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Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Lab sheet 2 · New Jersey

The New Jersey Registered Agent (2026): 6 Procedures and the 3 Best Agents

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Registered Agent NJ.org ($99 a year) and New Jersey Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) measured best, in that order, for appointing a registered agent in New Jersey in 2026. 6 short procedures lead from the statute to a correct agent filing.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

Sheet summary

The requirement
Yespub.njleg.gov (observed October 2026)
What ranked services charge
$99 to $149 a yearPublished prices
Annual report
$75 a yearnjportal.com (observed August 2026)
Number of procedures
6In sequence

On this sheet

  • What New Jersey requires of a registered agent
  • Who may act as agent
  • How the agent is put on record
  • Which agents measured best and why

Best reading

Services that measured best in New Jersey

The order follows five published criteria, set out in how we measure.
Highest result

1. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs that may enter other states

$149/yr (renewal $149)

Mainstay Filing comes first since an agent at $149 a year that remains usable when the company adds states.

The premium over Registered Agent NJ.org across three years is $150, which the 28% weight on procedures performed outweighs.

What the price performs

  • A physical address in the state
  • Papers served on the company are scanned free on the same business day
  • Three government letters a year are scanned at no charge
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Measured strengths

  • The same price in all fifty states
  • $149 yearly with no increase

Measured limits

  • $50 more per year than the local candidate
  • Reports are not filed on this plan
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
New Jersey specialist

2. Registered Agent NJ.org: best for single-state companies

$99/yr (renewal $99)

Registered Agent NJ.org follows in second place: a one-state plan reading $99 a year and $99 at renewal.

What the price performs

  • A New Jersey address for the registered office
  • Online copies of served documents

Measured strengths

  • A flat $99 per year
  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing

Measured limits

  • A single-state service
  • Annual report is excluded from the price
Visit Registered Agent NJ.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
New Jersey specialist

3. New Jersey Registered Agent.co: best for a street address inside the state

$99/yr (renewal $99)

New Jersey Registered Agent.co follows in third place: a one-state plan reading $99 a year and $99 at renewal.

It costs exactly what Registered Agent NJ.org costs.

What the price performs

  • A New Jersey address for the registered office
  • Online copies of served documents

Measured strengths

  • A flat $99 per year
  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing

Measured limits

  • A single-state service
  • Annual report is excluded from the price
Visit New Jersey Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The 3 ranked services side by side

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Registered Agent NJ.org$99$99/yr$297Visit Registered Agent NJ.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3New Jersey Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit New Jersey Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. State fees do not depend on the choice of agent.

The procedures

  1. Procedure 1: Begin with the rule

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

    Specimen: pub.njleg.gov (observed October 2026)

  2. Procedure 2: Who can take the role

    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. (N.J.S.A. 42:2C-14)

  3. Procedure 3: The address requirement

    The address has to be a New Jersey street address. A P.O. box can be listed only together with the street address.

    TipAll ranked services supply the New Jersey office address.

  4. Procedure 4: Settle who will be the agent

    Serving personally is possible if the tests are met. A professional from the ranking costs $99 to $149 per year.

  5. Procedure 5: Enter the appointment

    The Certificate of Formation carries the agent's name and address; the New Jersey Secretary of State also receives change filings from LLCs that replace their agent.

    Specimen: pub.njleg.gov (observed October 2026)

  6. Procedure 6: Update when details change

    The annual report measures $75 every year and falls due last day of the LLC's anniversary month; notices about it are routed to the registered agent.

    Specimen: njportal.com (observed August 2026)

The cost of this sheet

ProcedurePaid toPrice
A professional agentThe engaged service$99 to $149 a year
RenewalThe engaged service$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportThe state$75 every year
Every state amount here can be verified against the specimens below. The three-year row combines formation, two later reports and a minimum tax where one exists, and it never includes service prices.

The reasoning behind the ranking

moved ahead of on procedures the price performs, which counts for 28%.

Coverage of all fifty states outweighed Registered Agent NJ.org on this protocol.

Questions readers ask

Is an LLC in New Jersey permitted to operate without a registered agent?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Possibly. Procedures 2 and 3 show whether both rules are met.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes. A switch requires a change filing at the New Jersey Secretary of State (procedure 5).

What does a registered agent cost in New Jersey?

From $99 to $149 a year on this sheet.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Chiefly the annual report, $75 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Select Mainstay Filing: a constant $149 a year regardless of the state of formation. Then Registered Agent NJ.org and New Jersey Registered Agent.co.

Next sheet

Specimens and records

  1. Notebook entry for New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: the observations rest on njportal.com, revisited in August 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  2. Notebook entry for New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: the observations rest on njportal.com, revisited in August 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  3. Notebook entry for New Jersey report due date: the observations rest on njleg.state.nj.us, revisited in August 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  4. Notebook entry for New Jersey DORES, Getting Registered: the observations rest on nj.gov, revisited in October 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  5. Notebook entry for New Jersey formation fee: Filing fee, official source: the observations rest on pub.njleg.gov, revisited in October 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  6. Notebook entry for New Jersey registered agent statute: the observations rest on pub.njleg.gov, revisited in October 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  7. Mainstay Filing New Jersey service page, recorded November 13, 2026
  8. Registered Agent NJ.org pricing page, recorded November 13, 2026
  9. New Jersey Registered Agent.co pricing page, recorded November 13, 2026