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Register a business in New Jersey
The filing office, forms, steps and next stops for registering a business in New Jersey. Every line shows the official page it came from, and the day we read it.
The order to do it in
Choose a business type and get your EIN first. Then file with the state filing office below, and check your city and county before you start work.
Filing office
- New Jersey entities are formed online with the Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES). New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
Forming an LLC
- A New Jersey LLC is formed by filing a Certificate of Formation online. New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- The optional expedite fees apply only to over-the-counter filings, not online ones. New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Certificate of Formation filing fee: $100 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Optional expedite, per filing, added: $25 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Optional same-day fax expedite, added: $50 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Optional two-hour expedite, added: $500 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Optional one-hour expedite, added: $1,000 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
Forming a corporation
- A New Jersey for-profit corporation is formed by filing a Certificate of Incorporation online. New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- The optional expedite fees apply only to over-the-counter filings, not online ones. New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Certificate of Incorporation filing fee: $100 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Optional expedite, per filing, added: $15 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Optional two-hour expedite, added: $500 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Optional one-hour expedite, added: $1,000 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
Annual or biennial report
- Every registered New Jersey business files a report each year, due the last day of the month in which it was formed. Expediting is not available for corporate reports. Business.NJ.gov, as of
- Report fee, LLCs and for-profit corporations: $75 (as of Oct 6, 2026) Business.NJ.gov, as of
Assumed name (DBA)
- Sole proprietors and general partnerships register a trade name with their local (county) clerk. Corporations, LLCs and LPs register an alternate name with the state. Business.NJ.gov, as of
- A state alternate name registration is valid for five years. New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Alternate name registration with the state: $50 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Alternate name renewal, LLC: $50 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
- Alternate name renewal, corporation: $25 (as of Oct 6, 2026) New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
State tax registration
- After filing its certificate of formation, a business files Form NJ-REG online for tax and employer registration. New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, as of
State rules for pool, lifeguard and contractor work
These lines point to the state’s own rules. Whether one applies to your work is for the state to say, so confirm with the agency named in each line.
- N.J.A.C. 8:26 (effective January 16, 2018) puts every public pool under a trained pool operator, certified through a DOH-approved course, who visits at least weekly. Lifeguards are required at public pools (one at smaller pools, two above 2,000 square feet), but a private nonprofit common-interest community pool limited to unit owners and their invited guests is exempt from the lifeguard and first-aid staffing rules. The exemption does not apply to a facility with a functional diving board, water slide or similar recreational feature, and a facility that does not comply voluntarily must post a “No lifeguard on duty” sign (N.J.A.C. 8:26-1.3 and 5.1). New Jersey Department of Health, as of
City and county licences
City and county licences vary by place. Check with your city hall or county clerk before you start work.
Sources
- Division of Revenue Getting Registered New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services. As of .
- Division of Revenue fee schedule New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services. As of .
- Taxes and Annual Report Business.NJ.gov. As of .
- Business Names Business.NJ.gov. As of .
- Alternate Name Registration New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services. As of .
- N.J.A.C. 8:26 Public Recreational Bathing New Jersey Department of Health. As of .
Official pages change. Each line shows the day we last read it.
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