How to Start an LLC in New Jersey: DORES Steps & Fees (2026)

Most states run LLC filings through a Secretary of State's office. New Jersey handles them differently. Formation paperwork goes to the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES), a division of the Department of the Treasury. The document that creates your company is the Certificate of Formation, the statute behind it is N.J.S.A. 42:2C-18, and the state fee to record it is $125.

The Certificate of Formation Has No Form Number

New Jersey never assigned a number to its LLC formation document, so there is no numbered state form to download. N.J.S.A. 42:2C-18 provides that organizers form an LLC "by signing and delivering to the filing office for filing a certificate of formation." You complete that certificate through the DORES Business Formation portal, or on the unnumbered Public Records Filing for New Business Entity pages of the state's paper registration packet. Per the official DORES instructions, the filing fee for all domestic entities except nonprofits is $125 per filing, and that figure holds whether you submit online or by mail.

Seven Steps to a New Jersey LLC

1. Clear your name. The name must contain "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." and be distinguishable from every entity already in the state's records. Search the DORES business records database before you order signage or business cards.
2. Designate a registered agent. Under N.J.S.A. 42:2C-14, the agent for service of process must be a New Jersey resident individual or a person with authority to transact business in the state, reachable at a street address during business hours. Our $199 formation package includes the first year of this service.
3. File the Certificate of Formation. Submit it through the DORES Business Formation portal and pay the $125 state fee. The certificate records your company name, registered agent, registered office, and organizer details.
4. Register for taxes with NJ-REG. Every New Jersey business must also complete the NJ-REG Business Registration Application with the Division of Taxation. There is no fee for NJ-REG; it is a registration, not a filing charge.
5. Get a free EIN. The IRS issues Employer Identification Numbers at no charge on irs.gov, and you will need one for banking, payroll, and federal returns.
6. Put an operating agreement in writing. New Jersey does not ask you to file one, but banks, partners, and courts will expect it, and without one the default provisions of the Revised Uniform LLC Act govern your company.
7. Mark your annual report month. Each year the state expects a $75 annual report, due by the last day of your formation anniversary month, filed online through the DORES portal.

New Jersey Filing Fees at a Glance

Have Us File It

For $199 we prepare the certificate, submit it to DORES, and cover your first year of registered agent service. The agent service then renews at $99 per year, and state fees pass through at their exact amounts.

Form Your New Jersey LLC