Top 7 Best Registered Agents In Massachusetts 2024: Reviews & Guides
Reviewed by Randolph Vialva, MBA
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Hiring a Massachusetts registered agent service could be exactly what your business entity needs to achieve its goals and avoid costly fines. Many of these services can also provide business advice and help you process important business documents and legal documents both during regular business hours and after normal business hours have concluded.
If that interests you, then you’re in the right place. We’ve provided in-depth reviews of the top 7 Massachusetts registered agent services below to help you get started.
The Definition Of Massachusetts Registered Agent
A registered agent is someone who is legally responsible for accepting important documents on behalf of business entities. For example, your resident agent will accept legal documents and other important legal notices for you.
The Massachusetts Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Commonwealth have required all businesses in the state to nominate registered agents – including both domestic and foreign LLCs.
You’re free to act as your own registered agent. But it’s typically easier to hire a registered agent service to handle these responsibilities for you. We’ll highlight some of the value that you can get from a professional Massachusetts registered agent in the sections below.
Read more: Best LLC Services In 2024
Top 7 Best Massachusetts Registered Agents 2024
- Zenbusiness: Best Overall
- Northwest Registered Agent: Most Affordable
- IncFile: Easiest to Use
- Harbor Compliance: Best Online Tools
- LegalZoom: Best Reputation
- Rocket Lawyer: Best Ongoing Legal Services
- MyCompanyWorks: Best for Same-Day Filing Services
Read more: Best LLC Formation Services In Massachusetts (MA) In 2024
Top 7 Best Registered Agents In Massachusetts 2024
Zenbusiness
ZenBusiness takes the number one spot for a Massachusetts registered agent service thanks to its unique blend of affordability, flexible customer support offerings, and easy-to-use website. It’s an all-around winner that you can’t go wrong with.
- Starts at $0 plus state fees
- Premium registered agent and compliances services
- Affordable EIN and expedited filing options
- Less brand recognition than a national registered agent service
ZenBusiness has excellent customer reviews and provides a wide variety of services on its website. You can use ZenBusiness to get help with tax and compliance in addition to hiring them to act as your registered agent. The company also has good deals available for different product packages.
But affordable pricing is just one aspect of what ZenBusiness has to offer. The registered agent service also has a fantastic reputation, helpful support options, and online tools that can help you get more out of everything that your business does. If you want a registered agent in Massachusetts, you can’t go wrong with ZenBusiness.
Northwest Registered Agent
Hiring a Northwest registered agent could be a good option if your business wants a registered agent in Massachusetts that won’t break its budget. The company also has a national reputation.
- Affordable
- Offers free registered agent service for LLC formation customers
- Offers many useful online tools
- LLC formation service isn’t the most affordable
Northwest’s Massachusetts resident agent service is one of the best in the industry. It’s affordable, and you get access to helpful services like same-day scanning and online resources that will help you minimize risk, create corporate bylaws, and more.
Customers love Northwest for its convenience and affordability. You can use the company to support your business in many different ways without breaking your budget.
IncFile
IncFile is the best-registered agent service to use if you value having helpful tools integrated with your online account. The company is also a good registered agent service if you value security as a business owner.
- Great online tools
- Excellent security
- Free registered agent services available for qualifying customers
- No volume discounts are available
IncFile does a lot of things well. It’s a registered agent option that will accept the service of documents from a process server, provide annual report reminders, and act as a physical address for your company.
On top of that, you’ll also get access to online resources that can help with everything from learning what your state filing fees will be to figuring out whether you need a business license.
Customers enjoy IncFile’s free statutory agent service as well as the wide variety of resources and tools that it offers online. If you’re looking for a registered agent provider that can help your business grow in more ways than one, IncFile could be it.
Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance is a good option for your registered agent in Massachusetts if you value easy-of-use and a national reputation.
- Easy-to-use online interface
- Affordable pricing options
- Nationwide registered agent service
- No premium services are available
Harbor Compliance is the easiest-to-use registered agent service in Massachusetts on our list. It has powerful online tools like same-day electronic delivery of important business documents and helps with foreign qualifications, fundraising compliance, and more.
The company’s pricing is also very affordable, and they can even provide a physical street address along with access to your registered agent online. Customers love this level of convenience and the fact that they get these benefits at an affordable price.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom has the best reputation in the industry. It also has a risk-free money-back guarantee and provides excellent customer support options to help you get as much value out of your registered agent as possible.
- Industry-leading reputation
- Great customer support options
- Offers a money-back guarantee
- More expensive than the competition
If you want a new registered agent that brings a great reputation to your business entity, then LegalZoom could be your best option. The company is an MA registered agent that can help you receive service of process, handle state fees, and even provide a street address or business address for foreign corporations without a local office.
LegalZoom can help you with many other legal issues that you may encounter while running your business as well. These include registering your business, creating contracts and agreements, and performing a trademark search.
Customers of LegalZoom enjoy having the well-regarded brand attached to their business. They also enjoy that they’re able to take care of all of their legal needs in a single, easy-to-access place.
Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer is a great registered agent option if your business also needs ongoing legal services, such as legal document drafting. Their online service is also fairly affordable and the company will help you change registered agents if you need it.
- Best-in-class ongoing legal services
- Subscription-based payment model
- Strong customer support
- Credit card required for a free trial
Rocket Lawyer’s registered agent service can help with everything from mail forwarding to compliance. The company can help businesses in all 50 states, which makes it a good fit for companies that exist across state lines.
The company also offers subscription-based pricing for ongoing legal services. They can help with everything from starting a business to planning an estate. Customers enjoy subscription-based access to important legal services and multi-state convenience offered by Rocket Lawyer.
MyCompanyWorks
MyCompanyWorks stands out with an easy-to-use service and strong reviews. It also offers great value with its Massachusetts registered agent service.
- Straightforward and easy-to-use website
- Great reviews
- Good value for the price
- Only offers a paid Massachusetts registered agent service
With MyCompanyWorks, you get all of the services that you need to ensure statutory compliance. The company will also help you move your business over to it without any forms or fees, which customers appreciate.
MyCompanyWorks also stands out with fast filing and immediate notification of form deliveries. Whether you need legal document creation, business entity formation, or another service, you can get the support you want from this Massachusetts-registered agent service.
How To Start A Massachusetts Business?
Starting a Massachusetts business is easier when you go through a company that offers registered agent services. They will help you complete and file the paperwork that you need to form an LLC or a corporation.
These business entities will minimize your personal liability in the event that something goes wrong or you face a lawsuit. If you choose the right company, you can even get a free registered agent for a year after they’ve finished helping you form your company.
How A Massachusetts Registered Agent Helps Your Business
Resident agents make it easier to start a business in Massachusetts. They do so by providing help with many important services, such as:
- Formation documents
- Official paperwork
- Your filing fee
- Tax notices
- Establishing your corporation’s division
- Handling your change form
- And ensure you don’t run afoul of law firms
They can also act as a registered office address or a registered office street address if you need one so that the Commonwealth’s office is able to reach you in a timely manner at all times. Whenever you receive anything important, you can simply access it through an easy-to-use online system.
Additional services are available from some of the companies on our list, as well. For example, Rocket Lawyers can provide help from business experts and other services related to business law.
Reasons To Use A Massachusetts Registered Agent
Using a registered agent is typically better than acting as your own registered agent. This is true because a registered agent service will take care of all of your legal obligations for you so that you don’t have to spend time worrying about them on your own.
For example, if someone files a lawsuit against your company, you want to make sure that you get that notice as soon as possible. A registered agent in Massachusetts will ensure that happens so that you can respond in a timely manner.
Registered agents can also let you know when you have important deadlines coming up. For example, you might need to file a key piece of legal paperwork relating to your business every year. A resident agent will let you know when that time arrives so you never have to worry about receiving service or process for a mistake.
The bottom line is that hiring a resident agent gives you more time to focus on your company during normal business hours and enjoy your free time outside of them. With fewer responsibilities to worry about, it should be easier to both reach your goals and enjoy your life.
Final Thoughts
Massachusetts registered agents will help your business maintain legal compliance. You need one in order to avoid fines and fees. Even though you can be your own resident agent, most companies hire a Massachusetts registered agent service instead because it’s more convenient.
ZenBusiness is our top choice for its unique blend of affordability and ease of use. However, you may also be interested in Northwest Registered Agents for an affordable option or Harbor Compliance if you value services that are easy to use.
The other providers on our list may also be good fits for your business if you’re looking for something more specific.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, it’s a legal obligation for every business in the state of Massachusetts to have a designated registered agent’s address in place. You can be your own registered agent, but that may not be the best strategy for all of the reasons we’ve covered above.
As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to pay between $100 and $300 for a registered agent service in Massachusetts. The exact price you pay will vary based on factors like the company you choose, what add-on services you need, and the type of contract you sign.
Your registered agent will accept all legal and official business documents on your behalf. They can also provide a physical address for your business if you don’t have one. Many registered agents will also help with annual reports, alerts, and things of that nature.
Yes, for the most part, every registered agent service includes an online account system where you can access important documents and communicate with your resident agent. However, the quality of these accounts and the features they offer can vary greatly from one provider to another.
The easiest way to get the form that you need is to just go through one of the service providers on our list. They’ll give you all of the paperwork that you need to complete to finish this process and get your registered agent established.
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