Registered Agent Service
Order free registeredagent service now
Free Massachusetts Registered Agent Service
Our Free Massachusetts Registered Agent Offer
If you have an existing or are forming a new Massachusetts Corporation, Limited-Liability Company, Limited Partnership, Foreign Filing or any other corporate entity, almost every jurisdiction requires by law that you must have a registered agent located in that jurisdiction.
Massachusetts Registered Agent service alone can cost you up to $320 per year with some companies. FreeRegisteredAgent.com, through an affiliation with InCorp Services, Inc., will provide your first year of registered agent service with us for FREE and $129 per year thereafter!
Included in the service is full access to InCorp's industry leading client website where you may check the status of your entities in multiple jurisdictions on the same page, check compliance events, download or view FREE copies of your filed documents at any time from anywhere, make payments to your account and even check for mail that's been forwarded to you!
There is no catch whatsoever except that the corporate entity requiring service can't currently be represented by InCorp Services already. After the first year, if you choose to stay with InCorp Services, Inc., you will pay just $129 per year for the same great services!
Massachusetts registered agent facts
| Registered agent statute | M.G.L. c. 156D, § 5.01; c. 156C, § 5 |
|---|---|
| LLC filing fee | $500 by mail ($520 filed electronically or by fax, which includes the mandatory expedite fee) |
| Corporation filing fee | $275 minimum for up to 275,000 shares, plus $100 per additional 100,000 shares ($265 electronically, capped at 275,000 shares via that channel) |
| Annual report fee | LLCs $500 ($520 electronic); corporations $125 by paper or $110 filed electronically |
| Annual report due | LLCs: on or before the anniversary date of organization; corporations: within 2.5 months after fiscal year end |
| Typical processing time | Fax and electronic filings get priority expedited handling for the added fee; the Corporations Division publishes no standard paper turnaround (certificate requests range from while-you-wait to about 5 days) |
Registered agent requirements in Massachusetts
Massachusetts writes its agent requirement into two different statutes depending on the entity. Corporations are governed by the Massachusetts Business Corporation Act, M.G.L. c. 156D, § 5.01, which requires a registered office in the commonwealth and a registered agent at that office. LLCs answer to M.G.L. c. 156C, § 5, which uses the older phrase: every limited liability company shall have and maintain a resident agent in the commonwealth - an individual resident, or a domestic or qualified foreign corporation with a Massachusetts business address. Either way, a company organized from out of state cannot satisfy the statute without a genuine Massachusetts street address, which is exactly what a commercial agent supplies. Agent changes are filed with the Corporations Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth under c. 156D, § 5.02 or c. 156C, § 5A.
The commonwealth’s fees are the story here. Filing an LLC Certificate of Organization costs $500 - and, in a reversal of nearly every other state, filing electronically or by fax costs more: those channels carry a mandatory expedite fee that brings the total to $520, the trade-off being priority handling. The LLC annual report is another $500 ($520 electronic), due on or before the anniversary date of organization, which stacks up to the most expensive LLC maintenance regime in the country. Corporations get off lighter: Articles of Organization cost $275 for up to 275,000 authorized shares plus $100 per additional 100,000 shares, and the annual report is $125 on paper or $110 electronically, due within two and a half months after fiscal year end. The Division counts receipt, not postmark, so mailed reports need lead time.
Falling behind has escalating consequences. Late corporate reports trigger surcharges, and an entity that stops filing or loses its resident agent is subject to administrative dissolution under c. 156D’s Part 14, with revival requiring back reports and fees. Because Massachusetts sends its notices to the agent of record, a monitored agent address is the difference between a routine reminder and a dissolution surprise.
FreeRegisteredAgent.com provides the first year of Massachusetts registered agent service free through InCorp, then $129/yr - a modest hedge in the nation’s priciest LLC state.
Massachusetts registered agent FAQ
- Why is the Massachusetts LLC fee so high?
- Massachusetts charges $500 to file an LLC Certificate of Organization and another $500 for every annual report - both the formation fee and the recurring cost are the highest in the country. Unusually, filing online costs more, not less: electronic and fax submissions add a mandatory expedite fee, bringing each to $520.
- Who can be a resident agent in Massachusetts?
- Under M.G.L. c. 156C, § 5, every LLC must maintain a resident agent in the commonwealth - an individual Massachusetts resident, or a domestic or qualified foreign corporation with a Massachusetts office. Corporations appoint a registered agent at a registered office under M.G.L. c. 156D, § 5.01. In both cases the agent needs a real street address in the state.
- When are Massachusetts annual reports due?
- It depends on your entity. LLC annual reports are due on or before the anniversary date of the original Certificate of Organization. Corporation annual reports are due within two and a half months after the close of the fiscal year, and the filing must arrive by the deadline - a postmark is not enough.
- Is a corporation cheaper to maintain than an LLC in Massachusetts?
- On state fees, considerably. A corporation's annual report costs $125 on paper or $110 electronically, versus $500 for an LLC. Formation is also cheaper at $275 for up to 275,000 authorized shares. Many Massachusetts founders weigh that spread when choosing an entity type.
- How do I get a free registered agent in Massachusetts?
- FreeRegisteredAgent.com provides your first year of Massachusetts resident agent service free through InCorp, then $129 per year afterward.
Further information about Massachusetts corporations, corporate law and Massachusetts Registered Agent Service:
Massachusetts Secretary of state's website | Massachusetts Registered Agent Statutes | Compare Massachusetts Registered Agents