Foreign LLC Guide

Foreign LLC Guide › Massachusetts

How to register a foreign LLC in Massachusetts

Registering a foreign LLC in Massachusetts takes five steps and a $500 state fee, filed with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division.

The five steps

  1. Order the home-state certificate. Certificate of legal existence or good standing, no older than 90 days. Request it from the state where the LLC was formed and allow time for it to arrive.
  2. Line up a resident agent. It needs a street address in Massachusetts. The services below include one for the first year.
  3. Complete Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48). Download it from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division.
  4. Pay $500. That is the official fee.
  5. Set up the yearly filing. Foreign LLC annual report (Secretary of the Commonwealth), $500 (due: anniversary of registration).

Documents checklist

  • Home-state certificate (certificate of legal existence or good standing, no older than 90 days)
  • Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48)
  • The Massachusetts agent’s name and street address
  • The LLC’s exact legal name and formation date
  • Payment of $500

Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in Massachusetts (2026)

Prefer not to do the steps yourself? These are the services for Massachusetts.

  1. 1. Mainstay Filing $199 + the $500 state fee = $699; registered agent free for the first year, then $149 a year. Its Massachusetts checkout showed $719 in total on October 28, 2026, including $20 in state processing charges.
  2. 2. MA Registered Agent.org $199 + the $500 state fee = $699; registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
  3. 3. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co $199 + the $500 state fee = $699; registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.

Service prices read from each provider’s Massachusetts page on October 28, 2026. The state fee is the official figure below and is paid to the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division.

Massachusetts guide questions

How do I register a foreign LLC in Massachusetts?

Five steps: get the home-state certificate, name an agent, complete Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48), pay $500 and set up the yearly filing.

Where do I send the Massachusetts application?

To the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division. The link above goes to its filing page.

Can a service do the Massachusetts steps?

Yes: Mainstay Filing charges $199 plus the state fee and includes the agent for year one.

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