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LLC 101 Guide

Course unit 1 · New Jersey

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

Ranked for 2026, the services worth hiring for setting up an LLC in New Jersey are Registered Agent NJ.org ($199), New Jersey Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199). 7 tasks make up the unit; the state's own price tag is $100, and the annual report adds $75.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Need-to-know facts

What the state charges to file
$100
Source: pub.njleg.gov, read in October 2026
Annual report
$75 a year
Deadline wording: last day of the LLC's anniversary month
Three-year state cost
$250
Without any service fee
Task count
7
Each one explained

By the end you will know

  • How setting up an LLC works in New Jersey
  • How to meet the registered agent rule
  • What happens once the LLC exists
  • Which services we recommend and why

Who we would hire in New Jersey

What counts most: three-year cost and how many assignments the price finishes. How we grade lists all five criteria.

Top of the class

1. Registered Agent NJ.org: best for owners who stay in New Jersey

Top of the classFormation $199, renewal $99 yearly

Registered Agent NJ.org comes out first, and the reason is that forming the New Jersey LLC runs $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renews at $99.

Mainstay Filing costs more over three years, so this service takes first.

Set aside time for the annual report every year; the price does not cover it.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • A free first agent year
  • A small $99 renewal
  • $199 and the state fee

What to weigh

  • You prepare the annual report yourself
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit Registered Agent NJ.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. New Jersey Registered Agent.co: best for a second New Jersey choice

One-state planFormation $199, renewal $99 yearly

New Jersey Registered Agent.co is a solid second-place option: forming the New Jersey LLC runs $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renews at $99.

Set aside time for the annual report every year; the price does not cover it.

On price, it is level with Registered Agent NJ.org.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • A free first agent year
  • A small $99 renewal
  • $199 and the state fee

What to weigh

  • You prepare the annual report yourself
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit New Jersey Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

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

Works in every state$199 yearly plus the $100 state fee

Mainstay Filing is a solid third-place option: the yearly $199 replaces three separate bills (formation, registered agent, annual report) with a single one.

Registered Agent NJ.org comes in $200 lower across three years, which holds this one back from first.

You never file the annual report yourself, and only the $75 state fee is added.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • No markup on the state fee

What works

  • The EIN application is in the price
  • Renews for $199
  • One flat $199 each year

What to weigh

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

Grades and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Registered Agent NJ.org$199$99/yr$397Visit Registered Agent NJ.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2New Jersey Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit New Jersey Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices come from each company's own site, opened November 13, 2026. Every row also owes the $100 state fee.

Formation in order

  1. Task 1

    Name the company

    Open the business search run by the New Jersey Secretary of State before anything else; it shows whether the name already sits on the New Jersey register.

    Bring two backup names to the search.

  2. Task 2

    Assign the registered agent role

    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.

    Hire any one of the recommended services for this task.

    Source: Source: pub.njleg.gov, read in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Do it yourself or hire a service

    Skip the services and you pay the state $100. Use one of our picks and you pay $199 extra to skip the forms.

  4. Task 4

    File the Certificate of Formation

    What you need: the Certificate of Formation, $100, and an address at the New Jersey Secretary of State to send it to; see N.J.S.A. 42:2C-18.

    Source: Source: pub.njleg.gov, read in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Get an EIN

    State approval first, IRS number second. This task is inside the Mainstay Filing package.

  6. Task 6

    Draft your 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

    Handle New Jersey's recurring filing

    To stay active, send the annual report every year ($75) by last day of the LLC's anniversary month.

    Source: Source: njportal.com, read in August 2026

New Jersey costs by task

ItemGoes toAmount
The formation taskThe state$100
Annual reportThe state$75 every year
Optional serviceThe service company$199 to start
Three years of state feesThe state$250
State fees were read from the official pages named in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where there is one.

How we ordered the New Jersey picks

pulled ahead of on course fee across three years, a criterion worth 34%.

Registered Agent NJ.org wins the cost criterion with $397 over three years, against $200 more at Mainstay Filing.

New Jersey questions

What will it cost to register a new LLC with New Jersey?

New Jersey bills $100. A recommended service adds $199 in year one.

Which form creates the LLC?

The New Jersey Secretary of State takes the Certificate of Formation, the paper that creates the company.

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?

New Jersey asks for the annual report every year at $75, and it gives the deadline as last day of the LLC's anniversary month.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. You pay the state $100 when you file, and the LLC still needs a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Registered Agent NJ.org is first, New Jersey Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing follow, and Registered Agent NJ.org wins on course fee across three years.

Reading list and sources

  1. Further reading on New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: our unit draws on njportal.com, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  2. Further reading on New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: our unit draws on njportal.com, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  3. Further reading on New Jersey report due date: our unit draws on njleg.state.nj.us, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  4. Further reading on New Jersey DORES, Getting Registered: our unit draws on nj.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  5. Further reading on New Jersey formation fee: Filing fee, official source: our unit draws on pub.njleg.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  6. Further reading on New Jersey registered agent statute: our unit draws on pub.njleg.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  7. We opened the pricing page at Registered Agent NJ.org on November 13, 2026
  8. We opened the pricing page at New Jersey Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  9. We opened the New Jersey service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026