How to Start a Business in New Jersey (2026 Guide)

To start a business in New Jersey, you file a Certificate of Formation (LLC) or Certificate of Incorporation with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, then register for taxes and employer accounts with Form NJ-REG. The state filing fee is $100 for an LLC or for-profit corporation as of October 2026, and LLCs and corporations pay $75 for each annual report after that.

New Jersey adds one step many states skip: every business, including sole proprietors, registers with the Division of Revenue and can then get a Business Registration Certificate, which you need for public contracts and state grants.

Updated October 2026.

Best Business Formation Services in New Jersey (2026)

Our ranked picks for forming a business in New Jersey are below, starting with Mainstay Filing. Each entry lists the yearly price and what the service covers.

1. Mainstay Filing

Mainstay Filing is our top pick in New Jersey. It costs $199/year + state fee at cost and covers lLC formation filing, registered agent for the year, EIN application, annual report preparation and filing. The price stays the same every year, with no add-on menu.

2. New Jersey Registered Agent.co

New Jersey Registered Agent.co is a New Jersey registered agent service at $99/year. It provides $99 per year, flat; in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.

3. Registered Agent NJ.org

Registered Agent NJ.org is a New Jersey registered agent service at $99/year. It provides in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.

The New Jersey checklist in brief

1. Pick a business structure.
2. Choose a name and check it in the state’s Business Name Search.
3. Name a registered agent with a New Jersey address.
4. File your formation document online ($100 for an LLC or corporation).
5. Get an EIN from the IRS.
6. File Form NJ-REG for tax and employer registration, then get your Business Registration Certificate.
7. Apply for state and municipal licenses.
8. Open a bank account, buy insurance and calendar your annual report.

New Jersey fees and facts at a glance

Fees come from the Treasury’s registry fee schedule. For a full first-year budget, see Mainstay Filing’s New Jersey LLC cost guide.

First decision: LLC, corporation or something simpler?

New Jersey supports all the common business types:

• Sole proprietorship. No formation filing with the state, but you still file NJ-REG to register for taxes. Your personal assets are exposed to business debts.
• General partnership. Co-owners share profits and personal liability. Partnerships also register through NJ-REG and need an EIN.
• LLC. Separates your personal assets from business liabilities. The $100 filing fee matches a corporation’s, and the paperwork is lighter. Our step-by-step New Jersey LLC guide goes deeper on this filing.
• Corporation. Fits founders planning to raise equity or offer stock options. Corporations are subject to New Jersey’s Corporation Business Tax, which includes a minimum tax even in loss years.

Most small businesses in New Jersey choose an LLC. If payroll tax savings become worthwhile later, an LLC can elect S corporation treatment with the IRS without changing its state registration.

Choosing and checking a New Jersey business name

Start with the state’s Business Name Search, which checks availability against names already on file. Our New Jersey business name search guide walks through the results. LLC names must include “Limited Liability Company”, “LLC” or “L.L.C.”, and corporate names need a word such as “Corporation”, “Incorporated” or an abbreviation.

Two more checks are worth the few minutes they take:

• Online availability. Search the domain and social handles at once with Namechk. A name you cannot use online is a harder name to market.
• Trademarks. Search the USPTO trademark database for conflicts.

Short on ideas? The business name generator produces options and checks domains as you go.

A name reservation costs $50. If your LLC or corporation will trade under a second name, register it as an alternate name: the fee is $50, and the registration lasts five years before it needs renewing. Sole proprietors and general partnerships using a trade name file a trade name certificate with the county clerk instead.

Naming a registered agent

New Jersey LLCs and corporations must list a registered agent and a registered office with a street address in New Jersey. The agent accepts lawsuits and official notices for the business, so the address needs to be staffed during business hours.

You can serve as your own agent if you have a New Jersey address, at the cost of putting that address on the public record. Professional agents are common, particularly for owners who live in New York or Pennsylvania. Mainstay Filing includes a New Jersey registered agent for a year with its formation package. If you change agents later, you file a change of registered office or agent with the Division of Revenue.

Filing your Certificate of Formation or Incorporation

File online through the New Jersey Business Formation portal. The application asks for:

• The business name and entity type
• The registered agent and registered office address
• The main business address and purpose
• The names of the members, managers or incorporators who sign

The fee is $100 for for-profit entities and $50 for domestic nonprofit corporations, according to the Division of Revenue. Expedited service is available for an added fee.

Once approved, LLCs should sign an operating agreement and corporations should adopt bylaws. New Jersey does not collect either document, but banks, investors and partners commonly ask for them.

Get your EIN

Apply for an Employer Identification Number on the IRS website. It is free. New Jersey’s Division of Revenue lists it as a step before tax registration, and it is required for general partnerships and any business with employees.

Register with NJ-REG and get your Business Registration Certificate

After your formation is approved, file Form NJ-REG online. This single registration sets up the state tax and employer accounts your business needs, such as:

• Sales and use tax. New Jersey charges 6.625% on most sales of tangible goods, specified digital products and certain services, according to the Division of Taxation.
• Employer withholding and unemployment and disability contributions, if you have employees.
• Corporation Business Tax for corporations.

Once both your formation and NJ-REG are complete, you can get a Business Registration Certificate (BRC). The state requires a BRC for public contracting and for applying for state grants and tax credits.

Employers have extra steps. Report new hires through New Jersey’s new hire reporting program, carry workers’ compensation insurance, and follow the state wage schedule. New Jersey’s minimum wage for most workers rises to $16.48 per hour on January 1, 2027, according to the Department of Labor.

Business licenses and permits in New Jersey

New Jersey has no single general business license. The state’s licensing and certification guide helps you find the licenses that apply to your industry. Examples include:

• Home improvement contractors registering with the Division of Consumer Affairs
• Licensed professions such as cosmetology, real estate and health care, through their boards
• Food businesses, which need local health department approval
• Alcohol sales, which require a municipal liquor license and state approval

Municipalities run their own permits. Many towns require a mercantile license or certificate of occupancy before you open, and zoning rules apply to home-based businesses too. Call the municipal clerk before you sign a lease.

Bank account, insurance and ongoing compliance

Open a business bank account with your approved formation documents, EIN and operating agreement, and keep personal and business money apart. Choose insurance to match your risk: general liability for most businesses, professional liability for consultants, commercial auto if you drive for work, and workers’ compensation once you hire.

Every New Jersey LLC and corporation files an annual report, which costs $75 and is due each year in the anniversary month of formation. File it through the state’s annual report portal. Businesses that fall behind can have their status revoked, and reinstating means paying a reinstatement fee plus every missed report. The state charges a small online service surcharge on annual report payments.

Putting your New Jersey business online

Your domain should match your registered name as closely as possible. Once you have it, these website builders are a practical place to start:

An easy-to-use website builder that lets users create attractive online stores.

Visit Square Online

Easy-to-use, no-code, hosted website builder. Great for beginners.

Visit Wix

Create, sell, and market your business from one place.

Visit Squarespace

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