Business licenses and permits in New Jersey

What applies everywhere in New Jersey

16 requirements are set by New Jersey itself and apply whichever city you open in. Local permits sit on top of them.

Sources

Every statewide figure above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

1. New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services — filing feesNew Jersey Department of the Treasury · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
2. New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission — auto body repair facility license packetNew Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
3. 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
4. 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
5. New Jersey form NJ-REG — business registration application, marked no fee requiredNew Jersey Department of the Treasury · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
6. New Jersey Division of Revenue — business registration certificate, and what it is actually required forNew Jersey Department of the Treasury · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
7. New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services — getting registered, updated 1 July 2026New Jersey Department of the Treasury · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
8. New Jersey Legislature — bill status for A5325 (identical bill S4534), 'Reduces business formation fees,' sponsored by Freiman, Burzichelli and Amato, showing '6/30/2026 Approved P.L.2026, c.24'New Jersey Legislature, Office of Legislative Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
9. Governor Sherrill Takes Action on Legislation (posted 6/30/2026) — the Governor's own bill-signing announcement, listing 'A-5325/S-4534 (Freiman/Burzichelli, Amato) - Reduces business formation fees' among that day's signed billsOffice of the Governor of New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
10. New Jersey Administrative Code title 8, chapter 24 — sanitation in retail food establishments, including the food protection manager ruleNew Jersey Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
11. New Jersey Administrative Code title 3A, chapter 52 — manual of requirements for child care centers, including the three-year licensing fee tableNew Jersey Department of Children and Families · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
12. New Jersey Administrative Code title 3A, chapter 54 — manual of requirements for family child care registrationNew Jersey Department of Children and Families · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
13. New Jersey Drug Control Unit — initial application for controlled dangerous substances registrationNew Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
14. New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling — application to operate a new shopNew Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
15. New Jersey Administrative Code chapter 13:28 — Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling fee schedule (Internet Archive capture of the official document, 20 February 2025; the live file now returns 404)New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
16. New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — fee schedule adoption, effective 2 June 2025New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
17. New Jersey Business Action Center — new business checklistNew Jersey Business Action Center · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
18. New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs — home improvement contractor application for initial registrationNew Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
19. New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers — reinstatement application, showing the biennial renewal feeNew Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
20. Township of Hamilton, Mercer County — retail food license fees by risk typeTownship of Hamilton Division of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
21. Township of Randolph, Morris County — food license feesRandolph Township Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
22. New Jersey Administrative Code chapter 13:44 — Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, whose complete fee schedule contains no premises fee (Internet Archive capture of the official document, 26 May 2025; the live file now returns 404)New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Which New Jersey city are you opening in?

• Camden County, NJCamden County, New Jersey, seat the City of Camden. The New Jersey Division of Taxation's county and municipal code list names 36 municipalities: Audubon, Audubon Park, Barrington, Bellmawr, Berlin Borough, Berlin Township, Brooklawn, Camden City, Cherry Hill, Chesilhurst, Clementon, Collingswood, Gibbsboro, Gloucester City, Gloucester Township, Haddon Township, Haddonfield, Haddon Heights, Hi-Nella, Laurel Springs, Lawnside, Lindenwold, Magnolia, Merchantville, Mount Ephraim, Oaklyn, Pennsauken, Pine Hill, Runnemede, Somerdale, Stratford, Tavistock, Voorhees, Waterford, Winslow and Woodlynne. According to the NJ Department of Health directory dated 10/05/2026, the Camden County Department of Health & Human Services is the local health department for all of them, so county food, mobile food, pool, body art, animal facility and septic records apply countywide. The Department of Public Works issues permits for work and driveways on county roads under its Permit Book adopted August 17, 2023, and the County Planning Board reviews subdivisions and site plans that affect county roads or drainage facilities. Each municipality runs its own mercantile licensing, construction office, zoning and municipal licenses, which stack on the county records here; the county's kennel page, for example, tells operators to contact their municipality regarding local licensing, zoning, construction and fire requirements. The population figure of 533,988 is the 2024 Census estimate supplied with the assignment.10 published records
• Jersey City, NJHudson County plays no confirmed role in Jersey City's business or food licensing — the city's own Division of Environmental Health runs it directly. A widely-advertised '$15,000 contractor bond' is directly contradicted by the 2018 ordinance that repealed it. Chapter 160, the master fee table several other chapters point to, was blocked throughout this research.10 published records
• Burlington County, NJBurlington County, New Jersey, seat Mount Holly. The New Jersey Department of Health's Directory of Local Health Departments, dated 10/05/2026, lists the 40 municipalities the Burlington County Health Department serves: Bass River, Beverly, Bordentown City, Bordentown Township, Burlington City, Burlington Township, Chesterfield, Cinnaminson, Delanco, Delran, Eastampton, Edgewater Park, Evesham, Fieldsboro, Florence, Hainesport, Lumberton, Mansfield, Maple Shade, Medford, Medford Lakes, Moorestown, Mount Holly, Mount Laurel, New Hanover, North Hanover, Palmyra, Pemberton Borough, Pemberton Township, Riverside, Riverton, Shamong, Southampton, Springfield, Tabernacle, Washington, Westampton, Willingboro, Woodland and Wrightstown. The county records here are the Health Department's plan review and application fees for retail food, mobile and temporary food, body art, public bathing and kennel or pet shop facilities, its septic and well permits, the Weights and Measures Division's scale certification for food sold by the pound, the County Planning Board's site plan review under the Land Development Review Resolution (April 2024), and the Engineering Division's road occupancy, road opening and driveway access permits on county roads. Each municipality runs its own zoning, construction, fire and municipal licensing, which stack on these county records: the Health Department's retail food and body art packets state that the 'Applicant must apply to the township for all necessary permits (including, but not limited to zoning, construction, plumbing, fire, electrical, etc.)', and the county's Retail Food Program page states that 'Construction permits, change of owner permits and other licenses may be required by the local municipality.' The population figure of 475,515 is the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimate supplied with the assignment.9 published records
• Newark, NJNewark licenses about 43 enumerated business categories individually rather than issuing one general business license. The city's own Department of Health and Community Wellness runs food-service permitting, not Essex County. ecode360.com blocked direct automated fetch on every attempt; ordinance figures were retrieved through a read-proxy and cross-checked against live city pages where possible.9 published records
• Middlesex County, NJMiddlesex County, New Jersey, seat New Brunswick. The county's Office of Health Services, within the Department of Public Safety and Health, provides health inspection services in the communities listed on its own page, which names 22 municipalities receiving contracted comprehensive public health services. According to the same page, Edison, South Brunswick and Woodbridge 'maintain their own health departments', with only limited county contracts for select programmes. The Environmental Health Division handles septic approvals, and the Office of Public Works issues road permits for driveway approaches and work in the county right-of-way; the road permit page states that fees are to be paid according to the scope of the project and publishes no dollar amount. Municipal licenses and permits sit alongside the county items recorded here and are not itemised here. The population figure of 890,119 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.8 published records
• Paterson, NJPaterson runs its own municipal Health Division for food permitting, mercantile licensing and food-handler certification — Passaic County plays no confirmed role. A genuine general Mercantile License applies to nearly every business, unlike NJ cities that license only specific trades.8 published records
• Monmouth County, NJMonmouth County, New Jersey, seat Freehold Borough. The county's municipalities page lists 53 municipalities. The Monmouth County Health Department (Office of Public Health, under the Monmouth County Board of Health) says on its About page that it is one of five health departments in the county and serves these 34 municipalities: Aberdeen, Allentown, Asbury Park, Atlantic Highlands, Avon, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Eatontown, Englishtown, Farmingdale, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Howell, Keansburg, Keyport, Lake Como, Little Silver, Manasquan, Marlboro, Matawan, Middletown, Millstone, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Oceanport, Ocean Township, Red Bank, Roosevelt, Shrewsbury Borough, Shrewsbury Township, Union Beach, Upper Freehold and West Long Branch. Freehold Borough is not on that list; according to the Freehold Area Health Department's own page, that department serves Freehold Township, Freehold Borough, Manalapan Township, Tinton Falls Borough and Wall Township. In its member towns the county Board of Health charges plan review and re-inspection fees under its Program and Service Fee Ordinance (Ordinance 1-2020). Its plan review forms state that the Health Department does not license or issue permits and that licenses and permits are issued by the municipality. The Division of Engineering issues Road/Bridge Permits for work in the county right-of-way, and the Planning Board's Development Review Committee reviews site plans and subdivisions affecting county roads and drainage facilities. Each municipality's own licenses, permits, building and zoning approvals sit alongside these county records and are not itemised in this entry. The population figure of 647,520 is the 2024 Census estimate supplied with the assignment.7 published records
• Ocean County, NJOcean County, New Jersey, seat Toms River. The Ocean County Health Department is the local board of health for 27 of the county's 33 municipalities, according to the New Jersey Department of Health local health department directory. The same directory assigns six municipalities on Long Beach Island to the Long Beach Island Health Department. The county-level records here are the Health Department's retail food, mobile food, temporary food and recreational bathing items, the State Superintendent's weights and measures registration, and the county Department of Engineering's road opening permit. Each incorporated municipality issues its own business licenses, building permits and zoning approvals, which stack on any county record and are not itemised in this entry. The population figure of 666,434 is the 2024 figure supplied with the assignment.7 published records
• Bergen County, NJBergen County, New Jersey, seat Hackensack. Its municipalities are listed on the county's Municipalities page. The county-level records here follow the county road and drainage network: County Planning Board site plan review for development along county roads or affecting county drainage facilities, outdoor dining encroachment agreements in the county right-of-way, permits to connect to a county storm drain, and the Department of Public Works road opening permit. A fifth record covers commercial weighing and measuring devices, which are registered with the State and inspected by the county Division of Weights & Measures. Municipal items and local board of health items are outside the scope of this entry and are not itemised here. The population figure of 978,641 is the 2024 Census estimate supplied with the assignment.5 published records
• Essex County, NJEssex County, New Jersey, seat Newark. The county's 22 municipalities are Belleville, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Cedar Grove, East Orange, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair, Newark, North Caldwell, Nutley, Orange, Roseland, South Orange, Verona, West Caldwell and West Orange. The county-level records here come from the Essex County Code: the County Planning Board's site plan and subdivision review fees under §44-7, including the license to connect to the County's stormwater system; the road opening permit for work in a County road right-of-way under Chapter 44, Article VII; the fees for signs in a County road right-of-way under §44-25; and the one-day vending permit fee for County parks under §74-30, with vending under the authority of the Director of Parks per §74-27B. For health services, the county's health page lists the local health department for each municipality. Each municipality's own building, zoning, health and business licensing stacks on these county records and is not itemised in this entry. The population figure of 881,527 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.4 published records
• Hudson County, NJHudson County, New Jersey, seat Jersey City. The county has 12 municipalities: Bayonne, East Newark, Guttenberg, Harrison, Hoboken, Jersey City, Kearny, North Bergen, Secaucus, Union City, Weehawken and West New York, as listed on the municipalities page of the Hudson Regional Health Commission's Air Pollution Control Code. Environmental health permits for the county run through the Hudson Regional Health Commission, a regional agency rather than county government. The county items recorded here are the County Engineer's road opening and curb/driveway permits, County Planning Board site plan review for sites on county roads or affecting county drainage, and weights and measures inspection, with device registration held by the State. The population figure of 736,185 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.4 published records
• Morris County, NJMorris County, New Jersey, seat Morristown. New Jersey is fully incorporated, and each of Morris County's 39 municipalities runs its own zoning, building, health and business licensing, which stacks on the county records here and is not itemised in this entry. The county-level records are the Division of Engineering & Transportation's Road Opening / Driveway Permit for work in a county road right-of-way; the County Planning Board's land development review of site plans and subdivisions on a county road or with more than one acre of impervious coverage, under the county Land Development Standards; the Morris County Park Commission's vendor permit for vendors contracted by a permit holder at events on Park Commission property; and the County Fire Marshal's food truck / trailer permit for events on county-owned or county-occupied premises. The Park Commission's event page states that it 'does not issue health permits' and sends food vendors to the local health department for the park or facility. The population figure of 523,053 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.4 published records

These are the 12 New Jersey jurisdictions where we publish the most. All 16 jurisdictions we cover lists the other 4.

Is there a single New Jersey business license?

Who issues permits in New Jersey?

• New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise ServicesEntity formation · Annual reports · Business registration (NJ-REG)5 permits
• New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection ProgramRetail food code · Food protection manager requirements · Oversight of local boards of health2 permits
• New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Business Licensing Services BureauAuto body repair facility licensing · Private inspection facility licensing2 permits
• New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, Division of Consumer AffairsElectrical contractor licensing · Electrical business permits1 permit
• New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Office of LicensingChild care centre licensing · Family child care registration oversight1 permit
• New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Drug Control UnitControlled dangerous substances registration1 permit
• New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Office of Consumer Protection, Regulated Business SectionHome improvement contractor registration · Home elevation contractor registration1 permit
• New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling, Division of Consumer AffairsShop licensing for cosmetology, barbering, skin care, manicuring and hair braiding1 permit
• New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers, Division of Consumer AffairsMaster plumber licensing · Medical gas piping certification1 permit
• New Jersey State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, Division of Consumer AffairsVeterinarian licensing1 permit

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