The ordered tally
Ordered by our
value rule. No row includes the $500 state fee.
1. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for a budget registration
Leading row
$199 to register, $99 a year after
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co leads the Massachusetts ledger. The entries: a $199 filing fee and a $99 agent renewal in Massachusetts.
The tiebreaker is cost, and three years here come in lower than at Mainstay Filing.
Included lines
- The foreign filing
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- First-year agent service is covered
- A modest renewal of $99
- Registers you for $199
Minus column
- The home state needs a separate agent
2
2. Mainstay Filing: best for several registrations
Nationwide
$199 to register, $149 a year after
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $149/yr
- Three-year tally
- $497
Mainstay Filing is second: $199 above Massachusetts's fee, followed by $149 a year for the agent.
Carried three years it sits $100 above Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, and cost is 39% of the sort.
After the free year the agent line books $149 yearly, in every state.
Included lines
- State registration handled
- All fifty states covered
Gains
- $199 to file the registration
- No price change by state
Minus column
- A pricier agent renewal at $149
3
3. MA Registered Agent.org: best for a low agent renewal
One-state plan
$199 to register, $99 a year after
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
Third line: MA Registered Agent.org, because a $199 filing fee and a $99 agent renewal in Massachusetts.
Same posted prices as Massachusetts Registered Agent.co.
Included lines
- The foreign filing
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- Registers you for $199
- A modest renewal of $99
- First-year agent service is covered
Minus column
- The home state needs a separate agent
Cumulative totals
Year one and then renewals, per the prices read November 13, 2026. No row overtakes another within ten years.
Cost calculator
Change the years to re-tally the rows.
Massachusetts state fees (official)
State fees over three years, as booked here: filing, then the next two reports, then minimum tax where the state has one.
How the rows were ranked
At 39%, three-year tally is the column that decided the first row.
Three years with Massachusetts Registered Agent.co add up to $397; Mainstay Filing runs $100 higher.
Massachusetts foreign LLC registration fee and rules (official)
An LLC from elsewhere that does business in Massachusetts needs the Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48), filed with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division for $500. The filing needs certificate of legal existence or good standing issued within the last 90 days.
Without registration, expect it cannot sue in Massachusetts courts until it registers (G.L. c. 156C, 54(a)).
Official text: see sec.state.ma.us, entered October 2026 in the ledger
The do-it-yourself row
Filing yourself leaves only the state's fees, $1,500 over three years. A service adds $397 to $497 to take on the paperwork.
Massachusetts price questions
What does Massachusetts charge to register an LLC formed elsewhere?
$500 as the official fee, with $199 more if a service files it.
What do three years of service add up to?
Three years of service total $397 to $497.
Which form registers the LLC?
The registration is Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48), submitted to the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division.
Does Massachusetts want a document from the home state?
Yes, and it must be dated within 90 days: certificate of legal existence or good standing.
What recurring filing follows the registration?
The Foreign LLC annual report costs $500.
When does one service turn into the lower total?
They never cross in ten years, so the year-one order holds.
Which foreign registration service is the best value for Massachusetts?
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ranks first on three-year tally, then Mainstay Filing and MA Registered Agent.org.
Source ledger
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, entered August 2026
- malegislature.gov supplies Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, entered August 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12, entered August 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, entered October 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, entered October 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts registered agent statute, entered October 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC, entered October 2026
- malegislature.gov supplies G.L. c. 156C § 48, entered October 2026
- malegislature.gov supplies G.L. c. 156C § 54, entered October 2026
- malegislature.gov supplies G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, entered October 2026
- Massachusetts Registered Agent.co pricing page, prices entered November 13, 2026
- Mainstay Filing Massachusetts service page, prices entered November 13, 2026
- MA Registered Agent.org pricing page, prices entered November 13, 2026