What Is a Resident Agent in Massachusetts?

A resident agent is an individual or business entity designated to receive legal documents, service of process, and official state correspondence on behalf of your LLC, corporation, or other business entity. Massachusetts law generally expects every registered business to maintain a resident agent with a physical street address in the state.

For $99 per year, we provide a reliable Massachusetts address, same-day document forwarding, and compliance support to keep your business in good standing while protecting your privacy.

What Does a Resident Agent Do?

Your resident agent serves as the official point of contact between your business and the Massachusetts Secretary of State. They receive:

• Service of process if your business is sued
• Official notices from state agencies
• Tax correspondence and compliance reminders
• Annual report notifications
• Legal documents requiring a formal response

The agent accepts these documents during normal business hours and forwards them to you promptly. This ensures you don't miss important deadlines or legal notices.

Massachusetts Resident Agent Requirements

The Massachusetts Secretary of State requires that your resident agent have a physical street address in Massachusetts—no PO boxes allowed. The agent must be available during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm.

An individual agent must be 18 or older and a Massachusetts resident. If you use a business entity as your agent, only corporations (domestic, foreign, or nonprofit) can serve, and they must be authorized in the Commonwealth.

Entity owners or members can serve as their own resident agent, but this means your personal or business address appears on public filings.

Who Needs a Resident Agent in Massachusetts?

Most business entities registered with the Massachusetts Secretary of State need a resident agent, including:

• Limited liability companies (LLCs)
• Corporations (C-corps and S-corps)
• Nonprofits
• Foreign entities operating in Massachusetts

If you formed your business through the state or registered to do business in Massachusetts, you generally need to maintain a resident agent.

Can I Be My Own Resident Agent?

Yes. Entity owners or members can serve as their own resident agent in Massachusetts. However, this means your home or office address will appear on public state records. Anyone searching the Massachusetts business database can find it.

Many business owners prefer a professional service to keep their personal address private and ensure reliable document handling.

Benefits of a Professional Resident Agent Service

Privacy This is the main reason people use a professional service. When you use our address, your home or business location stays out of public records. Your personal information doesn't appear in searchable state databases.

Reliability We're available Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Eastern Time. When a legal document or compliance notice arrives, we scan it and upload it to your portal the same day. You get an email notification immediately.

Compliance Support Massachusetts requires annual reports due on your anniversary date each year. The filing fee is $500 by mail or $520 online (which includes a $20 expedite fee). These are some of the highest fees in the nation. We track your filing deadlines and send reminders so you don't miss important dates.

Flexibility You can travel, move, or change office locations without updating your resident agent address with the state. As long as we're your agent, your state filings remain current.

Our Service — $99 per Year

We provide everything you need to meet Massachusetts requirements:

• Physical registered office address in Massachusetts
• Legal service capture for Massachusetts
• Compliance reminders for annual reports and deadlines
• Online document portal with secure access
• Privacy protection—our address on public filings

No setup fees. Court paper scans included for Massachusetts. Just $99 annually.

Get Started

Visit our enrollment page to set up your resident agent service. If you're forming a new entity, list us on your formation documents. If you're switching agents, we'll guide you through filing the change form with the Massachusetts Secretary of State. The fee is $0 online, $25 by mail or walk-in, and $30 by fax.

Have questions? Check our FAQ or contact us at support@maregisteredagent.org.

Serving Businesses Across Massachusetts

Massachusetts registered agent requirements apply statewide — every LLC and corporation needs an agent with a physical Massachusetts address, regardless of where the business operates. We handle documents for businesses throughout the state:

Boston — Suffolk County; state capital and largest city; healthcare, education, finance, and biotech.

Worcester — Worcester County; Central Massachusetts healthcare, biotech, and higher education center.

Springfield — Hampden County; Western Massachusetts manufacturing, healthcare, and insurance hub.

Cambridge — Middlesex County; home to MIT and Harvard; biotech and technology.

Lowell — Middlesex County; Merrimack Valley technology and manufacturing center.

Brockton — Plymouth County; South Shore commercial and healthcare center.

Quincy — Norfolk County; Boston metro financial services and shipbuilding heritage.

Lynn — Essex County; North Shore manufacturing city with GE Aviation.

New Bedford — Bristol County; major commercial fishing port and manufacturing center.

Newton — Middlesex County; Boston metro professional services and education center.

Wherever your business operates in Massachusetts, our registered office address meets state requirements for receiving service of process and official correspondence.