The complete guide to a New Hampshire certificate of authority for an out-of-state entity

The form depends on the entity. An LLC files Form FLLC-1, a professional LLC uses Form FPLLC-1, a for-profit corporation files Form 40 and a nonprofit files Form FNP-1. If you are a partnership, write to us before ordering. The rest of this guide covers the LLC and corporation routes, which share most of their steps.

Most entities use their home name. The LLC statute requires the name to include the words limited liability company or an abbreviation such as L.L.C. or LLC, be a name a domestic LLC could register, avoid implying a purpose the act does not permit, and be distinguishable from the names of entities already on the state records. If the exact name is taken, a trade name application adds $50, and a corporation must also supply a board resolution signed by its secretary.

The LLC form states that the company is in good standing, having filed all reports and paid all fees. A corporation's application affirms the same. Neither form attaches a certificate, but a false statement is a revocation ground for an LLC, so look at the home record before the signature.

An LLC form is signed by a person with authority to sign for the LLC under the law of its home jurisdiction, or a court-appointed fiduciary if the LLC is in the hands of one. A corporation's form is signed by the chairman of the board of directors, the president or another officer. Decide who signs before you start, because the statements on the form are made in that person's name.

Processing depends on the filing type and the season, and on the QuickStart page the office posts its current date. A corporation form sent by post is acknowledged with a stamped copy inside 30 days once accepted, and a cashed check is not proof of acceptance.

An LLC amends its application if it changes its name or its home state, on Form FLLC-2 for $35. A corporation amends on Form 42 for $35. Both entity types swap an agent or office on Form 10 at $15.

The report restates the LLC name and home jurisdiction, the registered office and agent, the principal office, the names and business addresses of its managers or at least one member, and a brief description of the business. Its figures are stated as of January 1 of the year the report is due. Filing goes through QuickStart, and an entity with no changes can use One Click. If the state returns a report for missing information, a corrected one delivered within 30 days of the notice still counts as on time.

A professional LLC uses Form FPLLC-1 at $100. A foreign nonprofit uses Form FNP-1 at $25, and tells us before it orders. For a limited partnership or LLP, ask us for a quote first.

The LLC chapter and the corporation act were written separately, which is why the forms differ. The LLC chapter lists what is not doing business and sets its own revocation grounds. The corporation act gives the foreign corporation the same rights and duties as a domestic one. For most owners the practical result is only that the forms ask slightly different questions.

All of this can be done without us, and the DIY page shows how. Prefer help? We fill in the form for your entity, test the agent and signer, and submit it. Our charge is $199, apart from the state fee.

A Texas corporation opens a warehouse in Nashua. Its president signs Form 40, which lists the directors and officers and names a New Hampshire agent. The fee is $100. A filed-stamped copy should arrive within 30 days of acceptance, and the first annual report follows at $100.

As of October 13, 2026 the QuickStart page said processing may run up to 5 business days, and a pending filing can be expedited in person for $25 more. That notice is dated and changes with the season.

A report that is 60 days late, 60 days without an agent or office, a knowingly false document or a dissolution at home can each lead to revocation of an LLC's registration, after written notice and a 60 day cure period. The report page covers reinstatement.

Registration means the LLC approval under RSA 304-C:175. Certificate of authority means the corporation approval under RSA 293-A:15.03. Good standing means the entity has filed its reports and paid its fees where it was formed. A trade name is the substitute name used when the exact name is unavailable. The registered agent receives legal papers, and the registered office is the agent's street address.

Exact home name and punctuation. Principal office street address. Names and business addresses of directors and officers. Registered agent and office. An officer to sign. Home standing confirmed. A way to pay $100, and a trade name application and board resolution if the name is taken.

In the first weeks you gather facts, choose the agent and confirm home standing. Then you sign and file. Once the record comes back calendar the January to April window and tell your agent the registration is live.

Neither New Hampshire form attaches a home certificate, so a slow home office does not stop the filing. What matters is that the statement on the form is true, which you can check from the home state's public record or its own filings.