Forming an LLC in Massachusetts (2026): 7 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services
Ranked by measured reading, the services for forming an LLC in Massachusetts in 2026 are Mainstay Filing ($199), Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($199) and MA Registered Agent.org ($199). Forming the LLC requires 7 procedures and $500 paid to the state, followed by the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year.
$500 a yearRecorded due date: on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization
State fees collected in three years
$1,500Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Sheet procedures
7One at a time
After reading you will know
The Massachusetts formation document, its price and its destination
What the resident agent rule requires
The recurring upkeep
How the readings compare
Best reading
Who we would engage in Massachusetts
The order follows five published criteria, set out in how we measure.
Best overall
1. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who prefer to delegate
$199 yearly, renewing at $199
Top of the Massachusetts readings is Mainstay Filing: $199 per year performs the formation, keeps the resident agent and files the annual report; year two measures $199.
Three years here cost $200 more than at Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, and fewer procedures are left to the owner.
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is among the procedures it performs, and Massachusetts's $500 fee is passed on at cost.
What the price performs
Filing with the state
Resident agent for the full year
Annual report filed on schedule
EIN application included
State fee billed at cost
Measured strengths
It prepares the EIN application
One annual price of $199, including the annual report
$199 at renewal
Measured limits
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less
Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. No row includes the $500 state fee.
Formation in sequence
Procedure1
Procedure 1: Confirm no other company holds the name
A name held by another Massachusetts company can cause the filing to be returned; the business search at the Massachusetts Secretary of State gives the answer in advance.
TipA runner-up name avoids a repeat search.
Procedure2
Procedure 2: Assign the resident agent role
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Massachusetts resident, a Massachusetts corporation, or a corporation from another state authorized to do business in Massachusetts. State regulations (950 CMR 112.13) also allow other business entities authorized in Massachusetts.
The address has to be a street address in Massachusetts. A post office address is not sufficient.
TipThe resident agent role is part of each ranked service.
Route one: pay the state $500. Route two: use one of the ranked services, pay $199 more and skip the forms.
Procedure4
Procedure 4: Prepare the Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization
The Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization is the formation instrument. It goes to the Massachusetts Secretary of State, and the fee measures $500 (M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12).
Once approved, the LLC can receive a federal tax ID from the IRS, and the business bank account depends on it. This procedure sits inside the Mainstay Filing package.
Procedure6
Procedure 6: Prepare an operating agreement
Ownership and decision rules are written in the operating agreement, an internal document outside the Massachusetts filing.
Procedure7
Procedure 7: Log the recurring deadlines
Log the Limited Liability Company Annual Report: $500, every year, deadline on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization.
Every state amount here can be verified against the specimens below. The three-year row combines formation, two later reports and a minimum tax where one exists, and it never includes service prices.
The reasoning behind the ranking
moved ahead of on procedures the price performs, which counts for 28%.
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report procedure moved the reading toward the bundle.
Questions readers ask
What is the cost of registering an LLC with Massachusetts?
Filing costs $500. Service fees among the ranked services run $199.
Which form creates the LLC?
The Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization is the instrument, and the Massachusetts Secretary of State receives it.
Is a resident agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Massachusetts require each year?
Every year the LLC files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, at $500, due on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
Yes. The state takes $500 at filing, and the LLC must still name a resident agent.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Mainstay Filing, Massachusetts Registered Agent.co and MA Registered Agent.org, in descending order of reading.