New Hampshire LLC Cost

Filing your Certificate of Formation has a fee of $100. You can submit the certificate through the mail or in person, or you can do it online through NH QuickStart, though you’ll need to add $2 for online filings. Once your certificate is processed, your New Hampshire LLC is officially formed. Unfortunately, New Hampshire does not provide expedited processing. Typically, the state takes 7-10 days to process online filings once received, or around 15 days for a paper filing (plus mailing time).

Due every year by April 1st, your LLC’s New Hampshire Annual Report costs $100 to file. If you’re late for the filing deadline, the Corporations Division will charge an additional $50 late fee. You can file by mail—or online with an additional $2 convenience fee—but either way, you’ll need to visit NH Quickstart to fill out the form before printing or submitting it directly.

Find out how to file your New Hampshire Annual Report.

Under NH Rev Stat § 304-C:35, you must appoint a New Hampshire registered agent to operate your LLC in the state. Your registered agent must have a New Hampshire street address (no PO boxes or virtual offices), and be able to operate during regular business hours in order to accept legal mail (service of process) on your LLC’s behalf.

You can name an employee, family member or other associate as your LLC’s New Hampshire registered agent, or even do it yourself—but either way, your LLC’s agent must be available during business hours every weekday without fail, and be willing to put their name and physical address in the public record. For privacy and convenience, many LLC owners prefer to hire a professional registered agent service like Northwest. Competitor fees vary, but we charge just $125 a year, and our price never goes up.

If you choose to change your registered agent after formation, it’ll cost $15 to file a Statement of Change of Registered Agent form with the New Hampshire Department of State’s Corporate Division.

New Hampshire has no general statewide license that applies to all businesses, and unlike many other states, it has no comparable seller’s permit or sales and use tax permit requirement to sell tangible goods. However, you may need to obtain certain licenses and permits through the state, depending on what type of business your LLC engages in. For example, if your LLC is involved with selling prepared food, tobacco, or communications services, you’ll most likely need to be state-licensed. New Hampshire’s New Business Tax Licenses & Permits FAQ is a great starting place when learning what kind of licenses your business might need to acquire.

Professional business licenses are required for occupations that need special education and training to provide services. Architects, chiropractors and appraisers, among others, require a professional business license. The New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification can help you find the state board that issues your particular professional license. For example, The New Hampshire Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics is the board that issues licenses for barbers, manicurists and tanning facilities.

License fees vary by profession, but usually, you’ll need to take a state exam, complete an application to the relevant board, and pay all fees that accompany your professional license. Most licenses will cost somewhere between $50 and $300, and some professions may have annual renewal fees and continuing education costs to consider as well.

On top of state and professional licenses, most municipalities in New Hampshire also have at least a few permits and associated fees that can impact a business. In Manchester, for instance, the minimum fee for a business license is $50, but an extra $2 is charged per 100 square feet for any business on a premises of greater than 1,500 square feet—and other fees may apply for licensing certain kinds of businesses, such as a $300 fee to operate an arcade. Concord, meanwhile, only requires certain businesses to obtain “health services” permits—such as a fee for food service establishments that ranges from $74 per year to as much as $535 annually.

Generally, you can find the necessary licenses and fees at your county or city’s clerk of court’s office or business department website.

While we’ve listed the expenses you’ll most likely be required to pay when starting an LLC in New Hampshire, there may be other costs to consider as well.

Name Reservation

You can reserve a business name in New Hampshire for 120 days by filing an Application for Name Reservation with the Secretary of State. The fee to file is $15, or $17 when submitting the reservation online through NH QuickStart.

DBA (Doing Business as) Name

DBAs are called “trade names” in New Hampshire. You can use a trade name instead of your LLC’s legal name when conducting business, if you register the trade name and pay a $50 fee ($52 to file online through NH QuickStart). You’ll need to search NH QuickStart’s business name database and make sure no other LLCs, corporations, or other state-registered entities have already used your assumed business name. You can then file a Trade Name Registration form to pin down your trade name.

Certified Copies of Business Documents

LLC owners sometimes need certified copies of documents their company has registered with the state. New Hampshire provides certified copies of documents for $50 by mail, or for $30 if you pick them up in person (an additional fee of $1 per page may also apply). You can order certified copies of your documents by contacting the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Corporation Division.

Find out how to get a certified copy of your New Hampshire Articles of Organization.

New Hampshire Certificate of Good Standing

If your New Hampshire LLC needs to prove to a bank, investors, or another state that it is up-to-date on all state filings and fees, you’ll need a Certificate of Good Standing. Much like a certified copy of other documents, a Certificate of Good Standing costs $5 by mail or $30 in person.You can get a Certificate of Good Standing by mail or in-person the same way you would a certified copy of other documents; or you can order them online through NH QuickStart.

Here’s how to get a New Hampshire Certificate of Good Standing.

If your New Hampshire LLC has any employees (regardless of if they are full- or part-time), you’re required by law to cover them with workers’ compensation insurance. LLCs with more than 4 members will also need worker’s compensation for their members. You can purchase insurance through a company, or self-insure if your LLC can guarantee the total risk.

Liability insurance is also worth considering. Your LLC protects the assets of the LLC members, but liability insurance can help cover the costs of any lawsuits against your business in the event that a customer is injured. Insurance rates for liability coverage will depend on the nature of your LLC’s business—a logging company will likely pay higher rates than a home-based accountant, for example.

Learn more about LLC Business Insurance.

To register your foreign LLC in New Hampshire, you’ll need to submit an Application for Registration as a Foreign Limited Liability Company to the Corporation Division and pay a $100 filing fee ($102 when filing online). Your New Hampshire foreign LLC will need to abide by the same rules as a regular LLC, which means you’ll still need to obtain any professional or local business licenses that are required to operate a company in New Hampshire.