The short answer is no.  The state of New Jersey does not legally require a lawyer to form a New Jersey Corporation.

Our detailed Incorporation Information page may help you understand some of the implications of forming a New Jersey Corporation.  However, if there is anything about Incorporating in New Jersey that you're not sure about you should seek the advice of a competent New Jersey lawyer, a New Jersey accountant, or both before you Incorporate in New Jersey. 

Once you have made the decision to Incorporate in New Jersey, a New Jersey lawyer can file your documents and act as a middle man for a few hundred dollars an hour; or you can use an online service provider like All Business Documents to perform these services and save money that you can use in your new New Jersey Corporation.

You are not legally required to reserve a Company Name for a new New Jersey Corporation before you submit your application to Incorporate in New Jersey.

Whether or not you need to reserve a company name for your new New Jersey Corporation depends entirely on your business situation.  The New Jersey Department of Treasury uses names on a first come first served basis.  So if you think that someone may snatch the Company Name that you have in mind, you may want to reserve that New Jersey Company Name. The name of a New Jersey Corporation must include "Corporation", "Company", "Incorporated" or an abbreviation of one of these words; or include the abbreviation "Ltd".  The state of New Jersey allows a Corporation to use an alternate name for a limited period of time, subject to certain New Jersey state requirements.

If the Name you have chosen for your new New Jersey Corporation is already in use by a currently active New Jersey Corporation or LLC, and you still want to use that Corporation Name, then you will have to register a DBA Name with the New Jersey Department of Treasury.  "DBA" is an abbreviation for "Doing Business As."

In New Jersey a DBA Name is called a Alternate Name. We verify that the Name you have chose for your new New Jersey Corporation is available before we submit your Incorporation filing to the New Jersey Department of Treasury.  If necessary we can register a Alternate Name in New Jersey for you so that you can open your new New Jersey business as quickly as possible.

1. Choose a name for your New Jersey Corporation
   
   Your New Jersey Corporation name can identify the type of products and services your business will provide; or it may be the name of the founder; or it can be a combination of the two or something else.
   
   In any case, the New Jersey Corporation name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered New Jersey Corporation or other business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of New Jersey.  Your New Jersey Corporation name must not imply that it was formed for a purpose other than that stated in your Certificate of Incorporation; and your New Jersey Corporation name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.
   
   The name of a New Jersey Corporation must include "Corporation", "Company", "Incorporated" or an abbreviation of one of these words; or include the abbreviation "Ltd".  The state of New Jersey allows a Corporation to use an alternate name for a limited period of time, subject to certain New Jersey state requirements.
   
   It's important to choose a good name for your New Jersey Corporation because if you want to change it after you incorporate you will have to file amended Certificate of Incorporation with the New Jersey Department of Treasury (and pay a fee). We will:
   • Check to make sure that your New Jersey Corporation name is available
   • Make sure your New Jersey Corporation name conforms to state of New Jersey regulations
   • Reserve your New Jersey Corporation name with the New Jersey Department of Treasury
2. Select an official address and a Registered Agent for your New Jersey Corporation
   
   Every New Jersey Corporation must have an address that is physically located in the state of New Jersey.  This address is "registered" with the New Jersey Department of Treasury.  The Registered Address is where official and legal correspondence can be delivered.
   
   The individual or company that is registered with the state of New Jersey to receive all correspondence on behalf of the New Jersey Corporation is called a "Registered Agent".  You may act as your own Registered Agent, however, many New Jersey Corporations hire a Registered Agent because they don't have a physical address within the state of New Jersey or to provide a distinct level of privacy.
   We can act as the official Registered Agent for your New Jersey Corporation.
3. Choose a Board of Directors for your New Jersey Corporation
   
   All New Jersey Corporations are required to have a Board of Directors.  Directors are the people who will set policies for your New Jersey Corporation and manage the business and its resources.  In the majority of small corporations directors are the owners. The Certificate of Incorporation or Corporate Bylaws may define specific qualifications for Directors. 
   
   The Board of Directors is responsible for creating rules, approving budgets and distributing profits to shareholders. One of the most important duties of the Board of Directors is electing Officers for your New Jersey Corporation.  The same person may be a Director and an Officer at the same time.  Directors need not be residents of the state of New Jersey or shareholders of the New Jersey Corporation unless the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws require it.
   
   Normally Directors for your New Jersey Corporation are elected for a term of one year.  Elections are held at the annual meeting of Shareholders.  The Directors serve until the next annual Shareholders meeting.
   
   
4. Decide who will be Officers for your New Jersey Corporation
   
   The Board of Directors elects Officers for your New Jersey Corporation in accordance with the Corporate Bylaws and Certificate of Incorporation.  Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Corporation.  Officers handle the day to day operation of the New Jersey Corporation.
   
   Unless specifically prohibited by the Corporate Bylaws or Certificate of Incorporation, in a New Jersey Corporation the same person may hold more than one Corporate Office at the same time.  However, there are certain legal affairs in which the same person cannot act in more than one capacity.
   
   One Officer - usually the Secretary - is given responsibility for preparing Minutes of Directors and Shareholders meetings and for authenticating records for the New Jersey Corporation. 
   
   
5. Determine how you want your New Jersey Corporation to be taxed
   
   The New Jersey Corporate Income Tax Rate is variable depending on the annual net income of the New Jersey Corporation.  New Jersey Corporate Income Tax Rates vary from 6.5 to 9%.   You may form an S Corporation in New Jersey.  S Corporations may "pass through" all corporate profits to the shareholders (owners) who then pay tax at their applicable personal rate.  S Corporations do not pay any New Jersey Corporate Income Tax.
   If you choose to be taxed as an S Corporation, we can prepare the S Corporation election form for your New Jersey Corporation and include it with your Incorporation documents.
   
   Click here for more New Jersey Corporate Tax Information
6. File a Certificate of Incorporation with the New Jersey Department of Treasury
   
   In order to form a Corporation in New Jersey you must file a Certificate of Incorporation with the New Jersey Department of Treasury.  The Certificate of Incorporation must include certain specific information about your New Jersey business. If the Certificate of Incorporation does not conform exactly to state of New Jersey requirements it will be rejected.  You may subsequently amend the Certificate of Incorporation for your New Jersey Corporation but you will have to pay a fee to the state of New Jersey in order to make the changes official.
   
   
7. Get a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
   
   A Federal Employer Identification Number, also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, is used by the IRS to identify a business entity.  An FEIN is like a Social Security Number for your New Jersey Corporation.  All New Jersey Corporations are required to have an FEIN.
   We can obtain an FEIN for your New Jersey Corporation.
8. Issue Stock Certificates to the Initial Shareholders
   
   Corporate stock is evidence of ownership of a New Jersey Corporation.  When you form your New Jersey Corporation, you will need to determine what type of stock and the number of shares of each type that you want to authorize.  You do not have to sell the number of shares that are authorized.  Many small New Jersey Corporations hold 100% of the shares.
   
   Stockholders in a New Jersey Corporation are entitled to voting rights or dividends of the Corporate profits or both.  Whoever owns over 50% of the stock of the New Jersey Corporation is able to make all Corporate business decisions.  New Jersey Corporations usually hold at least 51% of the corporate stock in order to retain control of the New Jersey Corporation.
   

1. Conduct an initial Meeting of the Board of Directors and adopt Corporate Bylaws
   
   The Board of Directors holds an initial meeting to elect Officers, authorize issuance of stock and adopt the Corporate Bylaws.  Bylaws are the internal rules of your New Jersey Corporation.  They are adopted by the Board of Directors and vary widely from Corporation to Corporation.  Commonly bylaws include the number of seats on the board of directors; how Directors are elected; how meetings of Directors and Shareholders are to be conducted; what Officers the New Jersey Corporation will have and a description of each of their duties. 
   
   As your company grows over time, you may amend your bylaws as necessary.  Bylaws generally cannot be amended by the Board of Directors unilaterally.  A vote by the majority of Stockholders of the New Jersey Corporation is usually required to amend the Corporate Bylaws.  Bylaws may include any rules for managing the business and conducting corporate affairs.  Almost anything may be written into the Bylaws, however, the Bylaws must not be in violation of any federal or New Jersey law or the New Jersey Corporation's Certificate of Incorporation.  A copy of the Corporate Bylaws should be maintained at the Corporation's principal New Jersey office.
   
   
2. Open a Business Bank Account in New Jersey
   
   It's very important that you have a separate business bank account for your New Jersey Corporation.  Mixing personal and business funds can get you in a lot of trouble with the tax man down the line.  It's a good idea to contact the bank before you open a business bank account.  Specific requirements vary from bank to bank.
   
   
3. Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business
   
   Note that forming a New Jersey Corporation doesn't take the place of obtaining a business license, tax registration certificate, or other required business permits.  A New Jersey Corporation merely creates an ownership structure that limits the owners' personal liability.  You may still need to take care of getting set up to do business with your local government.
   
   Depending on the nature of the business and the location of your New Jersey Corporation you may need to get one or more city business licenses or permits.  The business licenses or permits that are required for your New Jersey Corporation vary depending on your business activities and the specific locations within the state of New Jersey in which you want to conduct business.
   
   If your New Jersey Corporation will be selling products in New Jersey you may be required to obtain a Reseller's Permit from the appropriate New Jersey state agency.  If your New Jersey Corporation will be selling products in New Jersey you will also be responsible for all applicable local and state of New Jersey sales taxes if there are any.
   
   We can research and prepare the necessary forms for your required business licenses and permits and include them in your New Jersey Incorporation package.
   
   
4. Hold Meetings of Shareholders and Directors of each year
   
   Every New Jersey Corporation must hold corporate and shareholder meetings, at least annually, and must keep minutes of each meeting on file.  A copy of the minutes is evidence that the meetings took place and includes all resolutions that were adopted.  The minutes of each meetings must be open for inspection by any Shareholder or Director.  This meeting requirement is often overlooked and comes into play when the New Jersey Corporation is challenged for any reason.  Keeping proper meeting minutes and documenting resolutions made and approved by the Directors is a formality that could save your New Jersey Corporation a lot of potential trouble.
   
   We can transcribe the minutes of any meeting of your New Jersey Corporation into a form that complies with all state of New Jersey requirements.
   
   
5. File the required New Jersey Professional Corporation reports
   
   The are no Initial Annual Report requirements for a new NJ Corporation. A newly formed New Jersey Corporation must file its first Corporation Annual Report with the NJ Department of the Treasury by the end of the anniversary month in which the Articles of Incorporation were approved by the state of New Jersey.
   
   A New Jersey Corporation must file an Annual Report EACH year with the NJ Department of the Treasury.
   
   The New Jersey Corporation Annual Report is due EACH year by the end of the anniversary month in which the NJ Corporation was approved by the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.
   
   For example, if the NJ Corporation was registered on April 3, 2014, the next NJ Corporation Annual Report would be due at the NJ Department of the Treasury by April 30, 2015 and by April 30 EACH following year.
   
   
   We can fill out and file any Annual Report with the New Jersey Department of Treasury after your New Jersey Professional Corporation gets going.
   
   
   
6. Keep proper records of your New Jersey Corporation on file
   
   Keep the following records on file and available at the principal business office of your New Jersey Corporation:
   • Names and addresses of all Directors and Officers of the New Jersey Corporation
   • Certificate of Incorporation for the New Jersey Corporation and any Amendments to them
   • Corporate Bylaws for the New Jersey Corporation and any Amendments to them
   • List of current shareholders of the New Jersey Corporation.  If shareholders change, keep a record of old shareholders and how stock was transferred.
   • Minutes of all Meetings of Shareholders and Directors
   • Copies of any Corporate Resolutions which have been adopted by the New Jersey Corporation
   • Copies of all tax returns and Annual Reports for the New Jersey Corporation for the last 3 years

In order to Incorporate in New Jersey you'll need the following information about your new Company:

• The name of your new New Jersey Corporation along with your second choice of a name in case the name that you want is not available
  
• Physical address of the Corporation office in New Jersey (not a PO Box)
  
• Name and address of your New Jersey Registered Agent (not a PO Box)
  
• A description of the nature of the business you are planning to operate with the New Jersey Corporation
• Names and addresses of the initial Directors of the New Jersey Corporation
• The number of shares of stock that the New Jersey Corporation will be authorized to issue

Remember - ALL the information that you provide when you Incorporate in New Jersey becomes part of the public record.  Our data entry forms include the absolute minimum amount of information that is required in order to Form a new Corporation in New Jersey.

Processing times for new New Jersey Corporation applications vary depending on the work load of the Department of Treasury's staff.  We've found that normal processing of new New Jersey Certificate of Incorporation takes the state around 1-2 business days.  Add 2-3 days for the time period for shipping the final documents by mail.  Choosing our Express Mail option can shave a couple of days off the total processing time for your New Jersey LLC.

We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the New Jersey Department of Treasury.

In our experience 1-2 business days is the time it usually takes the New Jersey Department of Treasury to process a new New Jersey Corporation application. We get your New Jersey Corporation application to the NJ Department of Treasury ASAP. Once it is at the state we have no control over the new New Jersey Corporation application process.

The New Jersey Department of the Treasury does not offer any expedited processing options for New Jersey Corporation filings.

The state of New Jersey charges $165.00 to Incorporate in NJ.  This is the cost of filing and getting a Certified Copy of your Articles of Incorporation from the NJ Department of Treasury.  If you choose All Business Documents to help you Incorporate in New Jersey our processing fees are $125.00.  We start processing your new New Jersey Corporation order as soon as we get it.

Total cost includes:

• NJ Name Check and Reservation
• Prepare Articles of Incorporation
• File Articles of Incorporation with the New Jersey Department of Treasury
• Certified Copies of Articles
• New Jersey Corporation Checklist
• Priority Mail Delivery
• Unlimited Customer Support

Generally, if you are required to obtain some kind of license before you can market your skills in the state of New Jersey then you will most likely need to form a New Jersey Professional Corporation.

Attorneys, architects, engineers, public accountants, nurses and physicians, among others, may require registration as a Professional Corporation with the New Jersey Department of Treasury.

Depending on exactly what it is that you want to do in New Jersey, approval from a specific New Jersey state agency or board may be required before the NJ Department of Treasury will approve a new New Jersey Professional Corporation filing.  This could add to the total processing time for a new New Jersey Corporation.

You want to do business in the state of New Jersey but are registered as a Domestic Corporation in another state.  In order to legally conduct business in the state of New Jersey you must register with the New Jersey Department of Treasury as a New Jersey Foreign Corporation.  The process of registering as a Foreign Corporation in the state of New Jersey is called New Jersey Corporation Foreign Qualification. 

The process of New Jersey Corporation Foreign Qualification is similar to the process of forming a Domestic Corporation in the state of New Jersey.  Your original formation documents (usually called Articles of Incorporation) and Corporate Bylaws apply to your New Jersey Foreign Corporation.  The Board of Directors and Officers of your Domestic Corporation have the same roles in the New Jersey Foreign Corporation.