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Biz Formation Academy

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

Chapter 2 · Massachusetts

Massachusetts Registered Agent Chapter (2026): 6 Sections and the 3 Best Agents

Summary for 2026: to handle appointing a registered agent in Massachusetts with outside help, choose among Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and MA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), in that order. 6 sections: the legal rule, eligibility, the address requirement and the filing that names the agent.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key points

Must one be named? Yes Source text at sec.state.ma.us, October 2026
Agent price range $99 to $149 a year Published prices
Limited Liability Company Annual Report $500 a year Source text at malegislature.gov, August 2026
Chapter sections 6 Outlined below

Learning objectives

  • What Massachusetts requires of a resident agent
  • Eligibility and address rules
  • Listing the agent with the state
  • The agents ranked highest

If you want someone else to file

Ranked by the grading page: three-year cost (34%), paperwork completed (30%), second-year price, fit with Massachusetts rules and clarity of the price list.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who plan to grow

Highest ranked
First year: $149. Second year: $149

Mainstay Filing is ranked first in Massachusetts: a single yearly charge of $149 follows the company if it registers in a second state.

Massachusetts Registered Agent.co costs $150 less over three years; this service still ranks higher because it does more of the work.

Price covers

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Any papers served on the company get scanned for you at no cost
  • Three government mailings a year are scanned at no cost to you
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Advantages

  • One price in all fifty states
  • $149 per year

Limitations

  • Massachusetts Registered Agent.co is $50 a year lower
  • Report filing requires the formation package
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for LLCs based only in Massachusetts

In-state service
First year: $99. Second year: $99

Massachusetts Registered Agent.co takes second position; an office address inside the state at $99 per year.

Price covers

  • A registered office address
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

Advantages

  • Priced below Mainstay Filing
  • $99 each year with no increase

Limitations

  • Serves Massachusetts alone
  • The owner completes the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. MA Registered Agent.org: best for a second Massachusetts option

In-state service
First year: $99. Second year: $99

MA Registered Agent.org takes third position; an office address inside the state at $99 per year.

On price, it matches Massachusetts Registered Agent.co.

Price covers

  • A registered office address
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

Advantages

  • Priced below Mainstay Filing
  • $99 each year with no increase

Limitations

  • Serves Massachusetts alone
  • The owner completes the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
Visit MA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, side by side

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $149$149/yr$447 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Massachusetts Registered Agent.co $99$99/yr$297 Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 MA Registered Agent.org $99$99/yr$297 Visit MA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Listed prices, consulted November 13, 2026. No agent changes the state fees.

The sections

  1. Section 1

    Understand the requirement

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

    Reference: Source text at sec.state.ma.us, October 2026

  2. Section 2

    Identify eligible agents

    A Massachusetts resident, a Massachusetts corporation, or a corporation from another state authorized to do business in Massachusetts. State regulations (950 CMR 112.13) also allow other business entities authorized in Massachusetts. The rule appears in M.G.L. c. 156C, § 5.

  3. Section 3

    The address rule

    The address has to be a street address in Massachusetts. A post office address is not sufficient.

    Using a service keeps a home address out of the public record.

  4. Section 4

    Decide who holds the role

    Eligible owners can name themselves, and the recommended agents charge $99 to $149 each year.

  5. Section 5

    Report the agent's details

    For a newly formed Massachusetts LLC, the Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization identifies the agent. A switch afterward is filed on its own with the Massachusetts Secretary of State.

    Reference: Source text at sec.state.ma.us, October 2026

  6. Section 6

    Update the record when facts change

    Notices from the state about the Limited Liability Company Annual Report are sent to your resident agent. The cost is $500 every year, with timing given as on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization.

    Reference: Source text at malegislature.gov, August 2026

Massachusetts agent costs

ItemGoes toAmount
A professional agent The provider$99 to $149 a year
Renewal The provider$99 to $149 a year
Limited Liability Company Annual Report Paid to the state$500 every year

The filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax make up the state's three-year total; the bibliography shows where each figure came from.

How the ranking came out

The deciding criterion was chapters the price completes, which carries 30% of the ranking.

An agent that can follow the LLC into any state ranked above Massachusetts Registered Agent.co's lower price.

Common questions

Does Massachusetts require an LLC to have a resident agent?

Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Can I be my own resident agent?

Yes, when both the eligibility rule and the address rule in sections 2 and 3 are satisfied.

Can I change my resident agent later?

Yes, at any time. Section 5 shows how to file the change with the Massachusetts Secretary of State.

What does a registered agent cost in Massachusetts?

The listed agents run $99 to $149 per year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The yearly item is the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, priced at $500.

Which registered agent would you choose?

The ranking is Mainstay Filing, Massachusetts Registered Agent.co and MA Registered Agent.org, and Mainstay Filing is first since $149 a year from one provider, for this state and any later one.

Related chapters

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth rests on sec.state.ma.us, a text consulted August 2026.
  2. Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth rests on malegislature.gov, a text consulted August 2026.
  3. M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12 rests on sec.state.ma.us, a text consulted August 2026.
  4. Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on sec.state.ma.us, a text consulted October 2026.
  5. Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on sec.state.ma.us, a text consulted October 2026.
  6. Massachusetts registered agent statute rests on sec.state.ma.us, a text consulted October 2026.
  7. Price reference: Mainstay Filing, Massachusetts service page, November 13, 2026
  8. Price reference: Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, pricing page, November 13, 2026
  9. Price reference: MA Registered Agent.org, pricing page, November 13, 2026