How to Form an LLC in New Jersey
Reliable registered agent coverage for New Jersey entities. Flat $99/year for the office address, same-day scanning of court papers, and reminders before state deadlines.
An LLC in New Jersey is established through a single formation filing, the Certificate of Formation, submitted to the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) under N.J.S.A. 42:2C-18. The official state filing fee is $100 (it dropped from $125 on July 1, 2026), an agent for service of process must be on file at all times, and a short list of annual obligations follows. What's next: the document, the dollar amounts, the official steps, and where we come in.
Build Your New Jersey LLC — $199
The full filing service is $199, and the opening year of our agent coverage rides along at no charge. We prepare the Certificate of Formation, submit it through DORES, and track the filing until the state approves it.
The Case for a New Jersey LLC
The LLC structure exists so small operations get corporate-grade asset protection without corporate-grade overhead. In New Jersey, independent contractors, real estate investors, e-commerce operators, and freelance professionals gravitate toward it because formation is one filing and upkeep is light.
New Jersey LLC Filing Fee: $100
The official New Jersey filing fee is $100 for the Certificate of Formation. A 2026 law cut it from $125 effective July 1, 2026, and DORES now states: "The fee is $100 for all for-profit entities." Some older state PDFs still print the old amount.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| DORES filing fee for the Certificate of Formation | $100, paid once |
| Registered agent (required for every New Jersey LLC) | Free in year one; $99/year from year two |
| State annual report | $75/year |
$199 is the filing service, and it carries a first year of RA coverage. The $100 goes to the state. From year two, RA is $99/year.
The Certificate of Formation, New Jersey's Formation Document
New Jersey has no numbered state form for LLC formation. The Certificate of Formation is filed online through the DORES Business Formation portal, or on paper using the unnumbered Public Records Filing for New Business Entity pages of the state's business registration package. Any site quoting a form number for a New Jersey LLC certificate is guessing.
The filing itself is short. It states the company's legal name, the street and mailing addresses of the initial registered office, the agent for service of process, and the organizer's signature. Statutory authority is N.J.S.A. 42:2C-18 of the Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act.
How New Jersey LLC Formation Works: Official Steps
- Choose your LLC name. Include an LLC designator and clear the state's records first; DORES keeps a searchable database of registered entities. Words implying you are a bank, insurer, trust company, or government agency get rejected without separate authorization.
- Appoint your New Jersey registered agent. The agent needs a New Jersey street address (a PO Box can only ride along with one, never replace it) and it can be a New Jersey resident or a business authorized there. The agent's details sit on the public record for the life of the LLC. List us and your own address never appears; year one is included when we form the LLC.
- File the Certificate of Formation and pay the $100 fee. File online through the DORES Business Formation portal or by paper through the Public Records Filing pages. Then file the free NJ-REG tax and employer registration within 60 days. New Jersey does not publish a guaranteed turnaround, so check the portal for current processing times before you plan around a date.
- Put together an operating agreement. The state never sees it, but it decides ownership splits, profit flow, decision rights, and member exits. Without one, the default rules of the LLC Act decide those questions for you.
- Obtain the federal EIN. Free from the IRS at IRS.gov, issued at the end of a short online application. Never pay a third party for one.
- Stay compliant. Keep an agent on file continuously, file the $75 annual report by the last day of your formation anniversary month (online only, through the DORES annual report service), keep company and personal finances strictly separate, and stay current on federal and state taxes. Two consecutive missed annual reports can end in administrative dissolution.
Let us file? $199 once, we handle preparation and submission for the New Jersey LLC.
The Registered Agent Piece
Every LLC formed in New Jersey carries a continuous registered agent obligation, no carve-outs. The agent's job:
- Keep an in-state New Jersey street address on file (a PO Box alone will not do)
- Accept court service at that registered office
- Move legal mail and state notices along fast enough that the LLC keeps its full response time
Naming yourself works if you are a New Jersey resident, but it publishes your address in the state's records, where anyone with a browser can find it.
Our New Jersey RA service is free for twelve months after we file your Certificate of Formation, then $99 per year. Our address takes the public exposure so yours stays private.
New Jersey LLC FAQ
How much does it cost to form an LLC in New Jersey?
New Jersey's fee for the Certificate of Formation is $100 (it was $125 before July 1, 2026). After that, plan on the $75 annual report every year.
How long does it take to form an LLC in New Jersey?
New Jersey does not commit to a fixed turnaround. Check the DORES Business Formation portal for current processing times; online submissions enter the state's queue the moment you pay.
Does New Jersey require an annual report?
Yes, annually. The state fee is $75, due by the last day of your formation anniversary month, filed online.
Do I need a registered agent for my New Jersey LLC?
Yes. The requirement is continuous from formation through dissolution.
Can I form an LLC in New Jersey if I live in another state?
Yes. New Jersey does not restrict ownership to residents, but a New Jersey registered agent is still mandatory, and we cover that.
Get Your New Jersey LLC Filed
DIY filing remains open through the DORES Business Formation portal, with $100 as the state's share. Prefer to hand it off? Our filing service prepares and submits everything.
Sign up for our agent product and list us on your New Jersey LLC's filing: your agent address handled, same-day document scans, and compliance alerts before every deadline.
Want the agent product without the LLC formation? The registered agent product is $99/year.
Need help with New Jersey LLC formation or our agent service? Browse our FAQ or email us Monday through Friday.
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$99 buys a full year of coverage — address on file, same-day scans, deadline alerts.