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LLC UnpackedEvery filing, unpacked: the fee, the form, the catch.

Open it up · Massachusetts

3 Best Registered Agents in Massachusetts (2026): What Is Inside Each

In Massachusetts for 2026, unpack registered agents in this order: Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and MA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year). An agent opens at $99 to $149 in the first year and totals $297 to $447 by year three.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

Must the LLC name an agent?
Yes, by law
Label in the statute
Resident agent
Going price
$99 to $149 a year
Top of the stack
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing then MA Registered Agent.org

Massachusetts: ranked

The order follows our five layers: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.
Ranked first

1. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for one-state businesses

Year one $99, later years $99

Massachusetts Registered Agent.co sits on top in Massachusetts because its service puts a street address on file for $99 a year.

Its three-year cost is below Mainstay Filing's, and cost is the heaviest layer.

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • Annual price $99, renewal price $99
  • A smaller yearly bill than the national pick

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing for other states
  • The Limited Liability Company Annual Report sits outside the box
All fifty states

2. Mainstay Filing: best for an LLC that may expand

Year one $149, later years $149

Mainstay Filing sits second because its price is $149 a year here and identical in every other state.

A $150 three-year gap to Massachusetts Registered Agent.co explains the lower spot.

Inside the price

  • A street address inside the state
  • Scans of three government mailings a year at no charge
  • Reaches beyond LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

Inside, the good

  • $149 each year, no increase
  • A single account works in any state

Inside, the catch

  • Massachusetts Registered Agent.co charges $50 less each year
  • Agent role only, no report filing
Massachusetts only

3. MA Registered Agent.org: best for another in-state option

Year one $99, later years $99

MA Registered Agent.org sits third because its service puts a street address on file for $99 a year.

It charges what Massachusetts Registered Agent.co charges.

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • Annual price $99, renewal price $99
  • A smaller yearly bill than the national pick

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing for other states
  • The Limited Liability Company Annual Report sits outside the box

Inside each price

#PickYear oneRenewalTotal, 3 yearsCovers
1Massachusetts Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountLook inside Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447A street address inside the state; scans of three government mailings a year at no charge; Reaches beyond LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofitsLook inside Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3MA Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountLook inside MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

Opened up, question by question

Is a resident agent required?

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

The law underneath: M.G.L. c. 156C, § 5. sec.state.ma.us holds the original, confirmed October 2026

Who is allowed to be the 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.

A qualifying owner can be the agent for free.

What is inside an agent's price?

A year of agent service runs $99 to $149 with our picks, and three years run $297 to $447.

No state fee depends on the agent you name.

What does an agent handle for the LLC?

The agent is the party that signs for lawsuits and state mail addressed to the LLC, at a Massachusetts street address.

What matters is that nothing important sits unnoticed while you are away. Service of process, unpacked

Is anything else due every year?

Year after year the recurring job is the Limited Liability Company Annual Report: yearly, costing $500. The calendar line from the state reads on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization.

malegislature.gov holds the original, confirmed August 2026

Why is the stack in this order?

Massachusetts Registered Agent.co wins the total across three years layer, which counts 34%.

Two layers carry most of the weight, total across three years (34%) and what is inside the price (29%).

Open Massachusetts Registered Agent.co instead of Mainstay Filing and keep $150 across three years.

The five layers

Massachusetts agent rule, unpacked

PartWhat is insidePeek at source
LLC filing fee$500sec.state.ma.us holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Resident agentYes, by lawsec.state.ma.us holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Limited Liability Company Annual Report$500 every yearmalegislature.gov holds the original, confirmed August 2026
State fees, years one to three$1,500Our total of the rows above
The last row stacks the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax. A cost with no fixed amount, such as a newspaper notice, is explained above and kept out of the sum.

More boxes to open

Can I be my own agent?

Yes, when your address and status match the rule. Many owners still hire a service to keep an address private.

Which addresses does the state accept?

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?

Massachusetts Registered Agent.co stacks up to $297, Mainstay Filing stacks up to $447, MA Registered Agent.org stacks up to $297

What do these numbers rest on?

Official Massachusetts paperwork stands behind every state fee here, and every service price traces back to the company's own pricing.

Do I have to use a service?

No. Owners can file with the state directly. A service saves time and can act as agent, but nothing makes you hire one.

What is the best registered agent for Massachusetts?

Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, because three years for a Massachusetts-only company come to $297. Then Mainstay Filing and MA Registered Agent.org.

What the page rests on

  1. Unpacking Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth led us to sec.state.ma.us, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  2. Unpacking Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth led us to malegislature.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  3. Unpacking M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12 led us to sec.state.ma.us, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  4. Unpacking Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee led us to sec.state.ma.us, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  5. Unpacking Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee led us to sec.state.ma.us, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  6. Unpacking Massachusetts registered agent statute led us to sec.state.ma.us, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  7. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  8. Mainstay Filing Massachusetts service page, read November 13, 2026
  9. MA Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026