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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Session 2 · Massachusetts

Registered Agent in Massachusetts (2026): a 6-Step Lesson and the 3 Best Agents

Report card for finding a registered agent in Massachusetts in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), MA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), from first place to third. The lesson takes 6 steps to cover Massachusetts's resident agent rules, who is allowed to serve and how to get the agent on file.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

This lesson at a glance

Required by lawYessec.state.ma.us confirms it, as of October 2026
Agent price range$99 to $149 a yearPosted prices
Limited Liability Company Annual Report$500 a yearmalegislature.gov confirms it, as of August 2026
Steps in this lesson6From start to finish

You will be able to

  • The legal requirement
  • Who qualifies and the address rule
  • How to name or change the agent
  • Our graded agent picks

The Massachusetts services we recommend

We grade cost over three years first, then steps handled, renewal, Massachusetts fit and clear pricing (report card).
Best grade

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a single agent nationwide

Year one $149, renewal $149

Mainstay Filing earns the highest mark because $149 a year from one provider, even for states you add down the road.

Three years here cost $150 more than MA Registered Agent.org, in return for doing more of the work.

What the price covers

  • A physical in-state address
  • A same-business-day scan of each served paper comes at no charge
  • Government mail scanned free, three pieces a year
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Marks in its favor

  • Covers all fifty states
  • $149 a year, the same at renewal

Where it loses points

  • Costs $50 more each year
  • Agent service and nothing else
Massachusetts focus

2. MA Registered Agent.org: best for a low yearly agent price

Year one $99, renewal $99

Taking second place is MA Registered Agent.org, where a street address in Massachusetts for your registered office, at $99 a year.

What the price covers

  • A Massachusetts address for the registered office
  • Legal papers scanned online

Marks in its favor

  • Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 a year, the same at renewal

Where it loses points

  • Massachusetts only; any other state needs its own agent
  • It does not file the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
Massachusetts focus

3. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for a second local option

Year one $99, renewal $99

Taking third place is Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, where a street address in Massachusetts for your registered office, at $99 a year.

Its prices equal MA Registered Agent.org's, so either is a sound choice.

What the price covers

  • A Massachusetts address for the registered office
  • Legal papers scanned online

Marks in its favor

  • Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 a year, the same at renewal

Where it loses points

  • Massachusetts only; any other state needs its own agent
  • It does not file the Limited Liability Company Annual Report

The grades and prices at a glance

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
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.
Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. State fees do not depend on which agent you choose.

The steps

  1. Step
    1

    Learn what Massachusetts requires

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

    Where this comes from: sec.state.ma.us confirms it, as of October 2026

  2. Step
    2

    Learn who can do the job

    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)

  3. Step
    3

    Use an address that qualifies

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

    A service gives you a Massachusetts street address, which keeps your home address off the filing.

  4. Step
    4

    Pick who will take the role

    If you meet the rules above you can name yourself; hiring one of our picks runs $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Step
    5

    Name the agent in the filing

    New companies list the agent on the Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization; changing agents later means filing with the Massachusetts Secretary of State again.

    Where this comes from: sec.state.ma.us confirms it, as of October 2026

  6. Step
    6

    Watch the recurring filing

    File the Limited Liability Company Annual Report on time ($500, on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization) and the agent record stays correct.

    Where this comes from: malegislature.gov confirms it, as of August 2026

Massachusetts agent costs

StepPaid toCost
Registered agent serviceYour service$99 to $149 a year
Renewing the agentYour service$99 to $149 a year
Limited Liability Company Annual ReportState$500 every year
Official Massachusetts fees, cited below. The three-year line adds the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why Mainstay Filing comes first

What settled it was homework the price handles, worth 33% of the grade.

Coverage put it ahead of MA Registered Agent.org.

Short answers

Does every LLC need a resident agent here?

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

Can I be my own resident agent?

Yes, as long as you pass the tests for who may serve and for the address, which steps 2 and 3 go through.

Can I change my resident agent later?

You can; an existing LLC sends a change filing to the Massachusetts Secretary of State, and step 5 walks through it.

What does a registered agent cost in Massachusetts?

Expect $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Mainly the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, $500 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing, MA Registered Agent.org and Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, graded from first to last.

More lessons

Class references

  1. Want to see Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth for yourself? Open sec.state.ma.us. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
  2. Want to see Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth for yourself? Open malegislature.gov. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
  3. Want to see M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12 for yourself? Open sec.state.ma.us. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
  4. Want to see Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source for yourself? Open sec.state.ma.us. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  5. Want to see Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source for yourself? Open sec.state.ma.us. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  6. Want to see Massachusetts registered agent statute for yourself? Open sec.state.ma.us. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  7. Mainstay Filing, Massachusetts service page, as it appeared on November 13, 2026
  8. MA Registered Agent.org, pricing page, as it appeared on November 13, 2026
  9. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, pricing page, as it appeared on November 13, 2026