Class 1 · New Jersey
New Jersey LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services
Read this first
What this class teaches
- How starting an LLC works in New Jersey
- The registered agent requirement
- What happens once the LLC exists
- Our recommendations, with reasons
Class favorites in New Jersey
1. Mainstay Filing: best for a single bill for filing and upkeep
Mainstay Filing gets first place, and the reason is that $199 a year does three pieces of homework at once: the filing, the registered agent and the annual report.
Three years here run $200 higher than at New Jersey Registered Agent.co, with more of the work done in return.
The annual report is part of its homework, and New Jersey's $75 fee is billed to you at cost.
Covered by the tuition
- The formation filing
- Registered agent for the whole year
- Annual report filed on time
- EIN application included
- State fee at cost
Strengths
- No extra charge for the EIN application
- No jump at renewal ($199)
- $199 per year for the whole package
Weak spots
- $100 a year more than New Jersey Registered Agent.co at renewal
2. New Jersey Registered Agent.co: best for owners who plan to stay in New Jersey
New Jersey Registered Agent.co makes a respectable second: a formation fee of $199, followed by $99 a year for the agent.
Nothing in the price covers the annual report.
Covered by the tuition
- The New Jersey formation, prepared and sent
- A year of agent service is part of the price
Strengths
- $199 and the state fee
- Then $99 per year
- A free first agent year
Weak spots
- Preparing the annual report is up to you
- The EIN application is $99 extra
3. Registered Agent NJ.org: best for a small agent renewal
Registered Agent NJ.org makes a respectable third: a formation fee of $199, followed by $99 a year for the agent.
Nothing in the price covers the annual report.
It charges exactly what New Jersey Registered Agent.co charges.
Covered by the tuition
- The New Jersey formation, prepared and sent
- A year of agent service is part of the price
Strengths
- A free first agent year
- $199 and the state fee
- Then $99 per year
Weak spots
- Preparing the annual report is up to you
- The EIN application is $99 extra
The services compared
| # | Service | First year | From year two | Three-year total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199/yr | $597 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | New Jersey Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit New Jersey Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | Registered Agent NJ.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit Registered Agent NJ.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
How a New Jersey LLC gets formed
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Assignment
1Choose a name and see whether it is free
the New Jersey Secretary of State holds the records, so begin there; in New Jersey, a name that is taken may get the filing returned.
Check at the same time whether the web domain is free.
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Assignment
2Appoint a 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.
You can hire any of the graded services for this.
Textbook page: pub.njleg.gov, last read in October 2026
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Assignment
3Choose how the filing gets made
Filing on your own costs only the $100 state fee. A service adds $199 and does the forms; see the grades for the order.
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Assignment
4Put together and mail the Certificate of Formation
Your homework here is the Certificate of Formation. It is addressed to the New Jersey Secretary of State and costs $100 (N.J.S.A. 42:2C-18).
Textbook page: pub.njleg.gov, last read in October 2026
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Assignment
5Request an Employer Identification Number
Approval first, IRS number second. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of the package.
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Assignment
6Put the ownership rules in writing
Even a New Jersey LLC with a single owner is better off with a written operating agreement in the files.
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Assignment
7Get ready for year two
Expect New Jersey to ask for the annual report every year, due last day of the LLC's anniversary month, with a fee of $75.
Textbook page: njportal.com, last read in August 2026
What each assignment costs in New Jersey
| Line item | Goes to | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Filing to form the LLC | Paid to the state | $100 |
| Annual report | Paid to the state | $75 every year |
| Service fees (optional) | The service | $199 at the start |
| Three-year state total | Paid to the state | $250 |
How the grades came out
pulled ahead of on homework the price does, which counts for 34%.
A price that handles the annual report counted for more than New Jersey Registered Agent.co's smaller three-year total.
Short answers
What does it cost to file a new LLC in New Jersey?
The official schedule says $100. A graded service adds $199 in year one.
Which form creates the LLC?
Assignment 4 shows how to fill out the Certificate of Formation and where it goes: the New Jersey Secretary of State.
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?
Mark the annual report on your calendar: $75, every year, last day of the LLC's anniversary month.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
The state accepts filings straight from owners, so no service is needed. Expect $100 plus a registered agent.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Mainstay Filing gets the top grade and New Jersey Registered Agent.co and Registered Agent NJ.org follow; Mainstay Filing wins on homework the price does.
Textbook pages and extra reading
- If you want proof of the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services facts, njportal.com is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
- If you want proof of the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services facts, njportal.com is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
- If you want proof of the New Jersey report due date facts, njleg.state.nj.us is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
- If you want proof of the New Jersey DORES, Getting Registered facts, nj.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the New Jersey formation fee: Filing fee, official source facts, pub.njleg.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the New Jersey registered agent statute facts, pub.njleg.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- The New Jersey service page at Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
- The pricing page at New Jersey Registered Agent.co, November 13, 2026
- The pricing page at Registered Agent NJ.org, November 13, 2026