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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Class 2 · New Jersey

Registered Agent in New Jersey (2026): a 6-Step Lesson and the 3 Best Agents

The graded picks for finding a registered agent in New Jersey this year (2026) are Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), New Jersey Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Registered Agent NJ.org ($99 a year), best grade first. The lesson takes 6 steps to cover New Jersey's registered agent rules, who is allowed to serve and how to get the agent on file.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

Before you begin

Do you need one?Yespub.njleg.gov confirms it, as of October 2026
Yearly cost of our picks$99 to $149 a yearListed prices
Annual report$75 a yearnjportal.com confirms it, as of August 2026
Lesson steps6Each one explained

By the end you will know

  • What the law says
  • The eligibility and address rules
  • Recording the agent
  • The agents we recommend

New Jersey: the services that earned a grade

Three-year cost and the number of steps a price takes off your list weigh the most; the grading page lists all five criteria.
First choice

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies in several states

$149 a year, renewing at $149

Mainstay Filing comes first, and here is why: an agent at $149 a year who can come along when the company adds a state.

New Jersey Registered Agent.co is $150 less across three years; handling more of the lesson's steps earns this one the higher mark.

What the price covers

  • A street address for the office
  • A same-business-day scan of each served paper comes at no charge
  • Government mail scanned free, three pieces a year
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Marks in its favor

  • Annual price $149, renewal price $149
  • One provider everywhere

Where it loses points

  • $50 more per year than the local pick
  • Report filing needs the formation package
New Jersey focus

2. New Jersey Registered Agent.co: best for New Jersey founders

$99 a year, renewing at $99

New Jersey Registered Agent.co is a sound second choice because $99 a year buys a New Jersey agent with an office in the state.

What the price covers

  • A New Jersey street address
  • Legal papers scanned online

Marks in its favor

  • $99 a year with no increase
  • Cheaper by the year than Mainstay Filing

Where it loses points

  • Another state means another agent
  • Annual report is left to you
New Jersey focus

3. Registered Agent NJ.org: best for a New Jersey office address

$99 a year, renewing at $99

Registered Agent NJ.org is a sound third choice because $99 a year buys a New Jersey agent with an office in the state.

New Jersey Registered Agent.co and this service charge the same.

What the price covers

  • A New Jersey street address
  • Legal papers scanned online

Marks in its favor

  • $99 a year with no increase
  • Cheaper by the year than Mainstay Filing

Where it loses points

  • Another state means another agent
  • Annual report is left to you

Compare the picks

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2New Jersey Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit New Jersey Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Registered Agent NJ.org$99$99/yr$297Visit Registered Agent NJ.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as posted on November 13, 2026. The state charges the same whichever agent you name.

Appointing a New Jersey registered agent, one step at a time

  1. Step
    1

    Learn what New Jersey requires

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

    Where this comes from: pub.njleg.gov confirms it, as of October 2026

  2. Step
    2

    Check who qualifies as an agent

    A New Jersey resident, or a business with authority to do business in New Jersey, such as a corporation registered and in good standing with the State Treasurer. Authority: N.J.S.A. 42:2C-14.

  3. Step
    3

    Meet the address rule

    The address has to be a New Jersey street address. A P.O. box can be listed only together with the street address.

    The agent's address, not your home, appears in the record when you hire a service.

  4. Step
    4

    Choose between acting yourself and hiring an agent

    Our graded agents charge $99 to $149 a year; acting yourself is the other route if you qualify.

  5. Step
    5

    List the agent with the state

    The Certificate of Formation asks for the agent's name and address, and the New Jersey Secretary of State also accepts change filings for LLCs that switch agents.

    Where this comes from: pub.njleg.gov confirms it, as of October 2026

  6. Step
    6

    Look after it year by year

    Every year the annual report confirms your details for $75, by last day of the LLC's anniversary month.

    Where this comes from: njportal.com confirms it, as of August 2026

Agent and state costs

StepPaid toPrice
The agentYour service$99 to $149 a year
Each later yearYour service$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportTo the state$75 every year
Official New Jersey fees, cited below. The three-year line adds the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

How the grade worked out

edged ahead of on homework the price handles, which counts for 33%.

Coverage put it ahead of New Jersey Registered Agent.co.

Questions students ask

Is a registered agent compulsory for a New Jersey LLC?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Possibly. Work through steps 2 and 3 to see whether you meet both rules.

Can I change my registered agent later?

You can; an existing LLC sends a change filing to the New Jersey Secretary of State, and step 5 walks through it.

What does a registered agent cost in New Jersey?

$99 to $149 a year among our graded agents.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The recurring state cost is the annual report at $75 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing: a flat yearly price of $149 no matter which state the LLC is in. Then come New Jersey Registered Agent.co and Registered Agent NJ.org.

Up next

Class references

  1. Want to see New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services for yourself? Open njportal.com. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
  2. Want to see New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services for yourself? Open njportal.com. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
  3. Want to see New Jersey report due date for yourself? Open njleg.state.nj.us. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
  4. Want to see New Jersey DORES, Getting Registered for yourself? Open nj.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  5. Want to see New Jersey formation fee: Filing fee, official source for yourself? Open pub.njleg.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  6. Want to see New Jersey registered agent statute for yourself? Open pub.njleg.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  7. On November 13, 2026 we read the New Jersey service page of Mainstay Filing
  8. On November 13, 2026 we read the pricing page of New Jersey Registered Agent.co
  9. On November 13, 2026 we read the pricing page of Registered Agent NJ.org