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Founder Mentor Guide

Mentor walkthrough 2 · New Jersey

New Jersey Registered Agent Walkthrough (2026): 6 Stages and the 3 Best Agents

Ranked for 2026, the services worth your call for naming a registered agent in New Jersey are New Jersey Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and Registered Agent NJ.org ($99 a year), in that order. 6 quick stages cover the rule, who qualifies, the address test and the paperwork.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

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Required by law
Yes
pub.njleg.gov, seen in October 2026
Cost of hiring an agent
$99 to $149 a year
Published rates
Annual report
$75 a year
njportal.com, seen in August 2026
Walkthrough stages
6
Listed below

You will walk away able to

  • Why New Jersey wants an agent on file
  • Who can act as agent
  • Recording the agent
  • The agents at the top of the list

The New Jersey call list

Three-year cost and work taken off your desk weigh the most; how we score lists all five.

Our call

1. New Jersey Registered Agent.co: best for LLCs that live in New Jersey only

Best overallYear one $99; then $99

New Jersey Registered Agent.co takes first place, and the reason is that a one-state plan at $99 a year, renewing at $99.

Because Mainstay Filing costs more over three years, this service takes the top spot.

What you get

  • A registered office address
  • Served documents appear online

What works

  • Yearly price below the national pick
  • $99 a year, same at renewal

What to watch

  • No help in other states
  • It will not help with the annual report
Visit New Jersey Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Mainstay Filing: best for owners planning to grow

Works in every stateYear one $149; then $149

Pick number 2 is Mainstay Filing, where one annual fee of $149 follows the company when it expands, and renewal stays $149.

Three years here run $150 above New Jersey Registered Agent.co, and cost is 32% of our ranking.

What you get

  • An office address inside the state
  • Papers served on the company are scanned for you, no charge
  • Up to three government mailings a year are scanned for free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • One price in all fifty states
  • Price $149; renews at $149

What to watch

  • New Jersey Registered Agent.co is $50 a year lower
  • Agent service only, so reports stay with you
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. Registered Agent NJ.org: best for an in-state mailing address

Focused on New JerseyYear one $99; then $99

Pick number 3 is Registered Agent NJ.org, where a one-state plan at $99 a year, renewing at $99.

Its prices are identical to New Jersey Registered Agent.co's, so either is fine on cost.

What you get

  • A registered office address
  • Served documents appear online

What works

  • Yearly price below the national pick
  • $99 a year, same at renewal

What to watch

  • No help in other states
  • It will not help with the annual report
Visit Registered Agent NJ.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Scores and prices together

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1New Jersey Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit New Jersey Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner 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.
What each company posted on November 13, 2026. No agent moves the state fees.

The New Jersey agent, in order

  1. Stage 1

    Begin with the rule

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

    Check it yourself: pub.njleg.gov, seen in October 2026

  2. Stage 2

    See who is eligible

    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. Read N.J.S.A. 42:2C-14 for the wording.

  3. Stage 3

    Choose a compliant address

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

    Every service we recommend provides the in-state address.

  4. Stage 4

    Decide who takes the role

    If you pass the tests above you can name yourself. Hiring one of our picks costs $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Stage 5

    Name the agent in the filing

    the New Jersey Secretary of State is where the agent gets recorded, and where any later change goes too.

    Check it yourself: pub.njleg.gov, seen in October 2026

  6. Stage 6

    Check the record each year

    Send the annual report on time ($75, last day of the LLC's anniversary month) and the agent record stays right.

    Check it yourself: njportal.com, seen in August 2026

What this walkthrough costs

EntryPaid toAmount
Registered agent serviceService$99 to $149 a year
RenewalService$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportState agency$75 every year
Add the filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax and you have the state's three-year total. The pages listed below show where each figure came from.

How the scores came out

What decided it was three-year bill, which carries 32% of the score.

New Jersey Registered Agent.co totals $297 for years one to three, while Mainstay Filing runs $150 higher.

What founders ask

Does New Jersey make every LLC keep a registered agent?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

An owner can serve when eligible; the tests sit in stages 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes, any time. Stage 5 shows how to file the change with the New Jersey Secretary of State.

What does a registered agent cost in New Jersey?

The agents we recommend charge $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

$75, every year, for the annual report.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Go with New Jersey Registered Agent.co: $99 a year buys you a New Jersey agent who keeps an office in the state. Then Mainstay Filing and Registered Agent NJ.org.

Where we got the facts

  1. New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: go straight to njportal.com, checked August 2026.
  2. New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: go straight to njportal.com, checked August 2026.
  3. New Jersey report due date: go straight to njleg.state.nj.us, checked August 2026.
  4. New Jersey DORES, Getting Registered: go straight to nj.gov, checked October 2026.
  5. New Jersey formation fee: Filing fee, official source: go straight to pub.njleg.gov, checked October 2026.
  6. New Jersey registered agent statute: go straight to pub.njleg.gov, checked October 2026.
  7. New Jersey Registered Agent.co pricing page; prices copied November 13, 2026
  8. Mainstay Filing New Jersey service page; prices copied November 13, 2026
  9. Registered Agent NJ.org pricing page; prices copied November 13, 2026