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11 permits · verified 2026-10-09

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Hudson County?

In short

A contractor or trade in Hudson County, NJ has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. New Jersey Office of Weights and Measures, Division of Consumer Affairs charges $25 per scale for scales up to 1,000 lb, but not more than $200.00 per commercial location (N.J.A.C. 13:47F-1.7(a)(1)(i)); paid to the State Superintendent for the commercial weighing and measuring device registration (state registration, county inspection). 2 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Hudson County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
County Road Opening Permit (Excavation on a County Road, Including Work Near a County Bridge)only if it applies to youHudson County Department of Roads and Public Property, Office of the County EngineerAs printed in both the county's online Street Opening and Excavations application (Fee Schedule tab) and the fee schedule page of its Permit Information Packet: application fee $50.00 (normal) or $200.00 (non-reported opening); permit fee $100.00 minimum for an opening up to 20 sq ft, and $100.00 minimum for each of multiple openings; openings over 20 sq ft are charged under the size tiers of the county schedule (contact the Office of the County Engineer, 201-369-4340, for the amount for a given opening); road opening bond $5,000.00 minimum up to 20 sq ft, $5,000.00 plus $20.00 per sq ft over 20 sq ft, $5,000.00 minimum for each of multiple openings, and $50,000.00 or as determined by the County Engineer on roads paved within the last 5 years. Bridge permits: application fee $100.00; permit fee $500.00; guarantee bond $25,000.00, or as determined by the County Engineervalid for 90 calendar days unless otherwise noted on the permit, as stated on the county's permit application (revised October 2025)2026-10-09
County Curb and Driveway Permit (Depressed or Full-Height Curb on a County Road)only if it applies to youHudson County Department of Roads and Public Property, Office of the County EngineerAs printed in both the county's online Street Opening and Excavations application (Fee Schedule tab) and the fee schedule page of its Permit Information Packet: application fee $50.00; permit fee $1.00 per linear foot, $100.00 minimum, for a depressed curb (driveway opening) or full-height curb; guarantee bond $5,000.00 for a single driveway and $10,000.00 for all othersvalid for 90 calendar days unless otherwise noted on the permit, as stated on the county's permit application (revised October 2025)2026-10-09
Home Improvement Contractor Registrationonly if it applies to youNew Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Office of Consumer Protection, Regulated Business Section$110 initial registration, non-refundable; $90 to renewannual — expires 31 March2026-09-03
Master Plumber Licenseonly if it applies to youNew Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers, Division of Consumer Affairs$160 biennial renewal; the initial license is $160 or $80 by year of the cyclebiennial — expires 30 June of odd-numbered years2026-09-03
Electrical Contractor License and Business Permitonly if it applies to youNew Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, Division of Consumer Affairs$225 triennial license renewal, plus a $150 triennial business permittriennial — the current period runs to 31 March 20272026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Hudson County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Commercial Weighing and Measuring Device Registration (State Registration, County Inspection)New Jersey Office of Weights and Measures, Division of Consumer Affairs$25 per scale for scales up to 1,000 lb, but not more than $200.00 per commercial location (N.J.A.C. 13:47F-1.7(a)(1)(i)); paid to the State Superintendentone year from the date of issuance (N.J.S.A. 51:1-54.2(c)); renewed annually2026-10-06

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

NJ registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youNew Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services$75 a year; $30 for a nonprofitannual — due the last day of the entity's anniversary month2026-09-03
General Business License — New Jersey Business Action Center Positiononly if it applies to youNew Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise ServicesNo feeset by the municipality2026-09-03
Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to youNew Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services$100 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due each anniversary month2026-09-03
Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to youNew Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services$100 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due each anniversary month2026-09-03
Business Registration (Form NJ-REG)New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise ServicesNo feeone-time registration — no renewal2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Hudson County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a contractor or trade in Hudson County, NJ, 2 apply to every business of this type and 9 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

Of the 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $25.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 11 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

County Road Opening Permit (Excavation on a County Road, Including Work Near a County Bridge): As printed in both the county's online Street Opening and Excavations application (Fee Schedule tab) and the fee schedule page of its Permit Information Packet: application fee $50.00 (normal) or $200.00 (non-reported opening); permit fee $100.00 minimum for an opening up to 20 sq ft, and $100.00 minimum for each of multiple openings; openings over 20 sq ft are charged under the size tiers of the county schedule (contact the Office of the County Engineer, 201-369-4340, for the amount for a given opening); road opening bond $5,000.00 minimum up to 20 sq ft, $5,000.00 plus $20.00 per sq ft over 20 sq ft, $5,000.00 minimum for each of multiple openings, and $50,000.00 or as determined by the County Engineer on roads paved within the last 5 years. Bridge permits: application fee $100.00; permit fee $500.00; guarantee bond $25,000.00, or as determined by the County Engineer

County Curb and Driveway Permit (Depressed or Full-Height Curb on a County Road): As printed in both the county's online Street Opening and Excavations application (Fee Schedule tab) and the fee schedule page of its Permit Information Packet: application fee $50.00; permit fee $1.00 per linear foot, $100.00 minimum, for a depressed curb (driveway opening) or full-height curb; guarantee bond $5,000.00 for a single driveway and $10,000.00 for all others

Which offices issue these permits in Hudson County?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Hudson County, NJ come from 6 separate offices: Hudson County Department of Roads and Public Property, Office of the County Engineer, New Jersey Office of Weights and Measures, Division of Consumer Affairs, New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Office of Consumer Protection, Regulated Business Section, New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers, Division of Consumer Affairs, New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, Division of Consumer Affairs. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a contractor or trade need in Hudson County that other businesses do not?

5 of the 5 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Hudson County: County Road Opening Permit (Excavation on a County Road, Including Work Near a County Bridge), County Curb and Driveway Permit (Depressed or Full-Height Curb on a County Road), Home Improvement Contractor Registration and 2 more.

County Road Opening Permit (Excavation on a County Road, Including Work Near a County Bridge)

The county's permit application, in the Permit Information Packet of the Office of the County Engineer (application and conditions pages marked 'Revised October 2025'), states that the application must be made and approved before any work is started, except in cases of emergency, that all work must conform to Hudson County Ordinance 116-2-1999 as amended, and that permits are valid for 90 calendar days unless otherwise noted on the permit. The same application covers curb, sidewalk, bridge, traffic plan and dumpster permits. The fee figures are those printed alike in two county documents: the Fee Schedule tab of the county's online Street Opening and Excavations application, linked from the county Engineering page, and the fee schedule page of the Permit Information Packet, which carries the marking 'Revised June 2019'. The two documents word the permit-fee tiers for openings over 20 sq ft differently, so no figure is given here for those tiers. The online application's conditions also require a certificate of insurance naming the County of Hudson as additional insured, the active licenses of every contractor and subcontractor working on the county roadway, 48 hours' notice to the County Engineer before work starts, and proof that the One Call damage prevention system (1-800-272-1000) has been notified. The permit applies to work on a county road.

County Curb and Driveway Permit (Depressed or Full-Height Curb on a County Road)

The county's permit application in the Permit Information Packet of the Office of the County Engineer (revised October 2025) lists curb work among the permits it covers and asks for the total linear feet of standard and depressed curb. The fee figures are those printed alike in the Fee Schedule tab of the county's online Street Opening and Excavations application, linked from the county Engineering page, and in the fee schedule page of the Permit Information Packet, which carries the marking 'Revised June 2019'; the packet labels the two bond amounts as minimums. A business cutting a new driveway or changing the curb in front of its premises on a county road needs this permit, usually obtained by its contractor. The application states that permits are valid for 90 calendar days unless otherwise noted on the permit, and that the work must conform to Hudson County Ordinance 116-2-1999 as amended. The Office of the County Engineer is at 830 Bergen Avenue, Floor 6B, Jersey City, 201-369-4340.

Home Improvement Contractor Registration

Registration rather than licensure, and the money is the smallest part of it. Half a million dollars of commercial general liability cover is required for each occurrence, a million for home elevation, plus workers' compensation, and since 2024 an additional security deposit banded by contract value — $10,000, $25,000 or $50,000 depending on the size of the job and of the previous year's book. The regimes do not stack by default: architects, engineers, land surveyors, electrical contractors and master plumbers acting within their own scope are statutorily exempt from this registration. A separate individual home improvement license was created by the same 2023 act but remains inoperative until the new board makes rules, so it is not recorded here. One conflict worth knowing: the department's own consolidated rule compilation still prints the older $90 and $75 figures, and it is demonstrably stale — the live application says $110.

Master Plumber License

Unlike electrical contracting there is no separate business permit for plumbers; the security requirement is instead a $3,000 surety bond running with the biennial license. The application fee is $100 without a prior registration or $50 with one, and reinstating a lapsed license costs $150 on top of the renewals owed. Master plumbers are among the trades statutorily exempt from home improvement contractor registration when working within their scope, so the two do not stack.

Electrical Contractor License and Business Permit

Two instruments, both mandatory, and the second is the one people miss: a licensed electrical contractor may not perform electrical contracting work without also holding a business permit, which costs $150 for the triennium and requires a $1,000 surety bond and $300,000 of general liability cover. All business permits expire on 31 March 2027 regardless of when they were issued, so a permit bought late in the cycle is short. The application fee is $100 on top, and the initial license is prorated by year of the cycle at $225, $150 or $75. Continuing education is thirty-four hours per triennium. The board's own slide deck still quotes a $90 renewal; that is stale.

The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Hudson County, NJ; what each one involves is set out on the Hudson County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NJ and are covered on the NJ state page.

How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Hudson County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs County Road Opening Permit (Excavation on a County Road, Including Work Near a County Bridge), County Curb and Driveway Permit (Depressed or Full-Height Curb on a County Road), Home Improvement Contractor Registration and 2 more. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Motor Vehicle Commission Position (New Jersey) and Auto Body Repair Facility License, which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Hudson County, NJ, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops2052
Childcare centres1051
Coffee shops2052
Fitness studios0050
Food trucks2052
Restaurants2052
Retail stores0050
Salons and barbers1051
Veterinary clinics2052

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Hudson County permits page and the NJ state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Hudson County Street Opening and Excavations Permit Application, Fee Schedule tab (online form linked from the county Engineering page)Hudson County, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  2. Hudson County Department of Roads and Public Property, Division of Engineering pageHudson County, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
  3. New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs — home improvement contractor application for initial registrationNew Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  4. 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
  5. 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

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.