New Jersey — statewide
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Business Licensing Services Bureau
In short
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Business Licensing Services Bureau issues 2 permits we publish for New Jersey — statewide, last verified 2026-09-03. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Motor Vehicle Commission Position (New Jersey)only if it applies to you | New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Business Licensing Services Bureau | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-03 |
| Auto Body Repair Facility Licenseonly if it applies to you | New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Business Licensing Services Bureau | $350 biennial license, plus a $20 non-refundable application fee | biennial — in force until 30 September of every other year | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Motor Vehicle Commission Position (New Jersey)
The Motor Vehicle Commission's business licensing FAQ states that 'The MVC will only license repair facilities that repair vehicles that have been damaged because of a collision,' so there is no state license fee for a general mechanical repair shop; the same FAQ refers complaints about mechanical repairs to the Division of Consumer Affairs. What a general shop does owe is conduct rather than licensure: written authorisation before work begins, a written estimate, a copy of everything the customer signs, and the deceptive practices rules enforced under the Consumer Fraud Act — plus tax registration and usually a municipal mercantile license. One warning: some sources cite an administrative code section for repair dealer licensing that is incoherent and in any case applies to auto body work only.
Auto Body Repair Facility License
Collision work is where New Jersey does license, and doing it unlicensed carries penalties up to $5,000 for a first offence and $20,000 after. There is no surety bond; instead $300,000 of garage liability cover, $50,000 of garage keepers' liability and workers' compensation. Three classes exist — full service, limited, which cannot paint and must subcontract in writing, and new dealer sublet, which by rule is confined to new car dealers, so a used-car dealer doing collision work needs its own full or limited license. One license covers one site with no branches. At least one employee, or a tenth of the staff, must have completed a recognised training course in the year before applying or renewing. Since 2016 only the $20 is collected up front, with the $350 billed after preliminary approval and a site inspection. Restoration work on undamaged vehicles is outside the regime.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- New Jersey — statewide
- Phone
- (609) 292-6500
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- New Jersey Administrative Code chapter 13:45A, subchapter 26C — automotive repair, which imposes disclosure duties and creates no licenseNew Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission — auto body repair facility license packetNew Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission — business licensing FAQ, confirming only collision repair facilities are licensedNew Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Other New Jersey statewide offices
- New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services
- New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection Program
- New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, Division of Consumer Affairs
- New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Office of Licensing
- New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Drug Control Unit
- New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Office of Consumer Protection, Regulated Business Section
- New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling, Division of Consumer Affairs
- New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers, Division of Consumer Affairs
- New Jersey State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, Division of Consumer Affairs
New Jersey jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.