A New Jersey Registered Agent or New Jersey Registered Agent Service is required by law for every business entity in the state of New Jersey. A registered agent is an individual or business entity that will accept legal papers (documents) on your behalf if it is sued. The registered agent or registered agent service must have a physical street address in New Jersey and be available during regular business hours.
In my New Jersey Registered Agent guide, I’ll walk you through the detailed process of when you should get a registered agent or registered agent service for your New Jersey business, how to pick one, if they are required and how to change one if needed. Typically you’re getting a registered agent when you setup your New Jersey LLC. Check out my guide on how to setup a New Jersey LLC so you can make sure you’re following all the right steps in the process. If you are just looking for the professional service to help you – use Northwest Registered Agent or ZenBusiness.
Best New Jersey Registered Agent Service
ZenBusiness will be the best option for setting up a registered agent service in New Jersey. They can also help you with getting your LLC formed so if you’re looking for the best option, check them out today!
The best registered agent service out there is ZenBusiness. They have helped 1000s of business owners go through the LLC formation process and assisted with making sure you have a registered agent service setup to help you.
As you embark on this journey you’re going to need a good partner who has done this many times. They work with the New Jersey Secretary of State’s office and will operate in the way you need them to for compliance and legal reasons.
Whether you’re looking for a new registered agent service or you need to change your registered agent, ZenBusiness is there to make sure you’re able to execute what you need to legally. It’s really important to get the right partner who can help you incorporate your business because it is such an important piece of how you start your domestic LLC, foreign LLC or whatever other type of business entity you’re looking to pull together.
What is a New Jersey Registered Agent?
A New Jersey Registered Agent is no different than any other state’s registered agent. All the registered agents (regardless of what state they are in) are required to make sure they help you with three primary things:
1) They receive and forward all your important documents from the state government and county courthouse. This can include tax forms, annual reports and other compliance filings.
2) They keep you updated on any changes to the state rules and regulations that might affect your business.
3) They act as a point of contact for your business in case anyone needs to serve you with legal papers.
You can learn more about what a registered agent is and how they help businesses in this comprehensive guide I wrote.
A New Jersey registered agent can be an individual or business entity but they must have a physical address in the state where your company is being incorporated. They are also going to make sure your compliance is up to date annually too. You will need to follow what the Secretary of State’s office says of you and your business.
This is not a service that is like a virtual mailbox where you need a UPS Store mailbox. This is a service that is legally required and will help you make sure you’re following the law to keep you covered legally.
Why do I need a New Jersey Registered Agent?
The biggest reason you need a New Jersey Registered Agent is because it’s legally required when you form a business. This is not something that the government puts in place just because they want to have another required thing for you to do. This is really meant for you to be protected in case your business is sued or there are legal issues your business needs to handle.
If you have a registered agent, they will accept these legal papers and inform you of what happened and make sure you’re doing what’s required legally.
Another thing that is important to remember is that your registered agent is going to be searchable through the New Jersey Secretary of State’s website and does a business name search here. Think about the impact of this long term. If you decide to be your own registered agent, you can do that but you’re going to have your name and address on file.
This also means that you’re going to need to be available during normal business hours and accept legal papers on behalf of your business. This is the main reason why you should get a registered agent service setup for you. Keep all of this in mind as you think about setting up your registered agent when forming your business entity.
When should I obtain a New Jersey Registered Agent?
The best time to obtain a registered agent is during your formation process. If you’re going to setup an LLC you’re most likely going to need to elect a registered agent at that time.
If you don’t do this, your business will most likely be dissolved or not formed in the first place. You’re going to need to have this done in the beginning of the formation process in New Jersey and it’s going to take a lot of stress and weight off your shoulders to just get it over with in the beginning.
You’re also going to be able to have some help with the registered agent service to help you keep track of compliance deadlines on an annual basis in New Jersey and keep track of all of it. When you’re forming your New Jersey LLC, having to remember the compliance deadlines and when the annual reports are due is the last thing you should be thinking about.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent In New Jersey?
Yes. It is possible for you to be your own registered agent like we’ve discussed but remember it’s not the recommended solution. If you do this, your information is going to be available on the public search portal at the New Jersey Secretary of State’s office. The key to remember here is that registered agents and registered agent services were put in place to actually get you some legal coverage.
If you think about this long term and how you build your New Jersey LLC business over the next few years, it’s going to be important that you think about what the key things are that a registered agent is going to do for you which are:
– Providing a physical address in New Jersey for your business
– Answering any official correspondence on behalf of your business
– Keeping track of annual compliance deadlines for your business
– Forwarding important documents to you in a timely manner.
You will need to be at that address in the state during business hours all the time. If this is your home, you can’t go on vacation. If this is a business address you’ve setup – you can’t leave. It is required that you have someone at that address that can accept legal documents on behalf of the business we’re talking about.
When I think about my business, I want to focus on building it and if you’re in New Jersey doing the same thing – you don’t want to worry about this. It’s a pretty low cost for you to offload this and with anything in business if you can outsource it to scale – you should.
How Much Does a Registered Agent Cost?
The cost does range quite substantially depending on how you want to do this. If you do this yourself it is $0 but as we’ve talked about, there are other costs associated to doing this. If you use a registered agent service like Northwest Registered Agent or ZenBusiness, they will typically include the first year of your registered agent service with your formation.
The other options to consider are finding a local law firm in New Jersey that has registered agent services or finding a specific state agency where this is all they do. I always recommend going with one of the national providers because they’re going to give you the best service at the best price because of the volume they are able to process. It’s important to consider that and they work closely with the New Jersey Secretary of State’s office to make sure they are doing what’s legally required.
How Do I Elect A Registered Agent In New Jersey?
In order to elect a registered agent in New Jersey, you’re going to need to go through the standard process the New Jersey Secretary of State’s office has for forming your business. Typically that means filling out the New Jersey Certificate of Formation which is what all LLCs in New Jersey need to do and you can find it at the New Jersey Revenue Department here.
How Do I Elect A Registered Agent Online in New Jersey?
If you want to do this electronically vs. mailing, in person or faxing it in you can. You’re going to need to head over to the State of New Jersey website where it’s a $125 filing fee. You’ll also need to setup an account to access the LLC form above.
How Do I Elect A Registered Agent by Mail, Fax or In Person in New Jersey?
If you want to do this by mail and form your New Jersey LLC in that way, you can. You’ll just need to make sure you’ve got the full New Jersey Business Registration Packet here which is 47 pages so be prepared for some light reading :).
How Do I Change My Registered Agent In New Jersey?
In order to change your New Jersey Registered Agent, you are going to need to download the Certificate of Change where you can fill out the details and submit it to the New Jersey Secretary of State’s office.
You can use the form above for setting up your domestic and foreign Limited Liability Companies. If you want to change an agent name or address or both it’s possible to use this form.
If a P.O. box is used for registered address, the street address must be included.
You will need to return Return this form with a $25.00 check made out to:
Treasurer, State of New Jersey.
Write the LLC number on the top left of your check.
New Jersey Registered Agent FAQ
Does New Jersey require a registered agent?
Yes. It’s required to have a registered agent or use a registered agent service who can be responsible for receiving and sending important legal documents on behalf of your business.
How much does a New Jersey registered agent cost?
The fees for a New Jersey registered agent do vary depending on how you want to form your business. You can find some free options but there will be other costs associated with doing this.
Does registered agent mean owner?
No. An owner of your business will own pieces of your business but that doesn’t mean you need to put them down as the registered agent. You will need a service to help you with being a registered agent.
What is a registered agent service?
A registered agent service is a company that helps you with the process of being a registered agent as well as other support services.
Best Registered Agent
The best option for your registered agent service
