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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Unit 3 · Massachusetts

Foreign LLC Registration Chapter, Massachusetts (2026): 5 Sections and the 3 Best Services

Massachusetts readers who want help registering an LLC formed elsewhere in 2026 should look at Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and MA Registered Agent.org ($199), in the order given. Expect 5 sections and one fee of $500.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Read first

Fee at the filing office $500 See sec.state.ma.us; page last consulted October 2026
Certificate to attach 90 days Maximum age at filing
Maintenance filing $500 Foreign LLC annual report
What the state collects over three years $1,500 Registration, reports and any minimum tax
Number of sections 5 Taken one at a time

Learning objectives

  • Which LLCs must register
  • How the filing is made
  • Recurring obligations
  • The recommendations and their reasons

Recommended reading for Massachusetts

The order rests on five weighted criteria described under how we grade, with three-year cost and paperwork completed on top.

1. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for an economical registration

Best overall
$199 to register, $99 per year afterward

This chapter recommends Massachusetts Registered Agent.co above the others, because a service fee of $199 and a yearly agent renewal of $99.

Mainstay Filing costs more across three years, so this service takes first place.

Price covers

  • The Massachusetts registration, prepared and submitted
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 and the state fee
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • A year of agent service is included

Limitations

  • Works in Massachusetts only, leaving the home state without an agent
Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one provider for both states

Upkeep included
$199 to register, $149 per year afterward

Second place is held by Mainstay Filing, since registration with Massachusetts costs $199 over the state fee, with year one of the resident agent included.

A three-year difference of $100 from Massachusetts Registered Agent.co sets its position.

Agent pricing after the first year: $149 annually, in any state.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • One fee wherever the LLC registers

Advantages

  • $199 over Massachusetts's fee
  • All fifty states covered

Limitations

  • Renewal $50 above Massachusetts Registered Agent.co's
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. MA Registered Agent.org: best for a local filer

Focused on Massachusetts
$199 to register, $99 per year afterward

Third place is held by MA Registered Agent.org, since a service fee of $199 and a yearly agent renewal of $99.

Its prices equal Massachusetts Registered Agent.co's, so either serves.

Price covers

  • The Massachusetts registration, prepared and submitted
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 and the state fee
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • A year of agent service is included

Limitations

  • Works in Massachusetts only, leaving the home state without an agent
Visit MA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Massachusetts Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 MA Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit MA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. Add the $500 state fee to every row.

How registration works in Massachusetts

  1. Section 1

    Is your LLC covered by the Massachusetts registration rule?

    Key term: foreign LLC. It is an LLC formed in a different state, and Massachusetts asks it to register before operating here. An LLC that operates unregistered faces: Massachusetts's courts will not hear its own claims until it registers (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)) agreements already made are not voided (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a))

    Reference: See sec.state.ma.us; page last consulted October 2026

  2. Section 2

    Obtain a certificate from the home state

    Obtain certificate of legal existence or good standing, issued within 90 days.

    Leave it until the other documents are ready.

  3. Section 3

    Appoint a resident agent for Massachusetts

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a street address in Massachusetts. A post office address is not sufficient.

    Every recommended service provides the resident agent.

    Reference: See sec.state.ma.us; page last consulted October 2026

  4. Section 4

    Next comes the Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48)

    the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division is the office that receives the filing and $500.

    Reference: See sec.state.ma.us; page last consulted October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Keep the registration in force

    Item for the calendar: the Foreign LLC annual report, fee $500, timing anniversary of registration.

The cost of this chapter

EntryWho is paidAmount
Section on registration Filing office$500
Foreign LLC annual report Filing office$500
Service fees (optional) The service$199 for year one
Three-year state total Filing office$1,500

State fees come from the official pages in the bibliography. Over three years they consist of the filing, two reports and, in a few states, a minimum tax.

Why Massachusetts Registered Agent.co is first

On tuition over three years (34% of the ranking) came first, with next.

Years one through three at Massachusetts Registered Agent.co come out at $397, which leaves $100 in the owner's pocket compared with Mainstay Filing.

Massachusetts review questions

How much must an LLC formed elsewhere pay to register with Massachusetts?

$500 in state fees. The services here charge $199 more.

Which form do I file to register?

A single form does the job, and the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division handles it.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of legal existence or good standing, issued within 90 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

Massachusetts's courts will not hear its own claims until it registers (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)) agreements already made are not voided (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a))

What is due after registering?

Plan for the Foreign LLC annual report, which costs $500.

Which service should handle the registration?

Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, because $199 beyond the state fee to register, then $99 each year. After it come Mainstay Filing and MA Registered Agent.org.

Further reading

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Footnote for Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth: see sec.state.ma.us (August 2026).
  2. Footnote for Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth: see malegislature.gov (August 2026).
  3. Footnote for M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12: see sec.state.ma.us (August 2026).
  4. Footnote for Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source: see sec.state.ma.us (October 2026).
  5. Footnote for Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source: see sec.state.ma.us (October 2026).
  6. Footnote for Massachusetts registered agent statute: see sec.state.ma.us (October 2026).
  7. Footnote for Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC page: see sec.state.ma.us (October 2026).
  8. Footnote for G.L. c. 156C § 48, foreign LLC registration: see malegislature.gov (October 2026).
  9. Footnote for G.L. c. 156C § 54, failure to register: see malegislature.gov (October 2026).
  10. Footnote for G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, transacting business: see malegislature.gov (October 2026).
  11. November 13, 2026: Massachusetts Registered Agent.co's pricing page was consulted for the price tables
  12. November 13, 2026: Mainstay Filing's Massachusetts service page was consulted for the price tables
  13. November 13, 2026: MA Registered Agent.org's pricing page was consulted for the price tables