No.1
Best here
1. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for companies that only add Massachusetts
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score9.3out of 10
First place: Massachusetts Registered Agent.co. The Massachusetts registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
It comes in under Mainstay Filing across three years.
In the price
- Massachusetts registration filed for you
- One year of resident agent service at the start
Why pick it
- Twelve months as your resident agent come with it
- Second-year agent charge: $99
- $199 for the registration, before state fees
Weak spots
- Serves Massachusetts only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.2
Fifty-state coverage
2. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
Service charge $199, with the state fee separate; the agent costs $149 a year from the second year
Score8.8out of 10
Second place: Mainstay Filing. $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as resident agent is included.
After the free first year, the agent is $149 annually, whichever state the company chooses.
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co costs $100 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.
In the price
- The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
- No charge for scanning served papers within the same business day
Why pick it
- One price in each of the fifty states
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than Massachusetts Registered Agent.co
No.3
Best local option
3. MA Registered Agent.org: best for Massachusetts registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.5out of 10
Third place: MA Registered Agent.org. The Massachusetts registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The published prices and features of Massachusetts Registered Agent.co and MA Registered Agent.org are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- Massachusetts registration filed for you
- The first year of resident agent service
Why pick it
- $199 to register, state fee on top
- Agent charge of $99 a year after the first
- Covers the first year of resident agent service
Weak spots
- Serves Massachusetts only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Registered Agent.co | 9.3 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | 8.8 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | MA Registered Agent.org | 8.5 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Massachusetts foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Massachusetts Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Not stated |
|---|
| MA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Massachusetts's $500 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The basis for the order
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In Massachusetts, charge over three years was the criterion that tipped it.
Over three years Massachusetts Registered Agent.co totals $397, $100 less than Mainstay Filing. Both providers include the first year, so the renewal charge carried the ruling.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Massachusetts: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division using the Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48). The state fee is $500. Massachusetts also requires certificate of legal existence or good standing, issued no more than 90 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the Foreign LLC annual report, priced at $500, with a due date of anniversary of registration.
Items to gather before filing
- Certificate of legal existence or good standing, no older than 90 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A resident agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $500 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the Foreign LLC annual report, which carries a $500 fee.
Consequences of operating in Massachusetts unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Massachusetts courts (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)).
Questions on Massachusetts foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Massachusetts?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Massachusetts run in total?
The state fee is $500; service charges run $199.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Massachusetts accepts it?
It must. Certificate of legal existence or good standing, issued no more than 90 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a resident agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A resident agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration services were heard in this ranking?
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and MA Registered Agent.org ($199), ruled upon in that order.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, since $199 over the state fee registers the company in Massachusetts, and the agent renews at $99.
The record
- Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, on the record as of August 2026
- Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, on the record as of August 2026
- M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12, on the record as of August 2026
- Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Massachusetts registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC page, on the record as of October 2026
- G.L. c. 156C § 48, foreign LLC registration, on the record as of October 2026
- G.L. c. 156C § 54, failure to register, on the record as of October 2026
- G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, transacting business, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Massachusetts service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: MA Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026