Start a Business by State › New Jersey
How to start an LLC in New Jersey: checklist (2026)
To start an LLC in New Jersey, file the Certificate of Formation with the New Jersey Secretary of State for $100, name a registered agent, get a free EIN and check your local licenses. Mainstay Filing, our best overall pick, does the filing, the agent, the EIN application and the report for $199 a year.
- Official sources, checked October 20, 2026
New Jersey checklist
- File the formation document. Certificate of Formation, New Jersey Secretary of State, $100.
- Name a registered agent. Required. 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.
- Get an EIN. Free from the IRS online.
- Check licenses. We could not confirm a general-license statement from New Jersey’s own pages, so check with your city or county. The state’s starting-a-business page is a good place to begin.
- Keep it current. Annual Report, yearly: $75, due last day of the llc's anniversary month each year.
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year, same at renewal
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report filed every year it is due where the state requires one
- Compliance reminders and stored documents
Price from the Mainstay Filing pricing and FAQ pages, checked October 21, 2026. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
Questions
How much does it cost to start an LLC in New Jersey?
The state filing fee is $100 for the Certificate of Formation. The first Annual Report later costs $75.
Do I need a registered agent in New Jersey?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Do I need a business license in New Jersey?
We could not confirm a general-license statement from New Jersey’s own pages, so check with your city or county. The state’s starting-a-business page is a good place to begin.
Sources
- New Jersey DORES, Getting Registered (Certificate of Formation $100 since July 1, 2026): www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/gettingregistered.shtml, checked October 1, 2026
- New Jersey formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A5500/5325_I1.HTM, checked October 1, 2026
- New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, Department of the Treasury (multira state research spine): www.njportal.com/DOR/AnnualReports/, checked August 12, 2026
- New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, Department of the Treasury (multira state research spine): www.njportal.com/DOR/AnnualReports/Home/FAQ, checked August 12, 2026
- New Jersey report due date (multira state research spine, due dates verified 714/714): www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-statutes, checked August 12, 2026
- New Jersey registered agent statute (N.J.S.A. 42:2C-14): pub.njleg.gov/bills/2012/PL12/50_.PDF, checked October 20, 2026
- New Jersey Secretary of State: www.njportal.com/dor/businessrecords/, checked October 20, 2026
- IRS: Get an employer identification number: www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number, checked October 21, 2026
- New Jersey Business Portal (starting a business): business.nj.gov/pages/register-your-business, checked October 21, 2026