Resident agent required
Yes
From sec.state.ma.us, October 2026
Registered agent guide · Massachusetts
Massachusetts Registered Agents (2026): State Rules, Fees and the 3 Best Agents
Our 2026 recommendation for a registered agent in Massachusetts, best first: Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and MA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year). A resident agent is a legal requirement for Massachusetts LLCs. Each year the state itself collects $500; that is 49th of 50.
Massachusetts: the figures
49th
of fifty for the state side of an annual budget
The smaller the number, the less the state charges. The whole table
Limited Liability Company Annual Report
$500 / yr
The state sets the deadline as on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization. From malegislature.gov, August 2026
State charges, per year
$500
One year of the report plus any minimum tax
Our Massachusetts recommendations
Five criteria set the order, led by three-year service charges and the filings covered; the methodology has the weights.
1. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for Massachusetts-based owners
$99 per year, then $99 per year
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co takes the top place, as a Massachusetts-based agent for $99 a year, whose street address goes on the public record.
It comes in under Mainstay Filing on three-year service fees. Cost counts for 34% of the score.
What the price buys
- An office address supplied for the registered agent role
- Legal papers served on the company are scanned and posted for you
In its favor
- Beats Mainstay Filing on what you pay per year
- $99 a year, same on renewal
Against it
- Single-state service
- The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is yours to send in
2. Mainstay Filing: best for one provider for all fifty states
$149 per year, then $149 per year
Our second pick, Mainstay Filing, earns its place since one agent price, $149, in all fifty states, so a growing company keeps a single vendor.
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co costs $150 less in three-year service fees.
What the price buys
- An address inside the state, kept on file
- Anything served on the company is scanned and sent to you that business day, free of charge
- The first three letters from government agencies each year are scanned at no charge
- Also open to nonprofits, partnerships and corporations, not only LLCs
In its favor
- Price $149, renewal $149
- Covers all fifty states
Against it
- $50 extra a year compared with Massachusetts Registered Agent.co
- This plan is for the agent only; reports are yours to file
3. MA Registered Agent.org: best for businesses based only in Massachusetts
$99 per year, then $99 per year
Number 3 is MA Registered Agent.org: a Massachusetts-based agent for $99 a year, whose street address goes on the public record.
Its published prices match Massachusetts Registered Agent.co's exactly, so the two sit side by side.
What the price buys
- An office address supplied for the registered agent role
- Legal papers served on the company are scanned and posted for you
In its favor
- Beats Mainstay Filing on what you pay per year
- $99 a year, same on renewal
Against it
- Single-state service
- The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is yours to send in
The 3 picks at a glance
| No. | Service | Yearly price | Renews at | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149/yr | $447 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | MA Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Prices as published on November 12, 2026. Massachusetts's own charges do not depend on which agent you name.
Upkeep calculator
Each agent's price is combined with the state charges that repeat (the Limited Liability Company Annual Report from year two). Formation fees are not in the total.
Massachusetts next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Yearly state fees |
|---|---|---|
| 46th | Nevada | $350 |
| 47th | Delaware | $400 |
| 48th | Rhode Island | $450 |
| 49th | Massachusetts | $500 |
| 50th | California | $810 |
For the other states, go to Registered agent rules by state.
Massachusetts resident agent requirements (official, Secretary of State)
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.
Persons the state allows: 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. (M.G.L. c. 156C, § 5)
Yearly state fees for a Massachusetts LLC
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is due every year at a cost of $500 (deadline on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization). Notices about it go to your resident agent.
Why Massachusetts Registered Agent.co is first
In Massachusetts the deciding criterion was three-year service charge, at 34% of the total.
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co charges $297 over three years in service fees, $150 under Mainstay Filing.
Questions and answers
Does every Massachusetts LLC need a resident agent?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who may act as the resident agent for Massachusetts LLCs?
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.
What is the yearly price of registered agent service for Massachusetts?
Among our picks the price is $99 to $149 a year.
What does the state itself charge an LLC each year?
About $500 a year by our yearly measure, which comes from the Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($500 every year).
Which registered agents are recommended on this page?
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and MA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), beginning with our first choice.
Which registered agent is the best choice?
We would pick Massachusetts Registered Agent.co (a flat $99 per year, and served papers are scanned to you online), followed by Mainstay Filing and MA Registered Agent.org.
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
- nvsos.gov supplies Nevada yearly filing: Annual list + license: fees, last opened October 2026
- corp.delaware.gov supplies Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, last opened October 2026
- corp.delaware.gov supplies Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, last opened October 2026
- legis.delaware.gov supplies Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source, last opened October 2026
- docs.sos.ri.gov supplies Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, last opened August 2026
- sos.ri.gov supplies Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, last opened August 2026
- tax.ri.gov supplies Rhode Island other cost, last opened October 2026
- sos.ca.gov supplies California Secretary of State, last opened August 2026
- bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov supplies California Secretary of State, last opened August 2026
- sos.ca.gov supplies California yearly filing: Statement of Information, official source, last opened October 2026
- ftb.ca.gov supplies California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and, last opened October 2026
- ftb.ca.gov supplies California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and, last opened October 2026
- Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, pricing page: copied from the company site November 12, 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