How to Change Your Registered Agent in Massachusetts (2026)

Published by Jon Morgan | Co-Founder & Chief Editor

Last updated: August 19, 2026

Methodology
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Massachusetts calls this the resident agent. To change yours, file a Statement of Change form with the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division. Filing online is free. A paper, fax, or in-person filing costs $25.

You pick the new agent first, then get their signature on that same filing. Have their name and Massachusetts address ready before you start.

Quick Summary

Who Can Be a Massachusetts Registered Agent

Your new agent must fit one of three types. An individual who lives in Massachusetts is one. A domestic corporation qualifies too. A foreign corporation does as well, as long as it can do business in the state [1].

Your LLC also has to keep an office somewhere in Massachusetts. That's where the company's required records get stored. The office doesn't have to double as your place of business. It just has to exist, and someone has to be able to find it.

The agent's address must be a real Massachusetts street address, not a P.O. box. Someone needs to be there during normal business hours to accept paperwork.

Massachusetts draws no line between a commercial and a noncommercial resident agent, unlike some states. A hired service, a co-owner, or the business itself gets named the same way. No option is treated as special.

How to Change Your Massachusetts Registered Agent

Once you've lined up your new registered agent, the filing itself is short. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 5A sets the process for changing a resident agent [2]. The state's own form also cites Section 51 alongside it.

The form carries a signature line for the new agent right on the same page, so there's nothing extra to send in.

You can file online, by mail, by fax, in person, or through a professional registered agent service. Only your method changes what you pay for it. Our guide to changing a registered agent covers the steps other states share.

1. Using a Professional Registered Agent Service

A professional registered agent service can handle this filing for you. Sign up with the provider. They submit the Statement of Change with the Corporations Division on your behalf.

You'll supply your LLC's exact name, the current agent's address and the new agent's information. The provider pays the $25 state fee, plus their own service charge. Then they wait for the Division to approve the change.

This route suits owners who'd rather not track deadlines and paperwork themselves. Compare current options through the best registered agent services in Massachusetts. Pick one before you commit.

2. Filing Online

Filing through the Massachusetts Corporations Online Filing System is the only way to skip the $25 fee entirely. New filers need a Customer ID Number and PIN first. The Corporations Division issues both before you can log in.

Once you're logged in, here's what to do:

1. Open your business record and select the statement of change of resident agent option.
2. Enter your new agent's name and Massachusetts street address.
3. Review the details and submit them.

There's nothing to pay. The change takes effect once the Division reviews and approves the statement. Keep the confirmation the portal gives you for your records.

3. Filing by Mail

Download the Statement of Change of Resident Agent/Resident Office form from the Corporations Division. Fill it out, then mail it in.

The form asks for your LLC's exact name, plus the current and new agent's office addresses. It also needs two signatures. One comes from an authorized company representative. The other comes from the new agent, consenting to serve.

Attach a check or money order for $25, payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mail the completed form to Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division, One Ashburton Place, Room 1717, Boston, MA 02108-1512. There's no standard turnaround published for mail filings. Call ahead if you're working against a deadline.

4. Filing by Fax

Fax filing works like mail, minus the trip to a mailbox. Visit the Corporations Division's fax filing page and generate a Fax Voucher Coversheet. Fill in your Statement of Change details on it.

Fax the completed coversheet and form to 617-624-3891. The same $25 fee applies here. There's no extra surcharge for using fax instead of mail.

Fax filings submitted during business hours are usually processed the same day. Anything submitted after hours or on a weekend waits until the next business day. That's the only filing method with a posted processing commitment from the Division.

5. Filing In Person

You can also walk the Statement of Change form into the Corporations Division's office. File it there on the spot. Bring the completed form with both signatures, plus a check, money order or cash for the $25 fee.

The Division's office is in Boston, the same address given above for mail filings. In-person filings have no published turnaround either. Budget extra time if the office is busy.

Whichever method you pick, keep your resident agent's name and address current. An outdated filing sends legal notices and state mail to the wrong place. Massachusetts sends its own compliance notices to whatever office is on file, too.

Still working on the company itself? Our guide to Massachusetts LLC formation covers that step. The best LLC formation services in Massachusetts page ranks providers. Pick one if you'd rather hire the work out. For agent-only providers, see our best registered agent services rankings.

FAQs

References:

1. https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter156C/Section5
2. https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter156C/Section5A