LLC Formation in New Jersey (2026): 7 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services
Our 2026 marks for starting an LLC in New Jersey: Registered Agent NJ.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and New Jersey Registered Agent.co ($199), highest first. To start the LLC: 7 moves and $100 paid to New Jersey; the annual report follows every year.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Add the $100 state fee to every row.
Starting a New Jersey LLC, move by move
Move 1
Check the name is free
A taken name can get the New Jersey filing bounced. Run the business search at the New Jersey Secretary of State before you do anything else.
Have a backup ready.
Move 2
Name a registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A New Jersey resident, or a business with authority to do business in New Jersey, such as a corporation registered and in good standing with the State Treasurer.
The address has to be a New Jersey street address. A P.O. box can be listed only together with the street address.
The registered agent job comes with each pick.
Where this comes from: Official page: pub.njleg.gov (October 2026)
Move 3
File yourself or pay a service
Skip the service: $100 to the state. Use one of our picks: $199 more, and you skip the forms.
Move 4
Fill in and send the Certificate of Formation
Three things: the Certificate of Formation, $100, and the New Jersey Secretary of State as the recipient. Statute: N.J.S.A. 42:2C-18.
Where this comes from: Official page: pub.njleg.gov (October 2026)
Move 5
Get your EIN
Once New Jersey approves the LLC, ask the IRS for an EIN. Banks and payroll providers need one. Mainstay Filing does this for you, no extra fee.
Move 6
Draft the operating agreement
A single-owner New Jersey LLC still benefits from a written operating agreement in the files.
Move 7
Plan for year two
New Jersey requires the annual report every year, due last day of the LLC's anniversary month, costing $75.
Where this comes from: Official page: njportal.com (August 2026)
What you will pay
Move
Pay to
Amount
Filing fee
State office
$100
Annual report
State office
$75 every year
Filing service (optional)
The provider
$199 for year one
State total, three years
State office
$250
Filing plus the reports in years two and three plus any minimum tax: that is the state's three-year total. Sources are listed below.
Why this order
Founder outlay over three years is 27% of the mark, and it is where moved ahead in New Jersey.
Registered Agent NJ.org totals $397 across three years, saving $200 next to Mainstay Filing.
What founders ask
What will a New Jersey LLC cost to start?
You pay $100 to file. Services we rank charge $199 on top.
Which form creates the LLC?
The destination for the Certificate of Formation is the New Jersey Secretary of State.
Is a registered agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does New Jersey require each year?
Mark your calendar for the annual report: $75, every year, last day of the LLC's anniversary month.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
You can: the state wants $100, and you name a registered agent yourself or hire one.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Our order: Registered Agent NJ.org, Mainstay Filing and New Jersey Registered Agent.co. Registered Agent NJ.org leads because $199 up front and no agent fee in year one; $99 a year from year two.