New Hampshire LLC

What is a New Hampshire LLC?

A New Hampshire LLC is formed by filing a Certificate of Formation with the Secretary of State and paying the appropriate filing fee. A New Hampshire LLC is governed by its Operating Agreement, which is written and agreed upon by its members, and which lays out the management structure of the company. Each member offers a capital contribution in return for an ownership percentage.

Learn more below about the structure of a New Hampshire LLC and how one is formed.

New Hampshire LLC Requirements

1. New Hampshire Limited Liability Company Articles of Organization.
2. State Filing Fee of $100.
3. A Registered Agent located in New Hampshire. See our service here.
4. Beneficial Ownership Information Report filing. Your report must be submitted after company formation starting January 1, 2024.

New Hampshire LLC Structure

NH Limited Liability Companies are structured legally with the New Hampshire Articles of Organization for a Limited Liability Company. Like many states, the document for an LLC is short and simple.

The required information to be listed:

• Name
• Principals
• Purpose
• Registered Agent
• Management

Name

When choosing a name for your new NH LLC, keep in mind that you must follow the designation rule. The LLC will contain one of the following designations: “Limited Liability Company”, “L.L.C.”, “L. L. C.” or “LLC”. A filing without such wording will be rejected, thus delaying the filing process.

Principals

You can list Principal Office address and Principal Mailing address in Article 1, but you are not required to do so. You may elect to list nothing and in that case, your Registered Agent’s address will be used as a default.

Purpose

A descriptive mature of the business must be described. A statement of “Any Lawful business” will not be accepted.

Registered Agent

The name of the Registered Agent and the Registered Agent address is a requirement. The Registered Agent will accept communications from courts and the Secretary of State on behalf of the NH LLC.

Management

A requirement of the Articles is to state whether the management of the LLC is or is not vested in a manager or managers.

New Hampshire LLC Filing

Steps to Form a New Hampshire LLC:

1. Give Your New Hampshire LLC a Name: Your New Hampshire LLC must be given a name. Whatever name you choose, it must conform to the law as laid out by RSA 304-C:32, which states that you must include one of the following business indicators: Limited Liability Company, LLC, or L.L.C.You cannot register a name that is already being used by another company in New Hampshire. To check for availability, you can do a business entity search on the Secretary of State website.
2. File a Certificate of Formation: To form a New Hampshire LLC, you must submit a Certificate of Formation to the Corporations Division. A Certificate of Formation lists basic information concerning your limited liability company, such as your company name, business address and New Hampshire registered agent.You can file the Certificate of Formation by mail, in person or online. Online filings are advised, as they are processed within two business days, whereas mailed filing generally take two weeks.The Corporations Division charges $100 to process the LLC formation. After your filing is accepted, a filed-stamped copy will be issued within 30 days. If you do not receive confirmation of acceptance, you should contact the Corporations Division.
3. Write Your Operating Agreement: A New Hampshire LLC is governed by its Operating Agreement, an internal document written by your LLC members. An Operating Agreement can be likened to a blueprint for your company: it details the ownership of your company and your management structure.An Operating Agreement lists your initial members, their addresses and their initial capital contributions. Capital contributions (usually monetary) are given in exchange for an ownership percentage in your New Hampshire LLC.The management structure of your company is also addressed in the Operating Agreement. It is here that you will determine whether your LLC will be managed by its members or by a designated manager. A manager (or managers) can be a member or a third-party. The responsibilities and duties of both members and managers should be clearly detailed in the Operating Agreement.It is also important to address issues such as how membership can be bought and sold, how distributions will be allocated, how annual meetings will be conducted, and other such housekeeping issues.
4. Apply for an Employer Identification Number: Not every New Hampshire LLC will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN), although it will be necessary for most. If you have employees, you must obtain one. An EIN is obtained through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You can check on their website to see if your company will need an EIN or not.
5. Open Business Bank Accounts: A New Hampshire LLC will need a business account if you intend to process any monetary transactions. Your bank will need business documents that prove your New Hampshire LLC exists, such as a copy of your Certificate of Formation and your Operating Agreement. The bank will also likely ask for documentation indicating that whoever is opening the account has the authority to do so.It is best to call the bank where you wish to open the account. Every bank is different. Each branch will have its own unique requirements.
6. File an Annual Report: Every year after you form a New Hampshire LLC, you will be required to file an Annual Report. The reporting period is between January 1 and April 1. There is a $100 filing fee. Late Annual Reports will be assessed an additional $50.You can file a New Hampshire LLC Annual Report online.
7. Submit Beneficial Ownership Information Report: You must a file a BOI report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network after formation, starting January 1, 2024. The BOI report is free to file and must be submitted online.

What is a Business Purpose?

On your Certificate of Formation, you must include the basic purpose of your New Hampshire LLC. You cannot write (as you can in most states) “any lawful activity.” You must indicate the nature of your business, such as “software consulting” or “heating and air-conditioning installation and repair.” This does not have to be overly detailed. A single sentence will do.

Do I Have to Include My Principal Business Information?

No. You can leave the principal business information section of your Certificate of Formation blank. If you do so, the Corporations Division will use the address of your New Hampshire registered agent in its place.

Is the Information in My Filing Public?

Yes. The information listed in your Certificate of Formation will be in the public record. This includes the name and signatory of anyone who signs the document.

What is a Federal Beneficial Ownership Information Report Filing?

As a newly-formed LLC, you’ll probably need to submit a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The BOI report provides the federal government with basic information about your LLC and the people with the most power over your business decisions and profits. Starting January 1, 2024, this report is due following company formation. This report is a little complicated, but we can make filing painless with our $9 BOI report filing service.

Why Hire Corporate Filing Solutions to Form Your New Hampshire LLC?

Starting your LLC in New Hampshire shouldn’t be a hassle or a time consumer. That’s why we offer Filings Made Easy™ to make starting an LLC in New Hampshire super easy.

Hire us and relax while our filing experts form your new New Hampshire LLC. Our staff will process orders the same business day as they are received. To make things even easier, we bundle the first year of Registered Agent service and ensure your New Hampshire LLC comes fully equipped and ready to do its job.

Start your LLC in New Hampshire and get Registered Agent service for as low as $55 a year.