New Jersey Certificate of Formation: File for $100 (2026)
The Certificate of Formation is the filing that creates your New Jersey LLC — $100 as of July 2026, down from $125. But before you file, New Jersey's own guidance wants you to do one thing first: get your EIN. Here's the right order and every line of the form.
File a Certificate of Formation (Public Records Filing) with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services to create your LLC. The fee is $100 — reduced from $125 as of July 1, 2026 — the same price online or by mail, typically approved in 1–3 business days online (mail can take up to two weeks). Before you file, New Jersey recommends getting your EIN from the IRS first — the reverse of the usual state order. The Certificate requires your LLC name, registered agent, and basic organizer information.
- Filing fee
- $100 (was $125 pre-Jul 2026)
- Processing (online)
- ~1–3 business days
- Processing (mail)
- Up to 2 weeks
- Portal
- DORES online filing
- Get EIN first?
- Yes — NJ-recommended order
- Expedite options
- $25–$1,000 tiers
Get Your EIN First — Before You File
New Jersey does this backwards from almost every other state — in a good way. Official New Jersey guidance recommends applying for your EIN before filing your Certificate of Formation, not after. If you've formed an LLC in another state before, your instinct will be to file first. Override it here: finalize your name, get your free EIN at IRS.gov (about 15 minutes), and only then come back to file the Certificate below.
What the Certificate of Formation Does
The Certificate of Formation is your LLC's birth certificate. When the Division of Revenue accepts your filing, your LLC exists: liability protection attaches, the name is claimed, and you can bank and contract as the company.
The Filing Walkthrough
Confirm your EIN is in hand
Following New Jersey's recommended order, make sure you've already applied for your EIN before starting this filing.
Create a DORES account
The Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services' online portal handles formation now and your annual report every year after.
Complete the Public Records Filing
Enter your verified LLC name, registered agent, and organizer information.
Pay $100 and submit
Same price online or by mail. Online typically approves in 1–3 business days; mail can take up to two weeks.
Download your confirmed Certificate
Save it the moment it issues — your bank will want it alongside your EIN letter.
Every Line of the Certificate
LLC name
With "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company," distinguishable on state records — verified in Step 1.
Registered agent & office address
Name of your registered agent and their New Jersey street address.
EIN (if already obtained)
Since New Jersey recommends getting this first, you can typically include it directly on the filing.
Organizer signature
The person filing the Certificate — doesn't have to be a member or manager.
Payment
$100 by card online, or by check/money order for mail filings — the same fee either way.
Expedited Processing (If You Need It Faster)
New Jersey Formation Readiness Checklist
Confirm each item before you submit
Standard processing (~1\u20133 business days online) is fast enough for most founders. Expedited tiers run $25 (same-day) up to $1,000 for the fastest processing if you have a genuine deadline.
After Approval: Your Immediate Next Moves
- Save your confirmed Certificate — banks require it alongside your EIN letter.
- Create your operating agreement — the document that overrides New Jersey's default rules.
- Register with the NJ Division of Taxation — for sales tax if selling taxable goods, and withholding if hiring.
- Note your anniversary month — your first $75 annual report is due next year, by the last day of this month.
Ahmad Adil's Take: the fee drop to $100 is the headline, but the sequencing is what actually changes your process. I put the EIN-first guidance at the very top of this page on purpose — it's the single most common mistake I'd expect from someone following generic multi-state advice in New Jersey. Get your name locked, get your EIN, then come back here and file. Everything else about this filing is standard: straightforward form, fast online processing, and a fee that dropped rather than rose, which is a nice change of pace from most states in this series.
- ✓Forms your New Jersey LLC for $39 + the $100 state fee
- ✓Files online with the Division of Revenue (DORES)
- ✓Free New Jersey registered agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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New Jersey LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $100 Certificate of Formation (reduced from $125 as of July 2026), the $75 annual report, and New Jersey’s graduated 1.4%–10.75% income tax — reflect current New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
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