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Quick answer · Massachusetts

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Massachusetts (2026) and the Facts Behind Them

Massachusetts 2026 ranking of foreign registration services: Mainstay Filing ($199), Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($199) and MA Registered Agent.org ($199). Every pick pays Massachusetts $500; service fees run $397 to $497 across three years.

LLC Q and A editorial team ·

At a glance

Fee to the state
$500
Home-state certificate?
Yes (90 days max age)
After registering
$500, Foreign LLC annual report
Pick
Mainstay Filing, Massachusetts Registered Agent.co then MA Registered Agent.org

Massachusetts: ranked picks

Prices come from each company's own page. See the method.
1#1 pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a growing LLC

Service $199 plus $500 to the state; agent renewal $149

Reason for Mainstay Filing at the top: you pay $199 plus Massachusetts's fee, nothing for the resident agent in year one, then $149 a year.

Not the lowest bill: Massachusetts Registered Agent.co is $100 less over three years, in Massachusetts only.

After the free year, the resident agent is $149 a year.

Price covers

  • Registration filing
  • Same price in any state

For

  • Price does not vary by state
  • $199 to file

Against

  • Renewal $50 over Massachusetts Registered Agent.co
Open Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Massachusetts only

2. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for registering in just this state

Service $199 plus $500 to the state; agent renewal $99

Second: Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, because registration is $199 over the state fee, agent covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Price covers

  • Foreign filing handled
  • Agent for year one

For

  • Agent renews at $99
  • First agent year comes with it
  • $199 plus state fee

Against

  • Nothing outside this state
Open Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Massachusetts only

3. MA Registered Agent.org: best for another local option

Service $199 plus $500 to the state; agent renewal $99

Third: MA Registered Agent.org, because registration is $199 over the state fee, agent covered in year one, then $99 a year.

It charges exactly what Massachusetts Registered Agent.co charges.

Price covers

  • Foreign filing handled
  • Agent for year one

For

  • Agent renews at $99
  • First agent year comes with it
  • $199 plus state fee

Against

  • Nothing outside this state
Open MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Side by side

#ServiceYear 1Per year afterTotal, 3 yearsCovers
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497registration filing; same price in any stateOpen Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Massachusetts Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397foreign filing handled; agent for year oneOpen Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3MA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397foreign filing handled; agent for year oneOpen MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from company price pages read November 13, 2026. State fees are identical for every pick.

Questions and replies

When must an out-of-state LLC register?

Register with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division first; do business in Massachusetts second.

Unregistered, an LLC may face Massachusetts courts will not take its claims (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)).

sec.state.ma.us (October 2026) is the source of record

What does registering cost?

$500 to the state, plus $199 for a service.

State fees reach $1,500 over three years, counting any recurring report. sec.state.ma.us (October 2026) is the source of record

What registers the LLC?

Registration goes through the Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48), handled by the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division.

Include certificate of legal existence or good standing no more than 90 days.

What is due after registering?

A recurring Foreign LLC annual report, at $500.

Deadline per the state: anniversary of registration.

What decided #1?

Winning criterion for Mainstay Filing: chores removed from your list, weighted 26%.

62% of the total is three-year price plus chores removed from your list.

An out-of-state LLC works in two states; the first pick serves both.

The five criteria

What Massachusetts requires of a foreign LLC

ItemRule or amountSource
Registration fee$500sec.state.ma.us (October 2026) is the source of record
Home-state certificateYes, 90 dayssec.state.ma.us (October 2026) is the source of record
Foreign LLC annual report$500sec.state.ma.us (October 2026) is the source of record
State fees, 3 years$1,500Total of the rows above
Rows link to official sources; the final row is our own addition of filing, two reports and any minimum tax.

More replies

Is an agent needed at home too?

Yes. Each state has its own rule. Mainstay Filing serves both from one account.

Three-year cost of each?

Mainstay Filing will run $497, Massachusetts Registered Agent.co will run $397, MA Registered Agent.org will run $397, with state fees on top.

Are the fees official?

State fees come from Massachusetts's official documents. Service prices come from each company's price page. Both are dated here.

Do I have to hire one?

No. Owners can file directly. A service saves time and can act as agent.

Does a service file it?

Yes, every pick files it, and the state fee is the same for all.

Which foreign registration service should I use in Massachusetts?

Mainstay Filing, because registration is $199 and the resident agent costs nothing until year two. Then Massachusetts Registered Agent.co and MA Registered Agent.org.

Sources

  1. Reference line for Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, drawn from sec.state.ma.us and confirmed August 2026, as noted by our editors
  2. Reference line for Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, drawn from malegislature.gov and confirmed August 2026, as noted by our editors
  3. Reference line for M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12, drawn from sec.state.ma.us and confirmed August 2026, as noted by our editors
  4. Reference line for Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, drawn from sec.state.ma.us and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  5. Reference line for Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, drawn from sec.state.ma.us and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  6. Reference line for Massachusetts registered agent statute, drawn from sec.state.ma.us and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  7. Reference line for Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC, drawn from sec.state.ma.us and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  8. Reference line for G.L. c. 156C § 48, drawn from malegislature.gov and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  9. Reference line for G.L. c. 156C § 54, drawn from malegislature.gov and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  10. Reference line for G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, drawn from malegislature.gov and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  11. Mainstay Filing Massachusetts service page, read November 13, 2026
  12. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  13. MA Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026