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How to Change Your Registered Agent in Massachusetts

The form, the fee, and how to file it.

Filing details

Form name
Limited Liability Company Statement of Change of Resident Agent/Resident Office
Filing fee
Free
Online filing
Yes
Processing time
Massachusetts publishes a figure for fax only: a fax filing "will generally be processed the same business day but in no event later than by the following business day". It publishes no processing time for post or for online filings. There is no expedited tier; fax is simply the fast channel and is priced as an ordinary filing, at $25 against nothing online
Filing agency
Massachusetts SOS ↗
Note: Massachusetts LLCs use the term "resident agent" rather than "registered agent" - they refer to the same role. Online filing is free. Paper filing is $25. Fax is $25 plus a mandatory $6 expedite charge, so $31. Post it to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division, 1 Ashburton Place, 17th floor, Boston MA 02108, and make the cheque payable to "Commonwealth of Massachusetts". Use the Statement of Change because it is the cheap route, not because it is the only lawful one: it is free electronically, against $110 for an electronic Certificate of Amendment and $520 for an electronic annual report. To file online, you need a Customer ID Number (CID) and PIN, which the Secretary of the Commonwealth provides. If you do not have these, request them at cis@sec.state.ma.us.
Open online filing portal ↗

How to change your registered agent in Massachusetts

  1. Choose your new registered agent first. Do not file the change form until you have a new agent lined up. The new agent has to consent to the appointment, and most states will not process the change without that consent in hand. If you let coverage lapse, the Massachusetts SOS can administratively dissolve your LLC.

    Two ways to go. Name yourself or someone you know. Nothing to pay beyond the state filing fee above, but your address goes in the public record and somebody has to be there during business hours to accept legal mail.
    Or use a service at $125/year. That keeps your address private and prepares the change form for you. If you are here because your current agent resigned, missed a delivery, or raised its price, this is usually the reason. See what Northwest charges, or compare what the major agents cost first.

  2. Get the Limited Liability Company Statement of Change of Resident Agent/Resident Office. Download the form ↗ You can file this online through the Massachusetts Secretary of State portal. The form requires your LLC name, the new agent name and address, and a signature. The new agent must consent to the appointment.
  3. Pay the Free filing fee. Massachusetts does not charge a state filing fee for this change. The only cost is what you pay your new registered agent.
  4. Notify your old agent. Once the change is processed, your old agent's responsibility ends. If you are paying them an annual fee, cancel that subscription so it does not auto-renew. Most agents do not refund the unused portion, so time the cancellation against your renewal date.
  5. Verify the change in state records. Search your LLC name on the Massachusetts SOS business search and confirm the new registered agent is listed. Check back after the processing window shown above.

Important to know about Massachusetts

  • The three channels are priced differently and the fax price is not the paper price: no fee at all electronically with a Customer ID and PIN, $25 by post or hand delivery, and $31 by fax, being $25 plus the $6 surcharge Massachusetts applies at the $25.00-$84.99 rung of its fax and electronic fee table. Electronic is both free and fastest.
  • Massachusetts uses the term "resident agent" for LLCs, but it means the same as "registered agent" elsewhere.
  • The dedicated Statement of Change is the cheap route rather than the only lawful one. The resident agent is a required item of the certificate of organization under G.L. c.156C s.12(a), and s.13 requires a manager or member who becomes aware that a matter described in the certificate has changed to promptly amend it, so an amendment does reach the agent. Use the Statement of Change because it costs nothing electronically, against $110 for an electronic Certificate of Amendment and $520 for an electronic annual report.

Have a service handle the change for you

Northwest will prepare and file the Limited Liability Company Statement of Change of Resident Agent/Resident Office for you when you sign up. The state filing fee is yours to pay. The change is usually filed the same business day.

Get Northwest Registered Agent ↗
$125/year · All 50 states · Privacy included
Harbor Compliance
$99 first year, then $149/year · Full-service compliance option
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Registered Agents Inc
$200/year · Report filing included, state fees extra
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Choosing a replacement agent? Our full Northwest Registered Agent review and Harbor Compliance review compare pricing, renewals, and service before you file.

Related guides

This page provides general information based on publicly available Massachusetts Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Forms, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the Massachusetts SOS before filing.