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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Module 1 · New Hampshire

How to Start an LLC in New Hampshire (2026): a 7-Step Lesson and the 3 Best LLC Services

If you want help setting up an LLC in New Hampshire during 2026, our graded list reads Mainstay Filing ($199), NH Registered Agent.org ($199) and New Hampshire Registered Agent.co ($199). The lesson below has 7 steps, beginning with the $100 state filing fee and ending with the annual report.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

Before you begin

Fee to file$100Look it up at gc.nh.gov; last checked October 2026
Annual report$100 a yearDue date on the state calendar: April 1
State total for years 1 to 3$300State charges only
Steps in this lesson7Numbered below

What you will learn

  • How formation works in New Hampshire
  • The registered agent requirement
  • The recurring state filing
  • Our graded picks and the reasoning

New Hampshire: the services that earned a grade

The order follows five published criteria; read how we grade for the details.
First choice

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a hands-off first year

$199 a year

Mainstay Filing earns the highest mark because $199 a year hands off the formation, the registered agent role and the annual report to someone else.

Over three years it costs $200 more than NH Registered Agent.org, but the grade rewards the extra steps it takes care of.

The annual report comes with the service, and the $100 state fee is passed along.

What the price covers

  • Your formation filing is prepared and submitted
  • Registered agent for twelve months
  • Annual report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application
  • No markup on the state fee

Marks in its favor

  • $199 a year pays for filing and agent and report
  • $199 at renewal
  • The EIN step is in the price

Where it loses points

  • A $100 yearly premium over NH Registered Agent.org
One-state plan

2. NH Registered Agent.org: best for an inexpensive New Hampshire start

Formation $199, renewal $99 a year

NH Registered Agent.org lands in second place, and the reason is clear: $199 gets you started with a free first agent year, and $99 each year from year two.

Its price leaves out the annual report, so plan to file that yourself every year.

What the price covers

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • No agent fee in year one
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 and the state fee

Where it loses points

  • There is no annual report service
  • A $99 add-on for the EIN application
One-state plan

3. New Hampshire Registered Agent.co: best for a local filer

Formation $199, renewal $99 a year

New Hampshire Registered Agent.co lands in third place, and the reason is clear: $199 gets you started with a free first agent year, and $99 each year from year two.

Its price leaves out the annual report, so plan to file that yourself every year.

It posts the same prices as NH Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 and the state fee

Where it loses points

  • There is no annual report service
  • A $99 add-on for the EIN application

Prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2NH Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit NH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3New Hampshire Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit New Hampshire Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as posted on November 13, 2026. Add New Hampshire's $100 fee to each row.

Starting an LLC in New Hampshire, one step at a time

  1. Step
    1

    Choose the LLC's name

    Look up the name on the New Hampshire business register at the New Hampshire Secretary of State first.

    Keep a second choice in your pocket.

  2. Step
    2

    Appoint a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A New Hampshire resident, or a business entity registered with the Secretary of State, whose office is the registered office.

    The address has to be a physical street address in New Hampshire; filings that list an out-of-state address are not processed. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    You can hire any of the graded services for this job.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at gc.nh.gov; last checked October 2026

  3. Step
    3

    Choose between DIY and a service

    You can file on your own and pay the state $100, or let a service do it for $199 more; the grades are above.

  4. Step
    4

    Turn in the Certificate of Formation of a New Hampshire Limited Liability Company

    The Certificate of Formation of a New Hampshire Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1) is what you prepare for the New Hampshire Secretary of State, and the filing fee that goes with it is $100.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at gc.nh.gov; last checked October 2026

  5. Step
    5

    Obtain an EIN

    With the New Hampshire approval in hand, ask the IRS for an EIN so the LLC can open accounts in its own name. Mainstay Filing covers this step too.

  6. Step
    6

    Draft the operating agreement

    The owners sign an operating agreement covering shares, votes and what happens if someone leaves. It stays in your files and is not filed with the state.

  7. Step
    7

    Keep up with New Hampshire's recurring filing

    New Hampshire wants the annual report every year, due April 1, and the fee is $100. Miss the deadline and $50 is added.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at sos.nh.gov; last checked August 2026

The cost of this lesson

Cost itemWho you payPrice
Forming the LLCPaid to the state$100
Annual reportPaid to the state$100 every year
Missing the deadlinePaid to the state$50
Optional serviceService$199 to start
State fees, years one to threePaid to the state$300
State fees come from the official sources listed in the references. For three years we count the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where it applies.

How we graded the New Hampshire picks

Homework the price handles carries 33% of the report card, and that is where pulled ahead in New Hampshire.

NH Registered Agent.org costs less, but the annual report stays with you.

Common questions

What will I pay to set up an LLC with New Hampshire?

The state's fee is $100. If you hire a service, add $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Step 4 of this lesson shows how to complete the Certificate of Formation of a New Hampshire Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1) and where to send it: the New Hampshire Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does New Hampshire require each year?

Expect to file the annual report every year, paying $100 by the deadline: April 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing stops you from doing it yourself: the state wants $100, and you must also name a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing: at $199 a year it files the LLC, serves as the registered agent and files the annual report, and the price stays at $199 when you renew. Then come NH Registered Agent.org and New Hampshire Registered Agent.co.

Keep studying

Class references

  1. Class reference on New Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporations Division: sos.nh.gov (the state's own page), reread in August 2026 for this lesson.
  2. Class reference on New Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporations Division: sos.nh.gov (the state's own page), reread in August 2026 for this lesson.
  3. Class reference on New Hampshire report due date: gencourt.state.nh.us (the state's own page), reread in August 2026 for this lesson.
  4. Class reference on N.H: gc.nh.gov (the state's own page), reread in August 2026 for this lesson.
  5. Class reference on New Hampshire formation fee: Filing fee, official source: gc.nh.gov (the state's own page), reread in October 2026 for this lesson.
  6. Class reference on New Hampshire registered agent statute: gc.nh.gov (the state's own page), reread in October 2026 for this lesson.
  7. Prices taken from the New Hampshire service page of Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026
  8. Prices taken from the pricing page of NH Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026
  9. Prices taken from the pricing page of New Hampshire Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026