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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 1 · New Hampshire

Starting an LLC in New Hampshire (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

Mainstay Filing ($199), New Hampshire Registered Agent.co ($199) and NH Registered Agent.org ($199): that is the order of the services we would hire in New Hampshire in 2026 for setting up an LLC. Setting up the LLC means 7 tasks and a $100 fee to the state, then the annual report every year.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Unit overview

Fee to form
$100
Official page gc.nh.gov, last read October 2026
Annual report
$100 a year
Mark the calendar: April 1
Three years of state fees
$300
Filing plus the repeating state fees
Tasks
7
In order

Course objectives

  • The official New Hampshire fee and form
  • The registered agent requirement
  • Upkeep that repeats
  • The services at the top of the class

Services we recommend in New Hampshire

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we grade), and three-year cost and assignments completed count most.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with very little homework

Top of the class$199 a year, state fee on top

Start the list with Mainstay Filing, because $199 a year hands over three assignments at once: the filing, the registered agent and the annual report.

Three years run $200 higher than with New Hampshire Registered Agent.co, but it completes more of the assignments, and the grade pays for that.

That includes the annual report; the state's $100 is billed without markup.

What the price covers

  • Formation filing prepared and sent
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • The official fee, nothing added

What works

  • $199 per year for the whole package
  • It files your EIN application for you
  • $199 when you renew

What to weigh

  • A yearly premium of $100 over New Hampshire Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. New Hampshire Registered Agent.co: best for a small first bill

One-state plan$199 the first year, $99 after

New Hampshire Registered Agent.co is a solid second-place option: $199 above the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

Filing the annual report every year is your own homework.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • Then $99 per year
  • $199 above the state fee
  • First agent year included

What to weigh

  • Filing the annual report is not in the price
  • An EIN add-on costs $99
Visit New Hampshire Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. NH Registered Agent.org: best for a second New Hampshire choice

One-state plan$199 the first year, $99 after

NH Registered Agent.org is a solid third-place option: $199 above the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

Filing the annual report every year is your own homework.

On price, it is level with New Hampshire Registered Agent.co.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • First agent year included
  • Then $99 per year
  • $199 above the state fee

What to weigh

  • Filing the annual report is not in the price
  • An EIN add-on costs $99
Visit NH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Grades and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2New Hampshire Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit New Hampshire Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3NH Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit NH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. The $100 state fee is left out of the figures.

How a New Hampshire LLC gets formed

  1. Task 1

    Make sure nobody else has the name

    If another New Hampshire company already has your name, the filing can come back rejected, so run a search at the New Hampshire Secretary of State first.

    Keep a second choice in your pocket.

  2. Task 2

    Line up a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A New Hampshire resident, or a business entity registered with the Secretary of State, whose office is the registered office.

    The address has to be a physical street address in New Hampshire; filings that list an out-of-state address are not processed. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    Every service we recommend here can be your registered agent.

    Source: Official page gc.nh.gov, last read October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Decide who submits the filing

    The state charges $100 either way. Hiring help adds $199; see the ranked list for the order.

  4. Task 4

    Put together the Certificate of Formation of a New Hampshire Limited Liability Company

    The Certificate of Formation of a New Hampshire Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1) is the paper that forms the LLC. It goes to the New Hampshire Secretary of State, and the fee is $100.

    Source: Official page gc.nh.gov, last read October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Apply to the IRS for an EIN

    After New Hampshire approves the LLC, ask the IRS for an Employer Identification Number; banks and payroll companies want it. Mainstay Filing does this step for you at no added charge.

  6. Task 6

    Prepare the operating agreement

    Think of the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. Keep it with the company records; the state never asks for it.

  7. Task 7

    Stay in good standing in New Hampshire

    New Hampshire wants the annual report every year, due April 1, with a fee of $100. Miss the deadline and $50 is added.

    Source: Official page sos.nh.gov, last read August 2026

New Hampshire costs by task

ItemGoes toSum
Forming the LLCPaid to the state$100
Annual reportPaid to the state$100 every year
Missing the deadlinePaid to the state$50
Optional serviceYour service$199 at the start
State fees over years one to threePaid to the state$300
State amounts come from New Hampshire's official fee schedules (see the sources below); service prices come from each company's site. The three-year state total adds the filing, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax.

How the grades came out

Assignments the price completes makes up 31% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in New Hampshire.

Doing the annual report for you outweighed the lower price under our weights.

Common questions

Which fees does New Hampshire collect when an LLC is formed?

Expect $100 to file. Put $199 on top if a service does the filing.

Which form creates the LLC?

Task 4 shows how to complete the Certificate of Formation of a New Hampshire Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1) and where to send it: the New Hampshire Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does New Hampshire require each year?

Calendar note on the annual report: $100, filed every year, timing as the state words it: April 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state takes filings straight from owners, so no service is needed; plan on $100 and a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing is first, New Hampshire Registered Agent.co and NH Registered Agent.org follow, and Mainstay Filing wins on assignments the price completes.

Reading list and sources

  1. Further reading on New Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporations Division: our unit draws on sos.nh.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  2. Further reading on New Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporations Division: our unit draws on sos.nh.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  3. Further reading on New Hampshire report due date: our unit draws on gencourt.state.nh.us, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  4. Further reading on N.H: our unit draws on gc.nh.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  5. Further reading on New Hampshire formation fee: Filing fee, official source: our unit draws on gc.nh.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  6. Further reading on New Hampshire registered agent statute: our unit draws on gc.nh.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  7. Mainstay Filing New Hampshire service page, opened November 13, 2026
  8. New Hampshire Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  9. NH Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026