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Statewise Business The state fee almanac for LLCs, sourced line by line.

Foreign LLC guide · Massachusetts

Massachusetts Foreign LLCs (2026): Registration Fees and the 3 Best Services

Almanac pick for foreign LLC registration in Massachusetts, 2026: Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and MA Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked first to last. A foreign LLC pays Massachusetts $500 up front and $500 per yearly report; 49th of 50 over three years.

Entry by the Statewise Business almanac desk ·

The Massachusetts schedule

49thin the 50-state table, foreign LLCsOrdered from least to most expensive. All fifty rows
Foreign registration fee
$500sec.state.ma.us as of October 2026
Report each cycle
$500Foreign LLC annual report
Certificate from home
90 daysMaximum age when filed
State fees over three years
$1,500Three-year model for a foreign LLC

Massachusetts: the almanac's picks

Why this order: service fees across three years first, then coverage, renewal, Massachusetts fit and fee clarity (methodology).

1. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for a Massachusetts registration on a budget

Where we would begin$199 and fees; $99 a year later

Entry one is Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: the Massachusetts registration at $199 with a year of agent service, then $99 yearly.

Its three-year service fees are under Mainstay Filing's, and cost carries 32% of the score, the largest weight.

In the price

  • The Massachusetts registration, prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Then $99 a year
  • First agent year in the price

Weak points

  • No help outside this state
Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states

Bundled filings$199 and fees; $149 a year later

Rank 2, Mainstay Filing: it files the Massachusetts registration at $199 beyond the state's fee, with year one of agent service thrown in.

It runs $100 more than Massachusetts Registered Agent.co across three years, and cost is the heaviest criterion.

The free agent year ends and $149 a year begins, wherever the company registers.

In the price

  • The registration filing, handled for you
  • The same service fee in each state

Strengths

  • One fee anywhere
  • A $199 service fee

Weak points

  • A higher agent renewal ($149)
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. MA Registered Agent.org: best for Massachusetts registrations

In-state option$199 and fees; $99 a year later

MA Registered Agent.org holds third place: the Massachusetts registration at $199 with a year of agent service, then $99 yearly.

Its published prices are identical to Massachusetts Registered Agent.co's, so the two sit close together.

In the price

  • The Massachusetts registration, prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • First agent year in the price
  • Then $99 a year

Weak points

  • No help outside this state
Visit MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The shortlist as numbers

#EntryYear-one priceYears two onService fees over three years
1Massachusetts Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3MA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company price pages, recorded November 12, 2026. The $500 state fee comes on top of every service.

Work out the total

Registration fee $500, then the $500 report from year two, added to the service's prices.
Total for 3 years with Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: $1,897 ($1,500 state, $397 service).

Massachusetts among its neighbors in the rank

PositionStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
46thTennessee$900
47thDelaware$1,000
48thRhode Island$1,450
49thMassachusetts$1,500
50thCalifornia$2,490
The full ranking uses the same method for all fifty states.

How to register a foreign LLC in Massachusetts

Registration is made on the Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48), lodged with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division, for $500. The application needs certificate of legal existence or good standing, issued within 90 days.

Afterwards it files the Foreign LLC annual report ($500), anniversary of registration.

Papers to gather

  • Certificate of legal existence or good standing, at most 90 days.
  • The exact legal name from the home state, plus the date of formation.
  • Someone to act as resident agent in Massachusetts.
  • The $500 registration fee.

If registration is skipped

The state's courts will not take a suit it files before registering (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)). What it signed stays in force (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)).

What settled the order

Added cost over three years settled first place in Massachusetts. It carries 32% of the score, and the other criteria are requirements covered, renewal terms, fit with state rules, fee clarity.

Massachusetts Registered Agent.co's service fees across three years: $397 ($100 less than Mainstay Filing).

Quick answers

What does a foreign LLC pay to register in Massachusetts?

$500 as the official fee. The picks add $199.

What is the foreign registration form in Massachusetts?

Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48), filed with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division.

Is a certificate from the home state required?

Yes, certificate of legal existence or good standing, dated within 90 days of the filing.

What does a foreign LLC owe each year?

It files the Foreign LLC annual report for $500.

What happens if the LLC operates there unregistered?

The state's courts will not take a suit it files before registering (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)). What it signed stays in force (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)).

Does a foreign LLC need a resident agent in Massachusetts?

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

Who should handle the registration?

Massachusetts Registered Agent.co leads, then Mainstay Filing and MA Registered Agent.org. The lead comes down to added cost over three years.

Related entries

Citations for this entry

  1. Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth from sec.state.ma.us, read August 2026
  2. Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth from malegislature.gov, read August 2026
  3. M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12 from sec.state.ma.us, read August 2026
  4. Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source from sec.state.ma.us, read October 2026
  5. Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source from sec.state.ma.us, read October 2026
  6. Massachusetts registered agent statute from sec.state.ma.us, read October 2026
  7. Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC page from sec.state.ma.us, read October 2026
  8. G.L. c. 156C § 48, foreign LLC registration from malegislature.gov, read October 2026
  9. G.L. c. 156C § 54, failure to register from malegislature.gov, read October 2026
  10. G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, transacting business from malegislature.gov, read October 2026
  11. Tennessee Secretary of State, business forms and fees from sos.tn.gov, read October 2026
  12. Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign from sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, read October 2026
  13. Tennessee Secretary of State, business FAQs from sos.tn.gov, read October 2026
  14. Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation from sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, read October 2026
  15. Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286 from publications.tnsosfiles.com, read October 2026
  16. Foreign LLC registration form from corpfiles.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  17. Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX from delcode.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  18. Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter XI from delcode.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  19. Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026 from corpfiles.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  20. Alternative entity annual tax instructions from corp.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  21. Form 450, Application for Registration from docs.sos.ri.gov, read October 2026
  22. Business Services fee schedule from docs.sos.ri.gov, read October 2026
  23. R.I from webserver.rilegislature.gov, read October 2026
  24. R.I from webserver.rilegislature.gov, read October 2026
  25. Form 452, Certificate of Cancellation from docs.sos.ri.gov, read October 2026
  26. Rhode Island other cost from tax.ri.gov, read October 2026
  27. California Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms from sos.ca.gov, read October 2026
  28. Form LLC-5 from bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, read October 2026
  29. Corporations Code section 17708.03 from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, read October 2026
  30. Revenue and Taxation Code section 19135 from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, read October 2026
  31. Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing requirements from ftb.ca.gov, read October 2026
  32. California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and from ftb.ca.gov, read October 2026
  33. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co (pricing page) as recorded November 12, 2026
  34. Mainstay Filing (Massachusetts service page) as recorded November 12, 2026
  35. MA Registered Agent.org (pricing page) as recorded November 12, 2026