State hub · New Jersey
New Jersey LLC true cost (2026)
New Jersey state side: $100 formation filing, $75 for Annual Report in the 3-year model, ~$325 state fees over three years (methodology below) — #32 of 51 on the cheapest-states ranking. Provider markup is separate — use the table for formation/RA path + state fees.
New Jersey state filing fees
These are state fees — not Northwest / ZenBusiness / Bizee / LegalZoom service fees. The collecting agency is New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (Department of the Treasury). Filings go through www.njportal.com/DOR/BusinessFormation.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Articles / Certificate of Formation | $100 | NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) fee schedule lists Certificate of formation $100.00 (reduced from $125 effective July 1, 2026 per enacted fee-cut legislation). Portal may add a card convenience fee at checkout. Annual report remains $75. |
| Annual Report | $75 | Official Business.NJ.gov: every NJ business must file an annual report with a $75 filing fee, due the last day of the formation month. DORES fee table also lists Annual Report $75.00. Failure to file can result in revocation (commonly after consecutive missed years). |
| 3-year state subtotal (model) | $325 | Certificate of Formation $100 + three annual reports at $75 each ($225) = $325. Excludes card convenience fees, expedites, municipal licenses, partnership filing fees for multi-member tax filings, and commercial RA. |
When New Jersey actually bills you
New Jersey's recurring filing is due Last day of the anniversary month of formation each year — put it in a calendar the day you form, because the state will not chase you before it penalises you.
| Point in time | What New Jersey charges | Amount | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|
| At formation | Articles / Certificate of Formation | $100 | $100 |
| Year 1 cycle | Annual Report | $75 | $175 |
| Year 2 cycle | Annual Report | $75 | $250 |
| Year 3 cycle | Annual Report | $75 | $325 |
Provider + New Jersey state (3-year)
Provider totals from the national comparison (formation + RA Y1–Y3, state fees excluded there) plus the New Jersey state subtotal of $325.
| Provider | Plan | Provider 3-yr | + state |
|---|---|---|---|
| northwest | Formation $39 (RA Y1 included) | $289 | $614 |
| zenbusiness | Starter $0 + RA add-on | $497 | $822 |
| bizee | Basic $0 (RA Y1 free) | $298 | $623 |
| legalzoom | Basic $0 + RA $249/yr | $747 | $1,072 |
Partner link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices above are researched from public pages, not supplied by the provider. How this site makes money.
How New Jersey ranks against the other 50 charters
Across the 51 jurisdictions covered on this site, New Jersey sits at #32 — the 32nd cheapest three-year state charter — at $325 in Secretary of State and revenue-department dollars. That is $290 more than Montana, the cheapest charter in the ranking ($35), $45 above the $280 median, and $2,185 less than California at $2,510. In plain terms, New Jersey lands in the pricier half of the table.
Ranking caveat for New Jersey: Exact card convenience-fee percentage on the formation portal at checkout.
- Just cheaper: South Dakota ($315), Texas ($300).
- Just pricier: Connecticut ($360), Illinois ($375).
- Full table: all 51 states ranked by 3-year state fees — including where the ranking flips once you add a professional registered agent.
Registered agent (New Jersey)
- New Jersey requires a registered agent with a physical New Jersey address. Commercial RA common when the owner lacks an NJ street address for service of process.
Put the agent next to the state's own bill: three years of New Jersey state fees is $325, while the cheapest provider path in our national 3-year comparison runs $289 (Formation $39 (RA Y1 included)) and the most expensive runs $747 (Basic $0 + RA $249/yr) — a $458 spread for the same statutory job. On the cheapest path the service, not New Jersey, is about 47% of your three-year outlay. Choosing the agent well is usually a bigger lever than choosing the state.
Gotchas (fact-based)
- Some third-party guides still quote the pre-July-2026 $125 formation fee — official DORES schedule shows $100.
- Multi-member LLCs may owe separate Division of Taxation partnership filing fees ($150 per owner subject to caps) — not part of the DORES annual report math.
- Missed annual reports risk charter revocation.
Who New Jersey is for / not for
Often a fit when…
- New Jersey-nexus businesses filing domestically after the 2026 formation-fee reduction.
Often a poor fit when…
- Pure holding entities without NJ operations seeking lowest national SOS recurring costs — $75/yr is moderate but not minimal.
Orientation only — not legal advice.
Common questions about New Jersey LLC cost
How much does it cost to form an LLC in New Jersey?
$100 to New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (Department of the Treasury) for the formation filing. NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) fee schedule lists Certificate of formation $100.00 (reduced from $125 effective July 1, 2026 per enacted fee-cut legislation). Portal may add a card convenience fee at checkout. Annual report remains $75. That is the state charge only. A formation service is a separate bill on top: Formation $39 (RA Y1 included) works out to $39 in year one, versus $249 on the most expensive path we track.
What are the ongoing New Jersey LLC fees after year one?
$75 for the Annual Report, due Last day of the anniversary month of formation each year. Official Business.NJ.gov: every NJ business must file an annual report with a $75 filing fee, due the last day of the formation month. DORES fee table also lists Annual Report $75.00. Failure to file can result in revocation (commonly after consecutive missed years). Recurring state charges are what make a low formation fee misleading — they are the reason this site models three years instead of one.
What does a New Jersey LLC really cost over three years?
$325 in New Jersey state fees, plus whatever your provider charges. With the cheapest tracked path that is $614 all-in over three years; with the most expensive it is $1,072 — a $458 difference that has nothing to do with New Jersey.
Do I need a registered agent in New Jersey?
Yes. New Jersey requires a registered agent with a physical New Jersey address. Commercial RA common when the owner lacks an NJ street address for service of process. On the money side, the four providers tracked here charge $0–$249 in year one for formation plus the agent, then $125–$249 a year in agent renewal after that — separate from every New Jersey figure above.
Is New Jersey a cheap state to form an LLC?
On charter cost alone, New Jersey ranks #32 of 51 at $325 over three years, against a $35 floor and a $2,510 ceiling. But cheapest charter is not the same as cheapest outcome: if you operate somewhere else you will likely foreign-qualify there and pay that state's fees and taxes too. See the full 3-year state fee ranking for the comparison.
How the New Jersey three-year number is built
Certificate of Formation $100 + three annual reports at $75 each ($225) = $325. Excludes card convenience fees, expedites, municipal licenses, partnership filing fees for multi-member tax filings, and commercial RA. Figures are re-derived from the cited New Jersey sources rather than copied from other guides.
Deliberately excluded from the New Jersey state subtotal:
- Professional registered agent fees (same shopping problem in every state)
- County newspaper publication (NY, AZ, and similar — variable)
- Card / portal convenience fees unless fixed on the SOS schedule
- Expedites, name reservations, certified copies, foreign qualification
- Income / sales / payroll taxes and variable gross-receipts tiers above a stated floor
Unverified / confirm before filing
- item: unverified — check source —
- Re-check live New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (Department of the Treasury) fee schedules — amounts change.
Sources (official)
- NJ DORES — Fee schedule (Certificate of formation $100; Annual Report $75)
- Business.NJ.gov — Taxes and Annual Report ($75 annual report)
- NJ Legislature bill text — Certificate of formation fee $125→$100 (eff. July 1, 2026)
- NJ Business Formation portal
Keep comparing
- Cheapest states to form an LLC (2026)
All 51 charters ranked by three-year state fees — see exactly where New Jersey's $325 lands.
- LLC formation true 3-year cost: Northwest vs ZenBusiness vs Bizee vs LegalZoom
The provider side of the New Jersey math, with the upsells worth skipping.
- All 51 state hubs
Same fee model, state by state.