Place1
Top pick on this pageMainstay Filing
1. Mainstay Filing: best for multi-state companies
$199 plus the state fee; agent $149 a year from year two
Our mark9.6out of 10
Mainstay Filing takes the top spot: it prepares and files the Massachusetts registration for $199 and names itself your resident agent, free for year one.
Its agent renews at $149 a year after the free first year, and the same price applies in every state you register in.
You pay $100 more over three years than with MA Registered Agent.org, for more in the price.
What you get
- Registration prepared and filed
- Service of process scanned the same business day, no fee
Why pick it
- Same price in all fifty states
- $199 + the Massachusetts fee
- Service of process scanned the same business day, no fee
Less good
- Higher agent renewal ($149)
Place2
Lower renewal than MainstayMA Registered Agent.org
2. MA Registered Agent.org: best for a low Massachusetts agent renewal
$199 plus the state fee; agent $99 a year from year two
Our mark9.3out of 10
MA Registered Agent.org ranks second: $199 over the state fee to register in Massachusetts, with the agent at $99 a year after that.
You get a Massachusetts street address for the registered office, and served papers are scanned to your account.
What you get
- The registration filing
- A year of resident agent service
Why pick it
- $199 plus the state's fee
- A year of resident agent service included
- Low $99 agent renewal
Less good
- Your home state needs a separate agent
- EIN help is $99
Place3
Best for a Massachusetts-only companyMassachusetts Registered Agent.co
3. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for a second Massachusetts option
$199 plus the state fee; agent $99 a year from year two
Our mark9.1out of 10
Third: Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, for $199 over the state fee to register in Massachusetts, with the agent at $99 a year after that.
You get a Massachusetts street address for the registered office, and served papers are scanned to your account.
It mirrors MA Registered Agent.org on price and features; either works.
What you get
- The registration filing
- A year of resident agent service
Why pick it
- Low $99 agent renewal
- $199 plus the state's fee
- A year of resident agent service included
Less good
- Your home state needs a separate agent
- EIN help is $99
Shortlist at a glance
| Rank | Service | Our score | Service fee | Year two | Best for | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.6 | $199 | $149/yr | Companies registered in several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | MA Registered Agent.org | 9.3 | $199 | $99/yr | Lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | Massachusetts Registered Agent.co | 9.1 | $199 | $99/yr | Lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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Each score is our editorial judgment out of 10 (see How we rank), not an average of customer ratings.
Massachusetts foreign registration service pricing (2026): annual price, renewal price and three-year total
| Service | Year one | Year two | Year three | Three-year total | Agent in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Not stated |
|---|
| MA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
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| Massachusetts Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
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Read from each provider's pricing page on November 12, 2026. The $500 state fee comes on top of each total.
Why Mainstay Filing is first
Our method scores three-year cost (30%) and what one price covers (30%) most heavily, then renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity. Here the order came down to what one price covers.
A company registering here already exists somewhere else and often needs agents in more than one state. One provider with the same price everywhere scored best on coverage, ahead of MA Registered Agent.org's lower renewal.
Our method page lists all five criteria.
How foreign registration works in Massachusetts
The filing is the Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48), made with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division for a $500 fee. Massachusetts also wants certificate of legal existence or good standing, dated within 90 days.
After registering, the company files the Foreign LLC annual report ($500), due anniversary of registration.
Before you file
- Certificate of legal existence or good standing, issued no more than 90 days before you file.
- The company's home-state name and formation date.
- A resident agent in Massachusetts; each service on this page acts as one.
- The $500 state fee, paid with the filing.
- A date in your calendar for the Foreign LLC annual report and its $500 fee.
Penalties for not registering in Massachusetts
No lawsuits in state court until the company registers (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)). Its contracts stay valid (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)).
What Massachusetts founders ask
Do I need to register my out-of-state LLC in Massachusetts?
Yes, if the company transacts business there. Until it registers it cannot bring a lawsuit in the state's courts.
How much does foreign registration cost in Massachusetts?
The state fee is $500. The services we rank add $199 to prepare and file it.
Do I need a certificate from my home state?
Yes: certificate of legal existence or good standing, dated within 90 days of filing.
Do I need a resident agent after registering?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Which foreign registration services do you rank here?
Mainstay Filing ($199), MA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($199), ranked in that order.
Which foreign registration service is best in Massachusetts?
On our method, Mainstay Filing: $199 over the state fee, the first resident agent year included, then $149 a year.
Sources
- www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/download/c156c512cdllcannua (Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth), last confirmed August 2026
- malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter156c/Section (Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth), last confirmed August 2026
- www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/download/c156c512dllccert.p (M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12), last confirmed August 2026
- www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/download/Fee_Schedule.pdf (Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source), last confirmed October 2026
- www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/general-information/corpora (Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source), last confirmed October 2026
- www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/pdf-html/950_cmr_112_limite (Massachusetts registered agent statute), last confirmed October 2026
- www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/filing-by-subject/limited-l (Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC page), last confirmed October 2026
- malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter156C/Section (G.L. c. 156C § 48, foreign LLC registration), last confirmed October 2026
- malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter156C/Section (G.L. c. 156C § 54, failure to register), last confirmed October 2026
- malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter156D/Section (G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, transacting business), last confirmed October 2026
- Mainstay Filing: Massachusetts service page, read November 12, 2026
- MA Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, read November 12, 2026
- Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, read November 12, 2026