping and checkout branch

Form / portal Shipping and checkout flow
Fee Public Individual Seller selling fee posture: 5% per transaction with $0.40 minimum for onsite checkout
Timing Only if the feature is available
Who needs it Sellers using shipping and checkout

Public help says shipping and buying or creating prepaid labels are not available to all users. Merchant policies keep the fee and protection wording tied to Individual Sellers.

Open official link

Facebook Help Center

Policy and restricted-item baseline

Form / portal Commerce-policy help
Fee None
Timing During sourcing and listing
Who needs it All operators

Public help says Marketplace listings must comply with Meta Commerce Policies and Community Standards and gives examples of prohibited items and services.

Open official link

Source group

Fulfillment, Logistics, or Store Operations

Facebook Help Center

Direct local sale flow and safety

Form / portal Local meetup workflow
Fee None
Timing Before local transactions
Who needs it Direct local sellers

Public help says suspicious activity should be reported, and local sales between an individual seller and buyer are transactions between those two parties.

Open official link

Facebook Help Center

Seller verification for shipping

Form / portal Seller verification and tax-info workflow
Fee None for the page
Timing If using shipping and checkout
Who needs it Sellers using shipped checkout

Public help says shipped selling can require identity, address, and tax-information documents. The page also says shipping is not available to all users.

Open official link

Facebook Help Center

Listing-volume limit

Form / portal Listing limits
Fee None
Timing Before scaling
Who needs it High-volume operators

Public help says there is a monthly limit of 20 total listings, with narrower limits in some categories.

Open official link

Facebook Help Center

Shipping performance

Form / portal Shipping performance tools
Fee None for the page
Timing If using shipping
Who needs it Sellers using shipped checkout

Public help says cancellation rate should stay below 10% and that missed standards may result in a temporary loss of shipping.

Open official link

Facebook Help Center

Returns and refund posture

Form / portal Returns help
Fee None for the page
Timing During setup and ongoing
Who needs it Sellers using checkout and local pickup

Public help says checkout purchases follow the seller's return policy, that individual-seller buyers contact the seller first, and that returns and refunds for local pickup purchases are not available from Facebook.

Open official link

Source group

Insurance Checkpoint

Facebook Help Center

Platform insurance threshold or requirement

Form / portal Marketplace overview
Fee None identified
Timing Re-check before scaling
Who needs it Operators with physical-product risk

No public Facebook Marketplace seller-liability-insurance threshold or universal insurance requirement was identified in the reviewed public help pages on April 29, 2026.

Open official link

Source group

Baltimore Branch

City of Baltimore Law Library

Home-occupation rule

Form / portal Baltimore City Code Section 15-507
Fee None for the code
Timing Before operating from home
Who needs it Baltimore home-based businesses

Limits employees, client visits, deliveries, vehicle use, and outside storage.

Open official link

City of Baltimore Law Library

Use-permit trigger

Form / portal Baltimore use-permit rule
Fee Varies; exact starter fee not verified here
Timing Before occupancy or use changes
Who needs it Businesses changing property use

Public code says a use permit is required before certain occupancy and use changes.

Open official link

Baltimore DHCD

Use and occupancy information

Form / portal ePermits use-and-occupancy information sheet
Fee Fee not cleanly verified in this packet
Timing When permit branch applies
Who needs it Baltimore operators using property for business activity

Current official PDF confirms the live filing branch and required information.

Open official link

Baltimore DHCD

Use and occupancy instructions

Form / portal Use and occupancy permit instructions
Fee Fee not cleanly verified in this packet
Timing When permit branch applies
Who needs it Baltimore operators using property for business activity

Current public PDF explains the filing sequence and zoning-code use-category selection.

Open official link

City of Baltimore

Baltimore business-licensing department

Form / portal Department of Consumer Protection and Business Licensing
Fee Varies
Timing During local licensing review
Who needs it Baltimore businesses

Public city page says the department oversees business licensing and enforcement for city businesses.

Open official link

Maryland Courts

Baltimore City circuit-court contact

Form / portal Circuit Court for Baltimore City directory
Fee None for the directory page
Timing Before local clerk-license follow-up
Who needs it Baltimore businesses needing clerk-issued licenses

Official contact path for the circuit-court clerk if a trader's-license or related clerk-issued license branch applies in Baltimore City.

Open official link

Source group

Facebook Tax, Payments, and Performance Notes

Facebook Help Center

Ratings and reputation

Form / portal Ratings help
Fee None
Timing Ongoing
Who needs it All operators

Public help says buyer and seller ratings are available and seller ratings become public after 5 or more eligible ratings.

Open official link

Facebook Help Center

Payouts and payment paths

Form / portal Shipping payout flow
Fee No separate public payout fee identified beyond checkout selling-fee rules
Timing If using shipping and checkout
Who needs it Sellers using shipped checkout

Public help shows a feature-gated payout stack and references both PayPal and bank-account update help pages, so this packet keeps payout wording provider-agnostic.

Open official link

Facebook Help Center ; Meta legal page

Chargebacks and disputes

Form / portal Chargeback and protection help
Fee USD 20 chargeback fee if the issuer decides in the customer's favor
Timing Ongoing if using checkout
Who needs it Sellers using shipped checkout

Public help says card issuers decide chargeback outcomes and that customer-favorable decisions can deduct the transaction amount plus a USD 20 fee.

Open official link

Meta legal page

Seller protection and fulfillment window

Form / portal Seller protection, performance, and accountability policies
Fee None for the page
Timing During shipping and checkout setup
Who needs it Sellers using shipped checkout

Public merchant policies say seller protection is currently available only in the US, limited to covered onsite-checkout items priced at $2,000 or less, and that some protection branches depend on using a Meta-generated shipping label.

Open official link
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