Forming an LLC in New Jersey (2026): 7 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services
Ranked by measured reading, the services for forming an LLC in New Jersey in 2026 are Mainstay Filing ($199), Registered Agent NJ.org ($199) and New Jersey Registered Agent.co ($199). Forming the LLC requires 7 procedures and $100 paid to the state, followed by the annual report every year.
$75 a yearRecorded due date: last day of the LLC's anniversary month
State fees collected in three years
$250Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Procedures on this sheet
7Each one described
Aims of this sheet
The New Jersey formation document, its price and its destination
The registered agent requirement
What follows formation
Which services measured best and why
Best reading
If you want someone else to file
Measured on the method page: three-year cost (36%), procedures performed (28%), renewal, fit with New Jersey's protocol and price legibility.
Strongest result
1. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with minimal work
$199 yearly, renewing at $199
Mainstay Filing reads highest, and the reason is that the yearly price of $199 performs the filing, supplies the registered agent and files the annual report, and the renewal reading is the same $199.
The premium over Registered Agent NJ.org across three years is $200, which the 28% weight on procedures performed outweighs.
The annual report counts as performed, with New Jersey's $75 billed without markup.
What the price performs
Formation filing
Registered agent for the full year
Annual report filed on schedule
EIN application included
Official fee, nothing added
Measured strengths
A flat $199 yearly
The EIN procedure is part of the price
$199 each year
Measured limits
A yearly premium of $100 over Registered Agent NJ.org
2. Registered Agent NJ.org: best for owners who remain in New Jersey
Formation $199; renewal $99 a year
Registered Agent NJ.org is an acceptable second choice: the New Jersey formation measures $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renewal reads $99.
Time must be allowed for the annual report every year, since the price omits it.
What the price performs
Filing with the state
Agent service for the first year
Measured strengths
A low $99 renewal
A formation fee of $199
No agent fee in year one
Measured limits
Filing the annual report is not something it performs
3. New Jersey Registered Agent.co: best for a low agent renewal
Formation $199; renewal $99 a year
New Jersey Registered Agent.co is an acceptable third choice: the New Jersey formation measures $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renewal reads $99.
Time must be allowed for the annual report every year, since the price omits it.
It publishes the same prices as Registered Agent NJ.org.
What the price performs
Filing with the state
Agent service for the first year
Measured strengths
No agent fee in year one
A formation fee of $199
A low $99 renewal
Measured limits
Filing the annual report is not something it performs
Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. Every row needs the $100 state fee added.
The procedures
Procedure1
Procedure 1: Settle on a name
A name held by another New Jersey company can cause the filing to be returned; the business search at the New Jersey Secretary of State gives the answer in advance.
TipA runner-up name avoids a repeat search.
Procedure2
Procedure 2: Place a registered agent on record
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.
TipAll of the ranked services provide a registered agent.
Specimen: Specimen: pub.njleg.gov, logged October 2026
Procedure3
Procedure 3: Self-filing against a service
Filing alone costs the $100 state fee and nothing else. A service adds $199 and prepares the forms; the ranking gives the order.
Procedure4
Procedure 4: Prepare the Certificate of Formation
The Certificate of Formation is the formation instrument. It goes to the New Jersey Secretary of State, and the fee measures $100 (N.J.S.A. 42:2C-18).
Specimen: Specimen: pub.njleg.gov, logged October 2026
Procedure5
Procedure 5: Secure an Employer Identification Number
With New Jersey's approval recorded, request an EIN so the LLC can open accounts in its own name. The yearly price at Mainstay Filing covers this application.
Procedure6
Procedure 6: Set the ownership rules in writing
An operating agreement is the owners' rulebook. The company retains it; the state does not collect it.
Procedure7
Procedure 7: Follow New Jersey's recurring filing
Keeping the LLC active means filing the annual report every year ($75), by last day of the LLC's anniversary month.
Specimen: Specimen: njportal.com, logged August 2026
What will be paid
What
Recipient
Cost
Forming the LLC
State
$100
Annual report
State
$75 every year
Help from a service
Service
$199 for year one
State total over three years
State
$250
The state's fees were read from official pages, which are listed below. Over three years they come to the filing, two reports and, in some states, a minimum tax.
Why this order
Procedures the price performs decided first place in New Jersey. It carries 28% of the reading, and the remainder comes from measured cost over three years, reading at year two, fit with the state protocol and price legibility.
New Jersey requires the annual report every year, so a price that performs it outscored a lower price that leaves it to the owner.
Questions readers ask
How large is the New Jersey state fee for a new LLC?
Filing costs $100. Add $199 when a service files.
Which form creates the LLC?
Locate the Certificate of Formation; the New Jersey Secretary of State is where it is filed.
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 calls for the annual report every year, at $75 with the deadline stated as last day of the LLC's anniversary month.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
A service is optional. An owner can file with the $100 fee, provided a registered agent is appointed.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Select Mainstay Filing: at $199 a year it completes three procedures (filing, registered agent, annual report) under one charge. Then Registered Agent NJ.org and New Jersey Registered Agent.co.