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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Unit 1 · New Hampshire

New Hampshire LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 7 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

In 2026 the services this chapter recommends for forming an LLC in New Hampshire are NH Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and New Hampshire Registered Agent.co ($199), best first. 7 sections take the reader through formation; the state fee is $100, with $100 for the annual report.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Essential facts

Fee to form $100 Source text at gc.nh.gov, October 2026
Annual report $100 a year Deadline given by the state: April 1
State cost, years 1 to 3 $300 State charges only
Sections in this chapter 7 Outlined below

What this chapter teaches

  • Where and how a New Hampshire LLC is filed
  • The registered agent requirement
  • What follows formation
  • Which services are recommended and why

Recommended reading for New Hampshire

The order rests on five weighted criteria described under how we grade, with three-year cost and paperwork completed on top.

1. NH Registered Agent.org: best for a basic formation

Read this one first
$199 at the start and $99 a year after year one

NH Registered Agent.org is ranked first in New Hampshire: $199 to start with the first agent year paid, followed by $99 annually.

Its three-year total is below Mainstay Filing's, which earns first place because cost carries 34%.

The annual report is not in the price, so the owner files it every year.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • A formation charge of $199
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • Agent covered in year one

Limitations

  • Whoever owns the LLC prepares the annual report
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit NH Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for having someone else file the annual report

Any state
$199 a year, renewing at $199

Entry number 2 is Mainstay Filing, where one annual payment, $199, completes the filing, the registered agent and the annual report; renewal is $199.

Three years cost $200 above NH Registered Agent.org, and cost counts for 34% of the ranking.

The annual report is handled too, with New Hampshire's $100 added at cost.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee passed through at cost

Advantages

  • The EIN section is part of the package
  • A single yearly fee of $199, with the annual report included
  • $199 every year

Limitations

  • NH Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. New Hampshire Registered Agent.co: best for a local filer

Focused on New Hampshire
$199 at the start and $99 a year after year one

New Hampshire Registered Agent.co takes third position; $199 to start with the first agent year paid, followed by $99 annually.

The annual report is not in the price, so the owner files it every year.

It charges exactly what NH Registered Agent.org charges.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • A formation charge of $199
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • Agent covered in year one

Limitations

  • Whoever owns the LLC prepares the annual report
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit New Hampshire Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Rankings and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 NH Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit NH Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 New Hampshire Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit New Hampshire Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices come from each company's own site, consulted November 13, 2026. Add the $100 state fee to every row.

The sections

  1. Section 1

    Settle on the legal name

    Before filing, search the New Hampshire Secretary of State for the name you want. A match with an existing New Hampshire entity usually means choosing another.

    Keep a second choice on hand.

  2. Section 2

    Designate the 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.

    You may use any recommended service for this section.

    Reference: Source text at gc.nh.gov, October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Decide between self-filing and a service

    Filing yourself costs $100. Hiring one of the recommended services adds $199 for preparing the paperwork.

  4. Section 4

    Section four is the Certificate of Formation of a New Hampshire Limited Liability Company

    To form the company, deliver the Certificate of Formation of a New Hampshire Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1) to the New Hampshire Secretary of State together with $100.

    Reference: Source text at gc.nh.gov, October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Obtain an EIN

    The IRS, not New Hampshire, issues EINs. Apply after the state approves the LLC and give the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing handles the EIN application without a separate charge.

  6. Section 6

    Prepare an operating agreement

    A one-member New Hampshire LLC should still have a written operating agreement in its records.

  7. Section 7

    Keep the LLC in good standing

    Calendar entry for the owner: the annual report, at $100, every year, due April 1. Lateness is penalized at $50.

    Reference: Source text at sos.nh.gov, August 2026

What each section costs in New Hampshire

SectionWho is paidAmount
Forming the LLC Filing office$100
Annual report Filing office$100 every year
Penalty for late filing Filing office$50
Filing service (optional) Your chosen service$199 for year one
State total over three years Filing office$300

Anything paid to New Hampshire is an official fee that can be verified in the bibliography. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where one exists; service prices are not part of it.

How the New Hampshire recommendations were ranked

On tuition over three years (34% of the ranking) came first, with next.

NH Registered Agent.org leads the cost criterion at $397 across three years, with Mainstay Filing $200 behind.

New Hampshire review questions

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

The official schedule lists $100. On top of the state fee, the ranked services bill $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Deliver the Certificate of Formation of a New Hampshire Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1) to 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?

Each year the state expects the LLC's annual report, at $100, due April 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Permitted. File personally for $100 and arrange a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

NH Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and New Hampshire Registered Agent.co, from the highest ranking to the lowest.

More chapters

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Cited for New Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporations Division: sos.nh.gov, edition of August 2026.
  2. Cited for New Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporations Division: sos.nh.gov, edition of August 2026.
  3. Cited for New Hampshire report due date: gencourt.state.nh.us, edition of August 2026.
  4. Cited for N.H: gc.nh.gov, edition of August 2026.
  5. Cited for New Hampshire formation fee: Filing fee, official source: gc.nh.gov, edition of October 2026.
  6. Cited for New Hampshire registered agent statute: gc.nh.gov, edition of October 2026.
  7. NH Registered Agent.org, pricing page: consulted November 13, 2026
  8. Mainstay Filing, New Hampshire service page: consulted November 13, 2026
  9. New Hampshire Registered Agent.co, pricing page: consulted November 13, 2026