

Foreign registration · no form number
Delaware LLC Foreign Registration in Massachusetts
An LLC formed in Delaware that wants to do business in Massachusetts files a paper registration (no form number), with $520 in state fees. Massachusetts also asks for Delaware's Certificate of Good Standing ($50), no older than 90 days. We file it with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division from your Delaware records, then serve as your resident agent there for year one.
What Delaware and Massachusetts each ask for
| Delaware formed here | Massachusetts registering here | |
|---|---|---|
| Document | Delaware Certificate of Good Standing | Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (no form number) |
| State fee | $50 | $520 at order (filing fee $500 plus charges collected at filing) |
| How it is handled | Delaware: through the Division of Corporations request service, sent by first-class mail unless a FedEx or UPS account is supplied | Filed on Massachusetts's paper form |
| Paid expedite | $20 | |
| Office | Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations | Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division |
| Official page | corp.delaware.gov | sec.state.ma.us |
| Age rule | Dated when issued | Accepted if dated within 90 days |
| Yearly filing | Annual LLC Tax, $400, every year | Foreign Limited Liability Company Annual Report, $500, every year |
| Due | On or before June 1 | On or before the anniversary date of registration to do business in Massachusetts |
| Agent | Your Delaware registered agent | Our Massachusetts resident agent |
From Delaware to Massachusetts, step by step
Order the Delaware certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($50) is ordered from Delaware separately; it is not part of our Massachusetts order. It comes as a short form ($50) or a long form ($175). Delaware mails it, and Massachusetts counts the 90 days from issue, so it is ordered with transit in mind.
We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your Massachusetts resident agent, next to your Delaware name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Delaware certificate takes days to arrive, so the Massachusetts filing waits for it. Once Massachusetts approves it, the Delaware company can do business there.
Massachusetts costs for Delaware companies
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| State fees, paid at order | $520 |
| Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Delaware | $50 |
| Our service, with a year of Massachusetts resident agent service | $199 |
| First-year total, Delaware certificate included | $769 |
Massachusetts's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.
Will your Delaware name work for Massachusetts?
Massachusetts can hold a name for $30 before you file.
Your Massachusetts agent and the Delaware one
Massachusetts calls it a resident agent; Delaware says registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Delaware; ours takes Massachusetts's papers and notices.
Staying in good standing in Delaware and Massachusetts
Each year your LLC files Delaware's Annual LLC Tax ($400) and Massachusetts's Foreign Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($500). With our $149 resident agent renewal, Delaware plus Massachusetts comes to $1,049 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.
Registering a Massachusetts company in Delaware
An LLC formed in Massachusetts that registers with Delaware files Delaware's registration (no form number) with $200 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($25) dated within 180 days. See that filing.
Questions Delaware owners ask about Massachusetts
Does my Delaware company need to register in Massachusetts?
Yes, once a Delaware business operates there; Massachusetts registers it as a foreign LLC.
How much does the Massachusetts registration cost?
$719 at checkout plus $50 to Delaware for the Certificate of Good Standing, $769 in all (checkout is $520 in state fees plus our $199).
Do I need Delaware's certificate of good standing?
Yes: Massachusetts wants it ($50), no more than 90 days old at filing.
What are the yearly costs for Delaware and Massachusetts?
$1,049 a year: our $149 resident agent renewal, $400 to Delaware and $500 to Massachusetts for the yearly reports.
What if I don't register with Massachusetts?
A Delaware company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Massachusetts can add a civil penalty of up to $500.
Does Massachusetts require a registered agent?
Yes: the Delaware registered agent stays, and ours covers Massachusetts for year one.
Can I form a new Massachusetts LLC instead?
Yes, but Delaware keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Massachusetts's Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($520), and the original keeps Delaware's Annual LLC Tax.
How do I withdraw from Massachusetts later?
Delaware companies leave by filing a Certificate of Withdrawal ($100); until then, Massachusetts's report stays due alongside Delaware's filings.
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