Foreign registration charge
$500
sec.state.ma.us, checked October 2026
Foreign LLC guide · Massachusetts
Registering an Out-of-State LLC in Massachusetts (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services
Our 2026 recommendation for registering a foreign LLC in Massachusetts, best first: Mainstay Filing ($199), MA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($199). A foreign LLC pays $500 to register in Massachusetts and $500 for each yearly report after that. Three-year state fees rank 49th of 50.
The Massachusetts fee sheet
49th
of 50 by what a foreign LLC pays the state
The smaller the number, the less the state charges. Every state compared
Report, per cycle
$500
Foreign LLC annual report
Home-state certificate
90 days
It must be this recent
State charges, years one to three
$1,500
A three-year picture for a foreign LLC
Services that file for you, for Massachusetts
How the order came about: three-year service charges first, then coverage, renewal, Massachusetts fit and fee labeling (methodology).
1. Mainstay Filing: best for an identical price in every state
$199 plus the state fee; the agent is $149 a year from year two
First on the list is Mainstay Filing, since a $199 service fee in whichever state you choose, plus a free first year of agent service.
It runs $100 above MA Registered Agent.org over three years. Our method weighs coverage at 26%, and the extra filings it handles make up for the gap.
Year two brings the agent charge, $149 a year, wherever the company registers.
What the price buys
- Your registration is prepared and filed
- Same service fee in every state
In its favor
- $199 plus the state fee
- Works for your next state too
Against it
- A renewal $50 higher than MA Registered Agent.org's
2. MA Registered Agent.org: best for a low yearly agent fee
$199 plus the state fee; the agent is $99 a year from year two
Number 2 is MA Registered Agent.org: a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Massachusetts.
What the price buys
- The registration is filed for you
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- $99 yearly for the agent after that
- The price already covers the first agent year
- A $199 service fee
Against it
- Single-state service
3. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for Massachusetts registrations
$199 plus the state fee; the agent is $99 a year from year two
Number 3 is Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Massachusetts.
The two publish identical prices, MA Registered Agent.org and this service.
What the price buys
- The registration is filed for you
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- $99 yearly for the agent after that
- A $199 service fee
- The price already covers the first agent year
Against it
- Single-state service
Massachusetts picks compared
| No. | Service | First-year fee | From year two | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149/yr | $497 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | MA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | Massachusetts Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Every price was copied from its company's page on November 12, 2026. The state's $500 is not counted in the table.
Registration and upkeep, by year
The registration fee is $500, with the $500 report from year two; the service's prices are added to it.
Massachusetts next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Three-year foreign LLC fees |
|---|---|---|
| 46th | Tennessee | $900 |
| 47th | Delaware | $1,000 |
| 48th | Rhode Island | $1,450 |
| 49th | Massachusetts | $1,500 |
| 50th | California | $2,490 |
The full table is at Foreign LLC fees by state, with the smallest bills first.
Massachusetts foreign registration: fee, form, office
Send the Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48) to the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division with a payment of $500. The application must include certificate of legal existence or good standing, not older than 90 days.
After that the company files the Foreign LLC annual report ($500), anniversary of registration.
Papers you need
- Certificate of legal existence or good standing, not more than 90 days.
- The exact legal name and formation date from the home state.
- A resident agent within the state (included with every pick).
- Money for the $500 registration fee.
Consequences of staying unregistered
An LLC that wants to sue in the state has to register first (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)). Whatever it signed remains in force (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)).
Why Mainstay Filing is first
Mainstay Filing moved ahead of MA Registered Agent.org on paperwork the price takes on, a criterion weighted 26%.
A foreign LLC already has a home state, so one provider covering both states scored best.
Massachusetts foreign registration service questions answered
What fee does a foreign LLC pay to register with Massachusetts?
$500 as the official fee. A service adds $199 to the bill.
Which form does Massachusetts use to register a foreign LLC?
Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48), submitted to the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division.
Does the home state have to issue a certificate?
Yes. certificate of legal existence or good standing; it has to be dated within 90 days of the filing.
Does a foreign LLC owe anything every year?
Yes, the Foreign LLC annual report, at $500.
What are the consequences of operating there without registering?
An LLC that wants to sue in the state has to register first (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)). Whatever it signed remains in force (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)).
Does Massachusetts require a resident agent of a foreign LLC?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who should register my foreign LLC?
Start with Mainstay Filing: $199 plus Massachusetts's own fee, then the agent at $149 a year from year two. After that, MA Registered Agent.org and Massachusetts Registered Agent.co.
Sources for this chapter
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, last opened August 2026
- malegislature.gov supplies Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, last opened August 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12, last opened August 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts registered agent statute, last opened October 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC page, last opened October 2026
- malegislature.gov supplies G.L. c. 156C § 48, foreign LLC registration, last opened October 2026
- malegislature.gov supplies G.L. c. 156C § 54, failure to register, last opened October 2026
- malegislature.gov supplies G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, transacting business, last opened October 2026
- sos.tn.gov supplies Tennessee Secretary of State, business forms and fees, last opened October 2026
- sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com supplies Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign, last opened October 2026
- sos.tn.gov supplies Tennessee Secretary of State, business FAQs, last opened October 2026
- sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com supplies Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation, last opened October 2026
- publications.tnsosfiles.com supplies Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286, last opened October 2026
- corpfiles.delaware.gov supplies Foreign LLC registration form, last opened October 2026
- delcode.delaware.gov supplies Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX, last opened October 2026
- delcode.delaware.gov supplies Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter XI, last opened October 2026
- corpfiles.delaware.gov supplies Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026, last opened October 2026
- corp.delaware.gov supplies Alternative entity annual tax instructions, last opened October 2026
- docs.sos.ri.gov supplies Form 450, Application for Registration, last opened October 2026
- docs.sos.ri.gov supplies Business Services fee schedule, last opened October 2026
- webserver.rilegislature.gov supplies R.I, last opened October 2026
- webserver.rilegislature.gov supplies R.I, last opened October 2026
- docs.sos.ri.gov supplies Form 452, Certificate of Cancellation, last opened October 2026
- tax.ri.gov supplies Rhode Island other cost, last opened October 2026
- sos.ca.gov supplies California Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms, last opened October 2026
- bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov supplies Form LLC-5, last opened October 2026
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov supplies Corporations Code section 17708.03, last opened October 2026
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov supplies Revenue and Taxation Code section 19135, last opened October 2026
- ftb.ca.gov supplies Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing requirements, last opened October 2026
- ftb.ca.gov supplies California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and, last opened October 2026
- Mainstay Filing, Massachusetts service page: copied from the company site November 12, 2026
- MA Registered Agent.org, pricing page: copied from the company site November 12, 2026
- Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, pricing page: copied from the company site November 12, 2026