3 Best Registered Agents in Massachusetts (2026): Your Questions Answered
For registered agents in Massachusetts, we would ask Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and MA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) in 2026, in that order. An agent costs $99 to $149 in the first year and $297 to $447 across three years.
Answered by the Ask About LLC editorial team ·
The short answers
Do you have to name an agent?
Yes, name one
Title in the statute
Resident agent
What do agents charge?
$99 to $149 per year
Who to ask
Mainstay Filing, Massachusetts Registered Agent.co then MA Registered Agent.org
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.
Questions owners ask
Do I have to name a resident agent?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
The law behind it: M.G.L. c. 156C, § 5. sec.state.ma.us, read in October 2026 for this answer
Can I name anyone?
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.
A qualifying owner can serve at no cost.
What will I pay an agent each year?
$99 to $149 a year with the services we recommend, which works out to $297 to $447 over three years.
No state fee depends on which agent you name.
Why does the state want an agent?
Think of it as the LLC's mailbox in Massachusetts for court papers and government letters.
Papers that arrive with nobody to sign for them can let a case go forward without your LLC. What is service of process?
What does the LLC owe the state each year?
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report repeats every year, at $500 each time. Due date, as the state puts it: on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization.
How was the bottom line figured? Add the filing fee, the next two reports and the minimum tax if the state has one. Anything with no fixed price, a newspaper notice for instance, is described above and kept out of the sum.
Still wondering?
Is it allowed to name myself?
Yes, provided you meet the state's rules on who may serve and on the address, both laid out above.
What address does an agent need?
The address has to be a street address in Massachusetts. A post office address is not sufficient.
What do the picks cost over three years?
For three years you would pay $447 at Mainstay Filing, $297 at Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, $297 at MA Registered Agent.org
Where do these numbers come from?
State fees come from Massachusetts's official documents, and service fees come from each company's own pricing page. Both carry dates on this page.
Do I have to use a service?
No. What the law asks for is a filing, and it does not say who has to send it.
Which one do you recommend in Massachusetts?
Mainstay Filing comes first: it costs $149 a year with no change by state, and renews at $149. Next are Massachusetts Registered Agent.co and MA Registered Agent.org.
Where did we look this up?
Our answer on Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth rests on sec.state.ma.us, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth rests on malegislature.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12 rests on sec.state.ma.us, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee rests on sec.state.ma.us, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee rests on sec.state.ma.us, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Massachusetts registered agent statute rests on sec.state.ma.us, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Mainstay Filing Massachusetts service page, read November 13, 2026
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
MA Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026