Every LLC must have a registered agent to successfully create their company and stay in good standing. This person or business entity acts as the official point of contact between your LLC and the state. In Massachusetts, registered agents are officially known as resident agents, but they mean exactly the same thing.
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Your registered agent is responsible for receiving official correspondence from the state and other official sources. This includes service of process (in the event your business is sued), compliance notices from the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and official tax and legal forms.
You'll name your registered agent when you file your Certificate of Organization. You can change your agent later if necessary, provided you follow state procedures and ensure there's no gap in coverage.
Resident Agent Requirements
To serve as a resident agent in Massachusetts, a person or company must meet specific criteria:
PhysicalPresence: The registered agent must have a physical street address in Massachusetts. P.O. Boxes are not acceptable.
Availability: The agent must be available during regular business hours (9AM-5PM not counting holidays) to receive legal documents and government correspondence.
Eligibility: The agent can be either:
A Massachusetts resident 18 years or older, or
A company authorized to conduct business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Your Massachusetts LLC cannot act as its own registered agent, though you (as an individual) can serve in this role if you meet the requirements. Don’t mind sifting through legal jargon? You can find the Massachusetts statutes in General Law Part 1, Title 12, Chapter 156C, Section 5.
What a Massachusetts Registered Agent Does
The primary responsibility of a Massachusetts registered agent is to accept service of process and other official documents on behalf of your LLC. This includes:
Communications from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth
Legal documents, including lawsuits and subpoenas
Tax forms, notices, and other correspondence from the Department of Revenue or the IRS
Requests for compliance filings such as an Annual Report.
Your registered agent is your compliance lifeline with the state. Not having one, or having an unreliable agent, can jeopardize your business status and lead to missed deadlines, legal complications, or loss of good standing.
Get Free Registered Agent Service for the First Year
When you form your Massachusetts LLC through Bizee, we provide Registered Agent service free for the first year. After that, it’s only $119 per year.
Our Massachusetts Registered Agent service includes:
A reliable Massachusetts-based agent to receive service of process and legal correspondence
A secure digital dashboard to store and access your business documents
Instant email notifications when documents are received on your behalf
Forwarding all relevant documents to your preferred address
Bizee can legally act as your resident agent in the Commonwealth. If you plan to operate in multiple states, you’ll be glad to hear we’re a national Registered Agent service authorized to operate in all 50 states. We help you stay compliant while keeping your personal information out of the public record.
Appointing a Registered Agent for Your Massachusetts LLC
Whether assigning your registered agent when forming your business or signing up for a new service, we’ll streamline the process for you.
Assign a Registered Agent During Formation
There are two ways to appoint a registered agent during the initial formation process:
File a Certificate of Organization: This is the official document you file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth to establish your LLC. You'll be required to include the name and Massachusetts street address of your registered agent in this form.
Form Your Business Through Bizee: When you use our business formation service, we take care of all the paperwork—including registered agent appointment—and we provide the first year of Registered Agent service for free.
If you need to change your registered agent after your LLC is formed:
File a Statement of Change of Registered Agent: You can do this online through the Massachusetts Corporations Division. There’s currently no state fee if the change is submitted online.
Use Bizee’s Service: If you sign up for our Registered Agent service, we’ll handle the change process for you—including preparing and filing the necessary documents with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Sometimes you may want to look up the registered agent for a Massachusetts-based company—either for service of process or general business research.
You can use the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s online Business Entity Search tool to locate this information. If the agent’s name isn’t available or up-to-date, you may request additional information directly from the state office.
What Happens If You Don’t Have a Registered Agent?
Failing to designate or maintain a registered agent can have serious consequences for your Massachusetts LLC. These include:
Missing Important Legal Notices: If your LLC is sued and your registered agent doesn’t receive or forward the documents, you could lose your case by default.
Falling Out of Good Standing: Not responding to state filings or annual report notices can cause your business to lose its good standing with the state.
Administrative Dissolution: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts may dissolve your LLC for noncompliance, which strips your business of its legal protections.
Acting as Your Own Registered Agent in Massachusetts
It’s legally permissible for you to act as your own registered agent, but we don’t recommend it. Here’s why:
You must have a physical street address in Massachusetts where someone is always available during business hours.
Your name and address will become part of the public record, accessible to anyone via the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website.
If you move or travel frequently, you risk missing important mail or legal documents.
You’ll need to file updated information with the state every time your address changes.
The cost of a registered agent is generally the same in Massachusetts as other states, but may skew a little higher due mostly to higher commercial property values and cost of living. You can expect to pay between $100-$300 a year. Our reliable and full-service Registered Agent solution is just $119 a year.
Yes. With a nationwide service provider like Bizee, you can use us for each state, but you’ll need to pay for each state. Likewise, we have a different team of agents and office addresses for each state. We can also assist with your out-of-state foreign qualification.
It really depends on the business. Those companies that operate in high-risk industries and generate lots of revenue make for easy targets for nuisance lawsuits. We will say that, by taking advantage of Bizee’s all-in-one dashboard and lifetime compliance alerts, you reduce the chances that the state sends you delinquent tax and compliance notices.
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