Massachusetts Registered Agent
When you choose Northwest as your registered agent, you get instant service, Privacy by Default®, and a business address. Want more? Northwest is the only registered agent that can provide your business services from domains to DBAs easily, and all in-house.
Want to learn more about what a registered agent does in Massachusetts? We’ll explain the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s requirements, what your registered agent should do for you, and how to change your registered agent in Massachusetts.
$125 Per Year
- Business Address & Mail Scanning
- Domain, Website, Email & Phone Line
- Automatic Brand Protection
- Privacy By Default®
What Is A Massachusetts Registered Agent?
A Massachusetts registered agent is the person or company you designate to receive legal documents and official state mail on behalf of your business. Every Massachusetts LLC and corporation is required to maintain a registered agent (sometimes called a resident agent in Massachusetts law—the two terms are interchangeable).
Registered agents provide the state with an official, reliable way to contact your business. If your company is ever served with a lawsuit, the process server will deliver the paperwork to your registered agent. Once those documents are delivered, your business is legally considered served, so it’s important to have a registered agent who will promptly forward them to you.
You can serve as your own registered agent, appoint another individual, or hire a professional registered agent service. While the law sets minimum requirements, the best registered agents do more than simply accept your mail—they help protect your privacy, keep you informed, and ensure you never miss an important legal notice.
Legal Requirements For Massachusetts Registered Agent
Physical Address
Maintain a physical street address in Massachusetts where legal documents and official state mail can be delivered. P.O. boxes are not permitted.
Business Hours
Be available during normal business hours to receive service of process and state correspondence.
Reliable Service
Accept legal documents on behalf of your business and promptly forward them to you.
How Do I Change My Registered Agent?
Changing your registered agent is a straightforward process:
Option 1: Do It Yourself
You’ll file a Statement of Change of Resident Agent/Resident Office form with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth (SOC).
Option 2: Hire Us
Switch to Northwest, and we’ll do the paperwork for you. We’ll prepare and file your change of registered agent form for free, making it easy to update your records with the state.
Why Choose Northwest?
Our Massachusetts Registered Agent Service includes the tools you need to keep your business running without a hitch. When you hire Northwest as your registered agent service, you get:
- Same-Day scans: We scan your legal docs the same day we receive them and reach out if your essential mail goes unread.
- Privacy by Default®: We list our business address on public docs to keep your personal info safe. And unlike those other guys, we never sell your data.
- Corporate Guides®: Have questions? We have answers. Our guides are business experts whose sole job is to provide support for all your business questions.
- Brand Protection: Keep an eye on your business name, domains, and trademarks, with Brand Protection. We’ll alert you to potential conflicts early, and give you simple tools to build and manage your brand all in one place.
- Identity Services. With Northwest, you get a free domain name, website, phone line, and email address so that you can start talking to potential customers on day one–without compromising your privacy.
And with all these services and benefits we offer you, the best one is no hidden fees. That means our registered agent service is $125 and stays $125.
How Do I Order Registered Agent Service?
Step 1:
You sign up online, clicking on one of the buttons or links that says HIRE US.
Step 2:
We collect the first year’s fee for registered agent service up front.
Step 3:
For new businesses, once your business registration filing with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth is complete, we’ll become your registered agent.
Step 4:
About a year later, we’ll send an invoice for another year of registered agent service. If you want to keep using us, great; if you don’t, you can easily cancel.
Step 5:
It’s easy to add registered agent services in other states if your business expands. We have offices in every state. We don’t farm out work (or your info) to other companies—wherever you are, WE are your registered agent.
Step 6:
We make your account a real go-to resource for you, not just for registered agent service or paying a bill but for keeping up with corporate paperwork formalities like the Massachusetts Annual Report. Our Renewal Service will even file your report for you.
Get A Registered Agent Today!
MA Registered Agent FAQs
Yes, you can be your own registered agent in Massachusetts. However, after considering the registered agent requirements most business owners elect to hire a registered agent service instead. Why? Well although being your own registered agent will cost you $0, a registered agent’s name and address becomes part of the public record.
Note: Your registered agent is required to be available to accept service of process during normal business hours five days a week.