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

Registered agent guide · Massachusetts

Massachusetts Registered Agents (2026): Official Rules, State Fees and the 3 Best Agents

Almanac pick for registered agent service in Massachusetts, 2026: Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), MA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), ranked first to last. Massachusetts makes a resident agent compulsory. Recurring state fees: $500 yearly, 49th of 50.

Entry by the Statewise Business almanac desk ·

Massachusetts fee schedule

49thacross 50 states, yearly feesPosition 1 is the least expensive state. The complete table
Resident agent required
Yessec.state.ma.us as of October 2026
Limited Liability Company Annual Report
$500 / yrFalls due: on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization. malegislature.gov as of August 2026
State fees per year
$500Per-year state bill

Our Massachusetts entries

Order from the five weighted criteria on the methodology page: three-year service fees at 32%, filings covered at 28%, then renewal price, fit with Massachusetts rules and clarity of fees.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for multi-state companies

First on the list$149/yr, then $149/yr

Mainstay Filing is where the almanac starts: $149 yearly here or anywhere else, renewing at $149.

The premium over MA Registered Agent.org is $150 across three years, and more of the state's paperwork gets handled for it.

In the price

  • Massachusetts street address on the public record
  • Papers served on the company scanned within the same business day, free
  • Your first three government letters each year, scanned free
  • Serves LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits alike

Strengths

  • $149 a year, same at renewal
  • One provider for any state

Weak points

  • A $50 yearly premium over MA Registered Agent.org
  • You send in the reports yourself on this plan
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. MA Registered Agent.org: best for a lean agent budget

One state only$99/yr, then $99/yr

Rank 2, MA Registered Agent.org: $99 a year, unchanged at renewal, for a company that stays in one state.

In the price

  • Massachusetts address on the public record
  • Served papers scanned into your online account

Strengths

  • $99 a year with no increase
  • Cheaper by the year than the national option

Weak points

  • A different state needs a different agent
  • Skips the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
Visit MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for another Massachusetts option

One state only$99/yr, then $99/yr

Rank 3, Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: $99 a year, unchanged at renewal, for a company that stays in one state.

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

In the price

  • Massachusetts address on the public record
  • Served papers scanned into your online account

Strengths

  • $99 a year with no increase
  • Cheaper by the year than the national option

Weak points

  • A different state needs a different agent
  • Skips the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The 3 picks compared

#EntryPrice a yearRenewalService fees over three years
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2MA Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Massachusetts Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Every price here was read on November 12, 2026. State fees stay put whoever acts as agent.

The agent cost calculator

Each agent's price is paired with the repeating state fees (the Limited Liability Company Annual Report from year two); formation fees are left out of the total.
State $1,000 and service $447 make $1,447 over 3 years with Mainstay Filing.

Massachusetts among its neighbors in the rank

PositionStateYearly state fees
46thNevada$350
47thDelaware$400
48thRhode Island$450
49thMassachusetts$500
50thCalifornia$810
Registered agent rules by state shows every state, least expensive first.

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.

Who qualifies as agent: 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. This rests on M.G.L. c. 156C, § 5.

Massachusetts's repeating fees

On top of the agent, the LLC files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year for $500, due on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization.

What settled the order

Mainstay Filing won on requirements covered, which is worth 28%; MA Registered Agent.org came next.

Fifty-state coverage outscored MA Registered Agent.org on our weights.

Common questions

Is a resident agent compulsory in Massachusetts?

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

Who is allowed to act as the resident agent in Massachusetts?

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 does a Massachusetts registered agent charge each year?

The agents listed here charge $99 to $149 a year.

What does the state charge an LLC every year?

$500 a year on the almanac's yearly measure, which is the Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($500 every year).

Which registered agents does this entry list?

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), MA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), by almanac rank, first entry first.

Which registered agent should I choose?

Mainstay Filing first, because the same $149 agent price in each state, so one provider can follow the company. After it: MA Registered Agent.org and Massachusetts Registered Agent.co.

Other 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. Nevada yearly filing: Annual list + license: fees from nvsos.gov, read October 2026
  8. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source from corp.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  9. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source from corp.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  10. Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source from legis.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  11. Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division from docs.sos.ri.gov, read August 2026
  12. Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division from sos.ri.gov, read August 2026
  13. Rhode Island other cost from tax.ri.gov, read October 2026
  14. California Secretary of State from sos.ca.gov, read August 2026
  15. California Secretary of State from bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, read August 2026
  16. California yearly filing: Statement of Information, official source from sos.ca.gov, read October 2026
  17. California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and from ftb.ca.gov, read October 2026
  18. California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and from ftb.ca.gov, read October 2026
  19. Mainstay Filing (Massachusetts service page) as recorded November 12, 2026
  20. MA Registered Agent.org (pricing page) as recorded November 12, 2026
  21. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co (pricing page) as recorded November 12, 2026