How Much Does an LLC Cost in New Hampshire

The minimum New Hampshire LLC Cost is $100, which covers the processing fee for filing your LLC formation document (known as the Certificate of Formation).

Having said that, the total cost of forming a New Hampshire LLC will depend on several factors, including your personal preferences and business needs.

In our How Much Does an LLC Cost in New Hampshire article, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about the different costs associated with launching and maintaining an LLC.

LLC Cost in New Hampshire

In the table below, you can find a summary of the main requirements of forming a New Hampshire limited liability company (LLC) and their associated fees.

                                                         

Requirement	Fee
Certificate of Formation	$100-$102+
Registered Agent Fee	$0-$130+
LLC Name	$0-$69
Operating Agreement	$0+

New Hampshire LLC Filing Fee ($100-$102+)

If you’re looking to start an LLC in New Hampshire, you’ll be required to file one of two distinct formation documents with the Corporation Division depending on the type of LLC you’re forming.

This involves filing a Certification of Formation if you’ll be starting a domestic LLC, or an Application for Registration as a Foreign Limited Liability Company if you’re looking to start a foreign LLC.

Regardless of which of these documents your LLC needs to file, it will cost $100 to file by mail and $102 to file online through NH QuickStart.

However, if you choose to use an LLC formation service, the total cost will be a little higher as it will include a small service fee in addition to the state filing fees outlined above.

The typical cost of these LLC formation services can range significantly, but normally start from as low as $29, increasing if you decide to purchase any additional offerings.

Note: For more details on the formation process, you can check out our New Hampshire LLC Formation guide.

New Hampshire Registered Agent ($0+)

As part of the process of filling out your New Hampshire LLC Certificate of Formation or Application for Registration as a Foreign LLC, you’ll be required to appoint a registered agent.

This needs to be a New Hampshire resident or a business entity that’s authorized to conduct business in the state. Your registered agent will be responsible for accepting legal documents and service of process on behalf of your LLC.

While you can act as your own registered agent at no cost, it’s often recommended to hire a professional service so you avoid any potential penalties or legal issues caused by non-compliance with state regulations.

A registered agent service can also help you keep your personal information (e.g., home address, etc.) private.

While the exact New Hampshire registered agent fee you’ll be required to pay will depend on the provider you choose, this is generally around $130 per year.

Alternatively, you can find some of the top recommendations for professional RA services in our Best Registered Agent Services of 2024 article.

Naming Your New Hampshire LLC ($0-$69)

When forming your New Hampshire LLC, you’ll be required to pick a suitable name that’s available to use.

While registering a name in itself has no cost, there are two potential costs to be aware of when naming your LLC.

Reserving Name

If you’ve settled upon a name that you’re happy with for your LLC but aren’t looking to get started at the moment, you can keep it safe for future use by reserving it.

To do this, you can file a name reservation electronically through the NH QuickStart platform or by filing Application for Reservation of Name by mail to the following address:

Corporation Division, NH Department of State
107 N Main St
Rm 204, Concord
NH 03301-4989

You’ll need to pay a $15 filing fee if you submit by mail and $17 if you file electronically. Once filed, this form will keep your desired safe for 120 days. After this time, you’ll need to decide whether to renew this reservation (and repay the filing fee) or proceed to create your LLC.

Note: Be sure to perform a Business Search on the NH Department of State’s website to check your desired name hasn’t already been taken by another business entity.

When choosing a name for your LLC, it’s important to select one that corresponds to an available domain. This is because a matching domain ensures consistency between your LLC’s name and its online presence, which helps to strengthen its brand recognition and credibility.

Doing Business As (DBA) Name

If you want to operate your New Hampshire business under a name other than the one it’s currently legally registered as, you’ll need to obtain a Doing Business As (DBA) name — which is also known as a Trade Name in New Hampshire.

Obtaining one of these names for your LLC will cost $50 if you choose to register it by mail using a Trade Name Registration form and $52 if you instead choose to do so online through NH QuickStart.

Note: You’ll need to renew your New Hampshire trade name every five years — though the New Hampshire Department of State will send you a renewal notice at least six months before the expiration date.

New Hampshire LLC Operating Agreement ($0+)

While not mandatory, it’s good practice for New Hampshire LLCs to have an operating agreement.

This document defines the roles and responsibilities of the members or managers in your LLC and will help prevent and solve any business disputes that may arise later on.

While you can opt to hire an online service or business attorney to draft this document for you (which typically costs at least a few hundred dollars), it’s actually quite straightforward to do it yourself at no extra cost.

It’s also important to note that this doesn’t actually need to be filed with the New Hampshire Secretary of State — it’s purely an internal document.

Additional New Hampshire LLC Formation Costs

On top of the more common fees outlined above, there are a number of potential additional formation costs that LLCs in New Hampshire may encounter depending on their circumstances.

We’ve summarized some of these additional costs below:

Expedited New Hampshire LLC Filing

The New Hampshire Secretary of State typically processes business registrations in 10 business days or less, but does provide information on the Announcements section of NH Quickstart if current processing times are any slower.

If you need your LLC’s Certificate of Formation to be processed faster than this, an expedited service option is available for an additional $25.

Local Business Licenses

In order to comply with the local-level regulations of your city and county, your business may be required to obtain some local business licenses. While very few municipalities impose a general licensing requirement for businesses operating within their limits, your LLC might need a specific business license if it’s involved in certain activities.

For example, if you plan to sell goods or services at flea markets or street fairs in the City of Nashua, you would need to obtain a Vendor License costing $100 per year that’s specific to this municipality.

Similarly, food service establishments based in the City of Concord are required to obtain health services permits that can vary up to $535 per year in order to operate legally.

For a more exact estimation of how much your business may need to pay for the licenses it needs, you’ll need to contact your local county clerk’s office.

Note: You can find the relevant contact details and websites for the different municipalities in New Hampshire on the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs website.

Certificate of Good Standing

A Certificate of Good Standing is a document often required in order to open a business bank account and protect your personal assets; it can also be requested by lenders in order to check that your LLC is properly registered and legally authorized to conduct business with the state.

The cheapest way to obtain this certificate for your LLC is by filing a request online through NH QuickStart — which costs $5.

If you file in person you’ll automatically be charged an additional $25 fee for expedited filing as your New Hampshire Certificate of Good Standing will be processed while you wait.

Certified Copies of Business Documents

Many New Hampshire LLCs like to keep certified copies of important business documents handy (such as their Articles of Organization) — whether it’s for banking needs, legal requirements, or just for maintaining organized records.

If you need any certified copies of these documents, you can order them from the NH Secretary of State by emailing corporate@sos.nh.gov or through NH QuickStart. Certificates cost $5 each in addition to an additional charge of $1 per page.

Note: Just like Certificates of Good Standing, any in person requests of certified copies will incur an additional $25 expedited filing fee.

Cost to Maintain an LLC in New Hampshire

In addition to the cost of forming an LLC in New Hampshire, there are also several ongoing costs you’ll be responsible for paying each year.

We’ve outlined these recurring costs associated with maintaining a New Hampshire LLC below.

Annual Report

For your New Hampshire LLC to remain in good standing, it will need to file an Annual Report with the Secretary of State by April 1 each year.

This report, which updates the state on essential information regarding your LLC’s current status and operations, costs $100 to file by mail and $102 to file online.

It’s important to be aware that if you miss this deadline, you’ll be liable to pay a late penalty of $50 plus $25 for each additional month you’re late.

Registered Agent Maintenance

If you decide to take advantage of a professional registered agent in order to handle your legal documents, you’ll be required to pay an annual fee in return for their services. This fee commonly ranges between $35 and $300 depending on the provider and features you select.

While you’re not required to use a professional registered agent service, it’s highly recommended for most small LLC owners.

Taxes

In addition to your LLC’s federal tax obligations, there are a variety of state-specific New Hampshire business taxes you need to be aware of, including:

• Sales tax
• Employment taxes
• Business privilege taxes
• Property taxes

Additionally, there are various local taxes your LLC may need to pay depending on the municipality or county it’s based in, such as:

• Sales and use taxes
• Property tax

New Hampshire vs Other States

In terms of the cost of starting and running an LLC, there are certainly a number of states that are much cheaper than New Hampshire.

While its upfront cost of $100 isn’t overly expensive, its annual fee of the same amount means long-term costs quickly build up. By comparison, running an LLC in South Dakota would be much cheaper as it has a similar startup fee but no ongoing costs.

Ultimately, however, the best state to form your LLC will be one in which you plan to primarily operate your business from.

This makes it far easier to stay legally compliant on a number of levels, including taxation, licensing, and filing requirements, as you’ll only need to deal with one state’s set of rules.