How to File Massachusetts's Certificate of Organization
Massachusetts calls its articles of organization a Certificate of Organization. What goes on it, what is filed with it and what it costs, read from Massachusetts government sources.
The short answer. To form an LLC in Massachusetts, you file the Certificate of Organization with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Corporations Division. The state charges $520 to file online and $500 by mail. Of the 15 items this page tracks, the form requires 6, asks for 1 only in some cases, makes 3 optional and leaves out 5.
The Massachusetts Certificate of Organization at a Glance
| What Massachusetts calls it | Certificate of Organization |
| State filing fee | $520 online, $500 by mail |
| Processing time | Check with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Corporations Division |
| Where to file | Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Corporations Division |
| File online | Yes, online |
| Blank form | Download it from the state |
| Law that sets its contents | G.L. c. 156C, s. 12 |
| Filed with it or right after | 1 filing, listed below |
Read from a Massachusetts government source, last checked September 23, 2026. The filing fee and processing time come from our Massachusetts cost record. See the sources.
What Goes on Massachusetts's Certificate of Organization
Each row is one of the 15 items this page tracks, with what Massachusetts's Certificate of Organization asks for. "Not on the form" means we checked and found no place for it on the Certificate of Organization. "Not checked" means we have not confirmed it either way.
| Item | On the form |
|---|---|
| LLC name | Required |
| Registered agent's name | Required |
| Registered office address | Required |
| Principal office address | Not on the form |
| Mailing address | Not on the form |
| Organizer's name | Required |
| Members' names | Not on the form |
| Managers' names | Only when the LLC has managers at formation. If it has none, at least one other person authorized to sign filings must be named instead. |
| Member-managed or manager-managed | Not on the form |
| Business purpose | Required |
| Duration | Optional |
| Effective date | Optional |
| County | Not on the form |
| Email address | Optional |
| Registered agent's consent | Required |
These entries are confirmed public record: LLC name, registered agent's name, registered office address, organizer's name, managers' names, business purpose, duration and registered agent's consent.
The registered agent rows are covered in more depth in Massachusetts's registered agent requirements, and the steps before and after this filing are in how to start an LLC in Massachusetts.
What the LLC's Name Must Include
The LLC's name must include one of these: "Limited Liability Company", "Limited Company", "L.L.C.", "L.C.", "LLC" or "LC".
Rule: G.L. c. 156C, s. 3.
File These With It or Right After
Massachusetts has one more filing that goes with it or follows it.
| Filing | Required? | When |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of the regulating board | Only for a professional LLC. | With the Professional Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization, which a professional LLC files instead of the Certificate of Organization. |
Draft Your Certificate of Organization
The generator below starts with Massachusetts selected and drafts the document from what you enter. Compare the draft with the state's current form before you file.
MyStateLLC.com is not a law firm, not an attorney, and not a document preparation service. This is a self-service tool: it formats information you enter into a state template, and no one at MyStateLLC reviews, corrects, or files it for you. This tool and the document it generates are informational and are not legal, financial, or tax advice, and are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. MyStateLLC cannot give legal advice, does not prepare or file documents itself, and communications with MyStateLLC are not privileged. Using this tool does not create an attorney-client relationship. LLC laws vary by state and this document is not reviewed by anyone before you file it. Consult a licensed attorney or CPA in your state before you sign or file it.
Where are you forming your LLC?
After It Is Approved
| Certified copy of the filed Certificate of Organization | See note below |
| Changing it later (Certificate of Amendment) | See note below |
Where these fees come from: the sources.
Professional LLCs in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, a professional LLC files a separate form, the Professional Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization, instead of the Certificate of Organization. Also required: The professional form must name the professional service and each member or manager who will render it, with a certificate from the regulating board that each one is licensed attached. It cannot be filed electronically, only by mail, hand delivery or fax. Your profession's licensing board may have requirements of its own, so check with it before you file.
Worth Knowing in Massachusetts
Massachusetts asks for the street address of an office in Massachusetts where the LLC's records will be kept, rather than a principal office. If the LLC has no managers, the certificate must name at least one person authorized to sign documents filed with the Corporations Division. A certified copy costs $7 for the first page and $2 for each additional page. An amendment costs $100 by mail or hand delivery, or $110 when filed by fax or electronically, which adds a $10 expedite fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/download/c156c512dllccert.pdfMassachusetts Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization (G.L. c. 156C, s. 12)
- sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/download/c156cs12pllccert.pdfMassachusetts Professional Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization
- malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter156C/Section12G.L. c. 156C, s. 12, Certificate of organization
- malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter156C/Section3G.L. c. 156C, s. 3, Name of limited liability company
- sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/download/950_cmr_112_limited_liability_companies.pdf950 CMR 112.00, Limited Liability Companies
- sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/download/Fee_Schedule.pdfMassachusetts Corporations Division Fee Schedule
The rows and fees on this page were read from the Massachusetts government sources above, not from a formation service, and anything we could not confirm there is marked Not checked. See our editorial policy for how these are verified and corrected.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's filing office publishes about the document that forms an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity or a separate professional form, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.