How to Form an LLC in Massachusetts
Massachusetts LLCs are created by filing a Certificate of Organization with the Corporations Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Note the document name. It is not "Articles of Organization" here; that title belongs to Massachusetts corporations, and using the wrong vocabulary is the fastest way to download the wrong form. The statute is M.G.L. c. 156C § 12, and the state fee is $500 by mail or walk-in, $520 if you file electronically or by fax. That makes Massachusetts one of the most expensive states in the country to form an LLC, and there is no way to soften that number, so plan around it.
The Certificate of Organization
Massachusetts does not assign the certificate a form number; the Corporations Division simply publishes it as the Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization. It asks for the LLC's name, the office in the commonwealth where required records are kept, the general character of the business, and the agent for service of process.
On that last point, a terminology note: the Massachusetts statute calls this role the resident agent. It is the same position known as a registered agent everywhere else, and this site uses the two terms interchangeably with registered agent as the default.
Massachusetts LLC Filing Fee: $500 or $520
- $500 is the fee for a certificate delivered by mail or in person.
- $520 is the fee for electronic or fax filing. The extra $20 is a mandatory expedite surcharge on those channels, not an optional upgrade, so the true online price is $520.
Fee questions are settled by the Corporations Division's own fee schedule, which is worth bookmarking given how often third-party sites misquote Massachusetts numbers.
Filing Steps, in Order
Ready to get started?
Get Started- Clear the name. The name must contain "limited liability company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." and be distinguishable from entities already on file. Search the Corporations Division database before committing.
- Choose a registered agent and a records office. Massachusetts requires both: a resident agent with a street address in the commonwealth, and an office in the commonwealth where the records required by c. 156C are kept. A post office address does not satisfy the agent requirement.
- File the Certificate of Organization. Mail or hand-deliver it with $500, or file electronically or by fax for $520. Electronic filings go through the Corporations Division's online system.
- Adopt an operating agreement. Massachusetts does not file or review it, but it is the document that governs ownership, distributions, and exits, and banks routinely request it.
- Obtain an EIN. Apply free at IRS.gov. Ten minutes, no intermediary required.
- Budget for the annual report. Massachusetts charges $500 on paper or $520 online, every year, due by the anniversary of your certificate filing. It is among the highest LLC annual report fees in the US and it deserves a line in your operating budget from day one. Details on the annual requirements page.
The Honest Math
Between the $500 formation fee and the $500 annual report, a Massachusetts LLC is a four-figure commitment across its first two years before anyone touches professional services. What you get in exchange is the standard liability shield and a filing office that runs a functional online system. If the numbers still work for your business, the process itself is short.
Where We Fit
Our formation service is $199. It covers preparing and filing your Certificate of Organization and includes the first year of registered agent service; after that the agent renews at $99 per year. State fees are separate and go to the Commonwealth at the rates above.