Trade name
New Jersey Trade Names
In New Jersey a trade name for a sole proprietor or general partnership is filed with the County Clerk, not as a statewide Division of Revenue certificate. You file in each county where you operate. Filing in all 21 counties is what gives statewide coverage. An LLC or corporation that simply wants to use another name registers one alternate name with the state for $50.
New Jersey fees re-checked against the SOS schedule: November 2, 2026
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits New Jersey filings for owners. We are not the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services and we do not give legal advice. Every state and county charge passes through at the amount that office bills, and anyone can file on the state's own portal for no service fee.
- Filed online on the New Jersey business portal
- Annual report on the last day of the anniversary month
- Fees cited to the New Jersey fee schedule
- Talk to a filer: (386) 465-3937
New Jersey Trade Names: the New Jersey specifics
Trade names are county filings
Sole proprietors and general partnerships register a trade name with the County Clerk in each county where they operate (N.J.S.A. 56:1-1 and 56:1-2). Statewide protection means a filing in all 21 counties. Fees are set by each clerk. Middlesex County's published mail fee is $50 for a notarized certificate. An LLC or corporation that wants a second name files one alternate name with the state for $50 instead.
Check it: State of New JerseyMiddlesex County example
Middlesex County publishes a $50 fee for a notarized trade-name certificate filed by mail. Other counties set their own fees. We do not print a fee for a county we have not checked.
Check it: State of New JerseyAlternate name for an LLC or corporation
Alternate name registration is $50 for an LLC and $50 for a corporation. Renewal is $50 for an LLC and $25 for a corporation. One state filing covers the extra name. It is a different record from a county trade name.
Check it: New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise ServicesNew Jersey Trade Names: questions
If you will operate only under the LLC's exact name, you do not also file a county trade name. If the LLC will use a different name, file the $50 alternate name with the state.
Check it: New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise ServicesA sole proprietor or partnership files in each county where it operates. One county does not cover the others.
Check it: State of New JerseyYes. Formation and foreign authorization are filed on the New Jersey online business portal, by credit card or eCheck. Annual reports, registered-agent changes, reinstatement and closing are filed on the annual reports and change portal. Our fee is only for preparing and submitting the filing for you.
Check it: New Jersey business portalReady when you are, New Jersey.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits New Jersey filings for owners. We are not the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services and we do not give legal advice. Every state and county charge passes through at the amount that office bills, and anyone can file on the state's own portal for no service fee.