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Biz Formation Academy

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

Chapter 1 · New Jersey

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

Summary for 2026: to handle forming an LLC in New Jersey with outside help, choose among Mainstay Filing ($199), New Jersey Registered Agent.co ($199) and Registered Agent NJ.org ($199), in that order. Read 7 sections to learn the process. The fee at New Jersey's filing office is $100; afterward the annual report falls due every year.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Essential facts

Formation fee $100 See pub.njleg.gov; page last consulted October 2026
Annual report $75 a year Deadline given by the state: last day of the LLC's anniversary month
State fees across three years $250 State charges only
Sections 7 First to last

After this chapter you will understand

  • Where and how a New Jersey LLC is filed
  • The registered agent requirement
  • What follows formation
  • Who to consider for filing

Who we recommend in New Jersey

Three-year cost and paperwork completed carry the most weight; how we grade lists all five.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who want the work handled

Best overall
$199 annually and the $100 state fee

First place goes to Mainstay Filing; $199 per year takes care of three chapters at once: formation, registered agent and the annual report.

Three years cost $200 more than New Jersey Registered Agent.co, yet this service completes more of the paperwork, and the ranking weighs that.

Included: the annual report; the state's $75 is charged exactly as New Jersey sets it.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee billed at cost

Advantages

  • The EIN application is filed for you
  • $199 annually, all inclusive
  • The renewal stays at $199

Limitations

  • Renewal costs $100 above New Jersey Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. New Jersey Registered Agent.co: best for owners who intend to stay in New Jersey

Single-state plan
$199 in year one, $99 afterward

New Jersey Registered Agent.co takes second 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.

Price covers

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

Advantages

  • $199 to form
  • $99 a year after that
  • First agent year included

Limitations

  • No service for the annual report is offered
  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit New Jersey Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Registered Agent NJ.org: best for a small agent renewal

Single-state plan
$199 in year one, $99 afterward

Registered Agent NJ.org 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.

On price, it matches New Jersey Registered Agent.co.

Price covers

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

Advantages

  • $199 to form
  • $99 a year after that
  • First agent year included

Limitations

  • No service for the annual report is offered
  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit Registered Agent NJ.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Rankings and prices together

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

Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. No row includes the $100 state fee.

The chapter, section by section

  1. Section 1

    Choose a name that is available

    Name availability is decided by the New Jersey Secretary of State, so the search belongs at the front of the process.

    A spare name saves a second search later.

  2. Section 2

    Designate the 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.

    Providing the registered agent is part of what each recommended service sells.

    Reference: See pub.njleg.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  3. Section 3

    File alone or pay for assistance

    An owner who files alone pays only the $100 state fee. A service adds $199 and prepares the forms; the recommended list ranks them.

  4. Section 4

    Next comes the Certificate of Formation

    Required: the Certificate of Formation, the $100 fee, and delivery to the New Jersey Secretary of State. Authority: N.J.S.A. 42:2C-18.

    Reference: See pub.njleg.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Secure the LLC's EIN

    Once New Jersey approves the filing, the LLC applies to the IRS for an Employer Identification Number, which banks and payroll services require. With Mainstay Filing this section is completed for you.

  6. Section 6

    Put the ownership terms in writing

    An operating agreement is the document in which the owners of a New Jersey LLC record who owns what and how decisions are made. It stays with the company and is never filed with the state.

  7. Section 7

    Maintain good standing in New Jersey

    Calendar entry for the owner: the annual report, at $75, every year, due last day of the LLC's anniversary month.

    Reference: See njportal.com; page last consulted August 2026

The cost of this chapter

EntryWho is paidCost
Forming the LLC State agency$100
Annual report State agency$75 every year
Optional service Your chosen service$199 in year one
State fees for the first three years State agency$250

Rows for the state rely on New Jersey's published fee schedules (listed in the bibliography below), and each service row uses that company's own price. For three years the state row adds the filing, the report in year two, the report in year three and any minimum tax.

Why Mainstay Filing is first

Chapters the price completes accounts for 30% of the ranking, and led on it in New Jersey.

New Jersey Registered Agent.co costs less, but the annual report would remain the owner's task.

Common questions

What is the cost of a New Jersey LLC formation?

$100, paid to the state. On top of the state fee, the ranked services bill $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Certificate of Formation creates the company, and the New Jersey Secretary of State is the recipient.

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?

Each year the state expects the LLC's annual report, at $75, due last day of the LLC's anniversary month.

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?

The ranking is Mainstay Filing, New Jersey Registered Agent.co and Registered Agent NJ.org, and Mainstay Filing is first since one annual payment, $199, completes the filing, the registered agent and the annual report; renewal is $199.

See also

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Footnote for New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: see njportal.com (August 2026).
  2. Footnote for New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: see njportal.com (August 2026).
  3. Footnote for New Jersey report due date: see njleg.state.nj.us (August 2026).
  4. Footnote for New Jersey DORES, Getting Registered: see nj.gov (October 2026).
  5. Footnote for New Jersey formation fee: Filing fee, official source: see pub.njleg.gov (October 2026).
  6. Footnote for New Jersey registered agent statute: see pub.njleg.gov (October 2026).
  7. New Jersey service page (Mainstay Filing), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  8. pricing page (New Jersey Registered Agent.co), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  9. pricing page (Registered Agent NJ.org), as it stood on November 13, 2026