What is different about forming an LLC in New Hampshire.
Every state runs its own filing office, its own fee schedule and its own ongoing obligations. These are the ones that apply in New Hampshire.
| Item | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| LLC filing fee | $100 | Paid to the state, at cost. File.Business charges $0 to prepare and file it. |
| Corporation, for comparison | $100 | |
| Nonprofit | $25 | |
| Professional LLC (PLLC) | $100 | |
| Series LLC | Not offered | New Hampshire has no Series LLC filing. |
| Ongoing state report for an LLC | $100 | Annual Report, and the Nonprofit Report for nonprofit corporations, annual, due between January 1 and April 1 each year, nonprofits by December 31 in years ending in 0 and 5 |
| Registering an out-of-state LLC here | $100 | No certificate of good standing required. Filed on the Form FLLC-1 Application for Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration for LLCs, Form 40 Application for Certificate of Authority for corporations. |
What the New Hampshire fee schedule actually says
The LLC and corporation reports are the same price, both 100 dollars. RSA 304-C:191 sets the LLC annual report at 100 dollars and RSA 293-A:1.22 sets the corporation annual report at 100 dollars. Filing electronically does not reduce the fee, it adds a flat 2 dollar handling charge on every fee the state receives electronically. Late filing after April 1 costs an extra 50 dollars. Nonprofit corporations are on a five year cycle, not an annual one, filing a nonprofit report with 25 dollars by December 31 in years ending in 0 and 5. New Hampshire does not authorise series LLCs, RSA 304-C contains no series provisions.
Verified 2026-08-17 · against the New Hampshire Secretary of State forms and fees pages and RSA 293-A:1.22 and RSA 304-C:191
What forming an LLC in New Hampshire actually involves.
Certificate of Formation
The Certificate of Formation is the founding New Hampshire document. We prepare and file with the SOS using your entity name, organizer info, RA, and member structure.
~14 day New Hampshire processing
New Hampshire SOS typically processes standard LLC filings in 14 business days. Expedited options available for an extra state fee (varies $25-$200).
Registered Agent included
New Hampshire requires every LLC to maintain a Registered Agent. RA service is included year one in every formation bundle.
EIN from the IRS
Your New Hampshire LLC needs a federal EIN for banking, taxes, and payroll. We file Form SS-4 with the IRS, typically 1-2 business days, faster than DIY filings.
Operating Agreement
New Hampshire doesn't require filing an Operating Agreement with the SOS, but every New Hampshire LLC needs one to define member rights, voting, profit splits, and dissolution rules. Included in Domestic Complete.
Year-one compliance
Forming the LLC is step one. New Hampshire requires ongoing compliance: Annual Report (Apr 1), state tax registrations, license renewals. Domestic Complete includes year-one AR AutoFile.
A clean handoff, in 6 steps.
Pick your New Hampshire LLC name
We check New Hampshire SOS name availability live. Your chosen name must include "LLC" or variant and not conflict with existing New Hampshire registrations.
Designate Registered Agent
Every New Hampshire LLC needs a RA with a physical New Hampshire address. We provide one (included year one) or you can designate your own.
Prepare Certificate of Formation
Member info, RA, principal office, management structure (member-managed vs manager-managed), effective date. We draft and review with you.
File with New Hampshire SOS
Submitted electronically with $100 state fee. 14-day standard processing. State-stamped Articles return to your BOS vault.
EIN + Operating Agreement
After SOS acceptance: IRS EIN application (1-2 days), Operating Agreement drafted, S-Corp election if requested (Form 2553).
Year-one compliance setup
New Hampshire Annual Report added to your calendar (due Apr 1). RA active. Compliance Score baseline established.
Formation is free. Everything else is optional.
We do not charge a service fee to form your LLC or Corporation. State filing fees still apply and pass through at cost. Add the Compliance Bundle to handle the year-one filings everyone needs.
- LLC or Corporation formation (any state)
- EIN application with the IRS
- Certificate of Formation or Incorporation drafted and filed
- Free BOS dashboard for ongoing visibility
- Filing receipts to your document vault
- Everything in Free Formation (no add-on fee)
- Registered Agent service in your state (1 entity)
- Annual Report AutoFile, filed every year on time
- Certificate of Good Standing (1 included per year)
- 1 Amendment included per year (address, member, name)
- Operating Agreement (LLC) or Bylaws (Corp)
- Deadline monitoring across all your filings
Common questions.
Do I need to live in New Hampshire to form an LLC there?
No. You do not need to live in New Hampshire or be a resident to form an LLC there. What New Hampshire requires is a registered agent with a physical in-state address to receive legal mail, which we provide, or you can act as your own if you have a New Hampshire address and are available in business hours. Where you live does not limit where you can form.
What is the difference between an LLC and a corporation in New Hampshire?
An LLC is simpler and pass-through: profit lands on your personal return and there is little required formality, which suits most owners in New Hampshire. A corporation is built to raise venture capital and issue stock, but it adds bylaws, a board, and annual meetings. If you plan to raise money, look at forming a corporation; otherwise the LLC-versus-corporation comparison lays out the tradeoffs.
Does New Hampshire require an Operating Agreement?
New Hampshire may not require you to file one, but you should have one. The Operating Agreement sets who owns what, who can sign, and what happens if an owner leaves, and it is the document that shows the LLC is a genuine separate entity, which protects your liability shield. Banks and lenders also ask for it. Generate one that fits your ownership with our Operating Agreement tool.
What about the EIN for my New Hampshire LLC?
The EIN is your business's federal tax ID, and you need it to open a bank account, hire, or file taxes. It is free from the IRS, and we obtain it for you the same day, including for founders without a Social Security Number. Keeping the EIN separate from your SSN also keeps your personal number off vendor and client paperwork. Start with our EIN guide.
Can a foreign person form a New Hampshire LLC?
Yes. You do not need to be a US citizen or resident to own or form a New Hampshire LLC, and you never have to set foot in the state. The one extra step is the EIN, which we obtain from the IRS for you when you have no Social Security Number, and that unlocks US banking and payment processing. Our EIN guide is the right starting point for international founders.
What ongoing compliance does a New Hampshire LLC require?
Forming is the start, not the finish. A New Hampshire LLC generally files a periodic annual report, keeps a registered agent on record, and pays any state franchise tax. Miss the report and New Hampshire can administratively dissolve the LLC, ending the protection you formed it for. A compliance calendar keeps every date in view, and our subscription can file them for you.
Can I change my New Hampshire LLC name later?
Yes. If you outgrow the name or rebrand, you change it by filing Articles of Amendment with New Hampshire, which updates the official record; your EIN and entity stay the same. If you would rather keep the legal name and operate under a different public name, a DBA does that without a full amendment. We handle either the amendment or the DBA for you.
Where to next?
Every filing connects into your File.Business operating system. Pick where to go from here: we keep the rest tracked. Or start by looking up any New Hampshire company on the state record.
Up a level, or across to the neighbors.
Form an LLC by state
The national explainer above this page: what changes between jurisdictions, and why.
Open the hub → SectionForm a business
Every formation route, each with a page per state.
Open the section → StateNew Hampshire business filings
Every filing a business makes in New Hampshire, gathered on one page.
Open New Hampshire → In New HampshireForm a corporation in New Hampshire
Form a corporation, state by state
Read the guide → In New HampshireStart a business in New Hampshire
Starting a business, state by state
Read the guide → In New HampshireHow to form a corporation in New Hampshire
How to form a corporation, state by state
Read the guide → In New HampshireSeries LLC in New Hampshire
Series LLC, state by state
Read the guide →