New Jersey LLC Cost Calculator
How much it costs to start and keep an LLC in New Jersey: every state fee, line by line, with official sources.
Reviewed by Alejandro Amador · State fees verified October 2026
State fees verified October 2026 · official source
Four taps for a recommendation based on your situation.
- Each year after
- $200–$274
- 3-year total
- $614–$822
New Jersey doesn't publish a standard approval time · rush: 8.5 business hours for $25
#27 of 51 states for lowest first-year state fees
Northwest Registered Agent
Answer the fit check for a recommendation based on your situation.
Northwest Registered Agent: $39 + state fees, a year of registered agent included ($39 more than filing yourself).
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Commissions don't change our numbers or picks.
- Your home address off public records. They list their business address on your filings instead of yours, automatically.
- 1 year of registered agent included. Then $125/yr, a price they say they haven't raised in 20 years. Cancel online, no fee.
- Lawsuits and state notices within the hour. Legal documents are scanned to your account within an hour (24 hours max on busy days).
- Annual report reminders. They remind you before each deadline, and can file it for you for $100 + state fees (you can opt out).
3 more + fine print
- ✓ Real people, same-day email replies. A person answers calls and emails; they say all emails get a same-day reply.
- ✓ Business phone line, email and domain. A local-number phone line, an email inbox and a domain are included.
- ✓ Your data isn't sold. They state they don't sell customer data.
- · EIN not included ($50 if you want them to get it; it's free from the IRS).
- · Mail scanning covers 5 non-legal items a year, then $15 per document.
- · Purchases are non-refundable after 90 days; state fees are never refunded.
- Source: northwestregisteredagent.com, Oct 2026.
Changed recently: New Jersey cut its formation fee from $125 to $100 on July 1, 2026.
Your New Jersey LLC, done for you
Do it yourself
$175 first year
- Pro: Lowest cost: state fees only
- Con: You research and fill in the New Jersey forms
- Con: Your home address goes on the public record
- Con: You track annual reports and deadlines yourself
Have it done for you
from $214 first year
Only $39 more than doing it yourself, private address included
- Pro: You answer a short questionnaire; they prepare and file
- Pro: Their registered agent address, not your home
- Northwest Registered Agent$214 yr 1 · $200/yr after
- · 1 year of registered agent included
- · Their address on the public record, not yours
- ZenBusiness$274 yr 1 · $274/yr after
- · $0 formation, submitted within 7–10 business days
- · 1 year of annual report filing
Disclosure: affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never changes the numbers above. Service prices exclude add-ons and were checked Northwest northwestregisteredagent.com, Oct 2026; ZenBusiness zenbusiness.com, Oct 2026. Confirm at checkout.
What filing yourself in New Jersey actually involves
The state fee is the easy part. Here's everything else, and what a formation service takes off your plate.
- 1
Check your name is available
EasyYourself: Search the New Jersey business database and make sure the name follows state naming rules.
No rejected namesWith a service: They check availability and naming rules before filing.
- 2
File your formation document ($100 state fee)
Some workYourself: Create an account on the New Jersey filing site, fill in the form and pay. If something's wrong it gets rejected and you refile.
Saves time, fewer mistakesWith a service: You answer a short questionnaire; they prepare and submit it.
- 3
Name a registered agent
Ongoing hassleYourself: List an address in the state where someone is available every business day to accept lawsuits and state notices. If it's your home, it becomes public.
Keeps your home address privateWith a service: Their address goes on the public record; they receive legal mail and forward it to you.
- 4
Get an EIN from the IRS
EasyYourself: Free on irs.gov; the online form takes about 15 minutes.
Small convenienceWith a service: Some plans include it, but it's free to do yourself.
- 5
Write an operating agreement
Some workYourself: Find a template and adapt it. Banks often ask for one when you open a business account.
Ready-made documentWith a service: Included in some plans.
- 6
Every year: file on time to keep your LLC
Ongoing hassleYourself: Track each deadline yourself (Annual report ($75) due by the end of the formation anniversary month). If you miss them: the certificate is revoked after 2 consecutive years of missed annual reports (not confirmed on an official source this pass).
No missed deadlinesWith a service: Deadline reminders, or the filing itself, depending on the plan.
New Jersey deadlines you'd be tracking
- Annual report
- Annual report ($75) due by the end of the formation anniversary month.
- First one due
- By the end of the anniversary month in the year after formation.
- NJ-1065 Partnership Filing Fee (LLCs taxed as partnerships with more than 2 owners and NJ-source income)
- $150 per owner (capped at $250,000), due by the 15th day of the 4th month after year-end (April 15 for calendar-year filers), together with a prepayment of 50% of the next year's fee. There is no extension of time to pay.
- If you're late
- No flat late fee on the annual report (not confirmed on an official source).
- If you ignore it
- The certificate is revoked after 2 consecutive years of missed annual reports (not confirmed on an official source this pass).
- Getting reinstated
- $75 state fee, plus any back reports, taxes and penalties
Compiled October 2026; some details come from secondary sources. Confirm with the state. Source
Doing it yourself makes sense if…
- · You don't mind your address on the public record
- · Someone is at that address every business day
- · You're comfortable with government forms
- · You'll set reminders for every annual deadline
A service makes sense if…
- · You work from home or rent, and want your address private
- · You travel or aren't reliably available during business hours
- · You'd rather not learn the state's forms and rules
- · You want reminders so you never miss a filing
Affiliate link; we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
| Line item | Year 1 | Per year after |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $100 | $0 |
Annual / periodic reportDetailsDue by end of the LLC's formation anniversary month; first report due in the anniversary month of the year after formation. Failure to file for 2 consecutive years can lead to revocation. | $75 | $75 |
NJ Partnership Filing Fee (conditional)DetailsOnly for LLCs taxed as partnerships with more than 2 owners and NJ-source income: $150 per owner (capped at $250,000), paid with NJ-1065. Single-member and 2-member LLCs not subject. | Varies | Varies |
Formation service + registered agentoptionalDetailsNorthwest or ZenBusiness. Northwest: $39 formation, agent included year 1, then $125/yr; ZenBusiness: $0 formation, agent $99/yr, then $199/yr. | $39–$99 | $125–$199 |
| Total | $214–$274 | $200–$274 |
"Varies" items depend on your income or ownership and aren't in the totals. Recurring fees are counted in year 1 to be safe; some states first bill in year 2. Biennial fees count as half per year; the 3-year total uses exact payment counts. An EIN from the IRS is free.
Ready to form your New Jersey LLC?
A formation service files it and keeps your home address off the public record. Affiliate links; we may earn a commission.
Compare states
Add up to two states to see them side by side with the same options.
Thinking of forming in another state?
If you operate in New Jersey but form elsewhere, you also register in New Jersey as a “foreign” LLC and pay both states every year.
Forming in Delaware costs about $1,615–$2,260 more over 3 years, with no tax savings for a business that operates in New Jersey.
See the Delaware + New Jersey breakdown
| Line item | Year 1 | Per year after |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware: State filing fee | $110 | $0 |
Delaware: Annual LLC TaxDetailsRaised from $300 to $400 by HB 400 (2026), effective for the 2026 tax year (first $400 payment due June 1, 2027; the June 1, 2026 payment for tax year 2025 was $300). Due June 1 for the prior year; $200 late penalty + 1.5%/month interest on tax and penalty. | $400 | $400 |
| Delaware: Formation service feeoptional | $0–$299 | $0 |
| Delaware: registered agent (required) | $100–$300 | $100–$300 |
| New Jersey: foreign registration | $100 | $0 |
| Delaware: certificate of good standing | $5–$50 | $0 |
New Jersey: Annual / periodic reportDetailsDue by end of the LLC's formation anniversary month; first report due in the anniversary month of the year after formation. Failure to file for 2 consecutive years can lead to revocation. | $75 | $75 |
New Jersey: NJ Partnership Filing Fee (conditional)DetailsOnly for LLCs taxed as partnerships with more than 2 owners and NJ-source income: $150 per owner (capped at $250,000), paid with NJ-1065. Single-member and 2-member LLCs not subject. | Varies | Varies |
| New Jersey: registered agent serviceoptional | $100–$300 | $100–$300 |
Includes a commercial registered agent in Delaware, since you won't have an address there. New Jersey also asks for a certificate of good standing from Delaware. Delaware or Wyoming mainly make sense for venture-funded startups or specific legal needs.
First-year cost by state
Filing yourself, state fees only. Click a state.- $0–$79
- $80–$154
- $155–$199
- $200–$324
- $325+
All 50 states and DC
Filing yourself and acting as your own registered agent. Click a column to sort. ● = fees changed in 2025–2026.
| Arizona | $50 | $50 | $0 | $50 |
| Mississippi | $50 | $50 | $0 | $50 |
| Missouri | $50 | $50 | $0 | $50 |
| New Mexico | $50 | $50 | $0 | $50 |
| Kentucky | $40 | $55 | $15 | $115 |
| Montana● | $35 | $55 | $20 | $135 |
| Hawaii | $51 | $66 | $15 | $126 |
| Colorado | $50 | $75 | $25 | $175 |
| Michigan | $50 | $75 | $25 | $175 |
| Utah | $59 | $77 | $18 | $149 |
| Iowa | $50 | $80 | $15 | $140 |
| Ohio | $99 | $99 | $0 | $99 |
| Idaho | $100 | $100 | $0 | $100 |
| South Carolina | $110 | $110 | $0 | $110 |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $125 | $25 | $225 |
| West Virginia | $100 | $125 | $25 | $225 |
| Indiana | $95 | $127 | $16 | $191 |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $132 | $7 | $160 |
| Virginia | $100 | $150 | $50 | $350 |
| Minnesota | $155 | $155 | $0 | $155 |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $155 | $25 | $255 |
| Louisiana● | $125 | $160 | $35 | $300 |
| Wyoming● | $100 | $160 | $60 | $400 |
| Georgia● | $110 | $170 | $60 | $410 |
| Kansas● | $85 | $175 | $45 | $355 |
| Nebraska | $100 | $175 | $13 | $225 |
| New Jersey● | $100 | $175 | $75+ | $475 |
| North Dakota | $135 | $185 | $50 | $385 |
| Arkansas | $45 | $195 | $150 | $795 |
| Alabama | $200 | $200 | $0+ | $200 |
| Connecticut | $120 | $200 | $80 | $520 |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $200 | $100+ | $600 |
| Oregon | $100 | $200 | $100 | $600 |
| Vermont | $155 | $200 | $45 | $380 |
| South Dakota | $150 | $205 | $55 | $425 |
| Illinois | $150 | $225 | $75 | $525 |
| Washington | $180 | $250 | $70 | $530 |
| Maine | $175 | $260 | $85 | $600 |
| Florida | $125 | $264 | $139 | $819 |
| Texas● | $300 | $300 | $0+ | $300 |
| North Carolina | $125 | $325 | $200 | $1,125 |
| District of Columbia | $99 | $399 | $150 | $999 |
| Alaska | $250 | $400 | $100 | $800 |
| Maryland | $100 | $400 | $300 | $1,600 |
| New York | $200 | $409 | $5+ | $427 |
| Nevada | $75 | $425 | $350+ | $1,825 |
| Delaware● | $110 | $510 | $400 | $2,110 |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $600 | $450 | $2,400 |
| Tennessee | $300 | $700 | $400+ | $2,300 |
| California● | $70 | $890 | $810+ | $4,130 |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $1,000 | $500 | $3,000 |
+ = plus taxes that depend on income or ownership (see the state page).
New Jersey LLC fees explained
Filing directly with the state, a New Jersey LLC costs $175 in the first year and $75 a year after that, plus taxes that depend on your income or ownership. That's exactly the median state ($175), ranking #27 of 51 for lowest first-year cost.
- Articles of organization: $100
- Name reservation (optional): $50
- Annual / periodic report: $75 per year. Due by end of the LLC's formation anniversary month; first report due in the anniversary month of the year after formation. Failure to file for 2 consecutive years can lead to revocation.
- NJ Partnership Filing Fee (conditional): varies. Only for LLCs taxed as partnerships with more than 2 owners and NJ-source income: $150 per owner (capped at $250,000), paid with NJ-1065. Single-member and 2-member LLCs not subject.
- Newspaper publication: not required
- Expedited filing: Over-the-counter expedite $25 per filing; same-day (fax) $50; 2-hour $500; 1-hour $1,000
RECENT CHANGE: Certificate of formation fee cut from $125 to $100 effective July 1, 2026 (bill signed July 7, 2026, retroactive to July 1). Official Treasury fee page (last updated 07/01/26) shows $100. Name reservation renewal also $50. Partnership filing fee rule is from NJ tax law, not verified on a page this session.
Sources
Compiled October 2026. Formation and recurring fees confirmed on official state sources.
How this calculator works
State fees come from each state's Secretary of State (or equivalent) fee schedule, compiled in October 2026. Each state page lists the sources used. Where an official page couldn't be confirmed, the page says so.
- Filing fee: the standard online fee for a domestic LLC's articles of organization (or certificate of formation).
- Recurring state costs: annual or biennial reports, franchise or privilege taxes and required state licenses. They're counted in the first year to be conservative.
- Publication: a few states require you to publish a notice in local newspapers. Cost varies by county, so it's shown as a range.
- Services: prices come from the providers' own sites (Northwest Registered Agent, ZenBusiness), checked October 2026. Ranges span real offers, for example a $39 formation with a year of registered agent included versus a $0 formation plus a $199/yr agent.
Not included: federal and state income taxes, local business licenses, professional licenses and sales tax permits, which depend on your business and city.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay for an EIN?
No. An Employer Identification Number is free directly from the IRS. Services that charge for it are only filling in the form for you.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Usually yes, if you have a physical address in the state and are available during business hours. That address becomes part of the public record, which is why many owners use a service.
Should I form my LLC in Delaware or Wyoming instead?
For most small businesses, no. If you operate in your home state you'll typically have to register there as a foreign LLC anyway, paying both states' fees.