2 published records
Business licenses and permits in Mercer County, New Jersey
Mercer County, New Jersey, seat Trenton. The county's twelve municipalities are East Windsor, Ewing, Hamilton, Hightstown, Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township, Lawrence, Pennington, Princeton, Robbinsville, Trenton and West Windsor. The county-level records here follow the county road network: the Highway Division's Road Construction Permit and Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit for work in a county road or right-of-way, including a new or modified driveway onto a county road, under Chapter 5.03 of the Mercer County Code, and the County Planning Board's site plan and subdivision review under the Land Development Ordinance adopted May 23, 2024, with fees in Code Chapter 4.09. For health services, the county's Local Health Offices page states: "Mercer County’s 12 municipalities provide services through local health offices." 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 392,138 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.
What are you opening in Mercer County?
- RestaurantsFull-service restaurants carry the densest permit load of any small business: food, fire, occupancy, waste, and usually alcohol.See the full permit list
- Coffee shopsCafés are permitted as food service establishments even where no cooking happens, and the plan review step catches most operators by surprise.See the full permit list
- Retail storesRetail is the lightest common permit load, but the sales tax permit and the certificate of occupancy are non-negotiable in every jurisdiction.See the full permit list
- Salons and barbersPersonal care is licensed at state board level as well as locally, so the shop license and the practitioner licenses are separate obligations.See the full permit list
- Fitness studiosPrepaid memberships trigger state registration and often a surety bond, which catches operators who budgeted only for the fit-out.See the full permit list
- Childcare centresThe heaviest permit load of any small business: state agency licensing, per-person background checks, and a stricter fire standard than ordinary commercial use.See the full permit list
- Contractors and tradesLicensed at state board level rather than locally, and the only common category with no premises permits at all — the bond is usually the long pole.See the full permit list
- Auto repair shopsOrdinary commercial permitting plus an environmental layer: waste oil, solvents and stormwater are each registered separately.See the full permit list
- Veterinary clinicsA state facility permit, controlled substances registration at both state and federal level, and a medical waste manifest — none of which a general business license covers.See the full permit list
Permits that apply to every type of business in Mercer County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Planning Board Site Plan and Subdivision Review (Sites on a County Road or With 1 Acre or More of Impervious Surface)only if it applies to you | Mercer County Planning Board, Department of Planning (Land Development Committee) | Per Mercer County Code Chapter 4.09 (Ord. 2024-11, adopted 8-15-2024). Site plan: preliminary review fee $500; commercial and industrial fee $0.15 per interior square foot of building, only for projects over 10,000 square feet, with the first 10,000 square feet waived; parking fee $20 per parking space (new and existing); residential dwelling unit fee $20 per market-rate unit (affordable units exempt); final administrative fee $300; total site plan fees not to exceed $20,000 per application. Corridor Enhancement Fee $30 per linear foot of county-road frontage (site plans along county roads only). Waiver or Letter of No Impact $100; minor site plan or subdivision revision $250; signing of filing plats $150 per plan set; small wireless facility or cell tower application $500. Subdivision: minor $300 plus $50 per lot; major preliminary $600 plus $50 per lot; major final administrative $400; total subdivision fees not to exceed $20,000 per application | approval valid for the same period of time as the associated municipal approval (Land Development Ordinance Vol. I §I) | 2026-10-10 |
| County Road Construction Permit / Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit (Including New or Modified Driveways on a County Road)only if it applies to you | Mercer County Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, Highway Division | Per the county's 2025 permit application form, linked from the Highway Division page. Road Construction Permit: single or common residential driveway $250.00 each; non-residential access $400.00 per access; transverse trench $250.00; longitudinal trench $400.00 up to 100 linear feet plus $150.00 per additional 100 linear feet or part; street intersection $400.00; roadway modification (auxiliary lanes or widening) $2.00 per square yard; curbing $2.00 per linear foot; pavement marking modification $100.00; guiderail modification $1.00 per linear foot; traffic signal modification $250.00; drainage structure modification $250.00; paving access driveway $100.00; temporary driveway / construction access $250.00 (12 months maximum). Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit: longitudinal trench $100.00 up to 100 linear feet plus $100.00 per additional 100 linear feet or part; sidewalk $500.00; sign installation $50.00 each; other encroachment within the right-of-way (lane or shoulder closure and similar) $250.00. Other: application re-submittal $100.00; re-inspection $75.00; violation assessment for unauthorized work $750.00 each. Fees are waived when the work is part of a site plan approved by Mercer County (Code §5.03.030(C)(3)) | expires one year from the date of issuance; if work has not begun within that year, a new application and a new fee are required (Code §5.03.030(D)(2)) | 2026-10-10 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
What do these permits involve in Mercer County?
County Planning Board Site Plan and Subdivision Review (Sites on a County Road or With 1 Acre or More of Impervious Surface)
This applies to a business building or expanding a site that affects or abuts a county road, county drainage facility or other county property. Under the Land Development Ordinance, Vol. I §III(B)(1), such site plans go to the County Planning Board, except site plans not along or abutting county roads that include 'less than a combined total of one (1) acre of existing and proposed impervious surfaces' (§III(B)(1)(a)) and single-family homes or multifamily structures of four or fewer units; all subdivisions require county approval (§III(A)(2)). A project with no impact on county roads or drainage may receive a Letter of No Impact. The fee figures are those in Code Chapter 4.09, adopted by the Board of County Commissioners on 8-15-2024 by Ordinance 2024-11, and the county's 2024 fee form prints the same schedule. Per the fee form, government agencies, 501(c)(3) organizations and public school districts pay no parking, dwelling, commercial and industrial or corridor fee, though base fees still apply; fees are non-refundable once review begins, and additional escrow may be required for an outside consultant review. The ordinance sets a penalty of $1,000 for each day construction continues without Final Approval. The Land Development page states that the county only accepts physical checks for Planning Board payments; applications are submitted electronically. Inquiries go to 609-989-6985, payment questions to 609-989-6545, and pre-application meetings for larger projects to the Office of the County Engineer at (609) 989-6600.
County Road Construction Permit / Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit (Including New or Modified Driveways on a County Road)
Under Code §5.03.030(B)(1), a Road Construction Permit or Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit is required 'for any disturbance to the roadway surface or construction of a new street or driveway access to a County road', with examples including new driveway construction, driveway apron modifications, curb installation and sign installation; §5.03.030(B)(3) requires one for each new or modified driveway or road intersection encroaching on a county road or right-of-way. A business opening or reworking an entrance on a county road therefore needs this permit, usually obtained by its contractor. Code §5.03.030(D)(1) sets the permit fee 'as shown in Attachment A of this chapter', and the code's editor's note states that Attachment A is available from the County offices. The figures here are those printed in the county's 2025 permit application form, linked from the Highway Division page; the county's 2023 form prints the same dollar figures. Fees are not refunded or credited once paid (§5.03.030(D)(3)), and inspection outside 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays is billed at the inspector's prevailing wage (§5.03.030(D)(4)). The completed application and approved permit are required at least two weeks before work starts (§5.03.030(C)(1)), and the form requires a bond based on an engineer's estimate or contractor quote. Checks are payable to County of Mercer and go to Mercer County DOT, 300 Scotch Road, Building 1, Ewing, NJ 08628. Questions about county engineering standards go to the Office of the County Engineer at (609) 989-6600.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Mercer County Code, Chapter 4.09, County Planning Board Fee Schedule (Ord. 2024-11, adopted 8-15-2024)County of Mercer, New Jersey (ecode360) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Mercer County Land Development Ordinance (adopted May 23, 2024, effective June 12, 2024)Mercer County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Mercer County Planning Board Fee Schedule form (2024)County of Mercer, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Mercer County Land Development Applications pageCounty of Mercer, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Mercer County DOT Highways Division, Application and Permit for Road Work in Mercer County (2025, with RCP/ROWOP fee schedule)County of Mercer, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Mercer County Code, Chapter 5.03 (County roads; roadway construction and right-of-way occupancy permits)County of Mercer, New Jersey (ecode360) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Mercer County Road Work Permit Application (2023 version)County of Mercer, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Mercer County Highway Division pageCounty of Mercer, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
Who issues business permits in Mercer County?
Permitting in Mercer County is split across 2 agencies we hold records for, with tax registration handled at state level. No single office issues everything, which is why an opening usually means filing in several places rather than one.
Mercer County issuing agencies
- Mercer County Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, Highway DivisionIssues Road Construction Permits (RCP) and Right-of-Way Occupancy Permits (ROWOP) for work in a county road or county right-of-way, with County Engineer approval, under Chapter 5.03 of the Mercer County Code · Collects the permit fees printed in the county's 2025 Road Work Permit Application; the Road Inspector can be reached at 609-530-75101 permit
- Mercer County Planning Board, Department of Planning (Land Development Committee)Reviews and approves subdivisions and site plans affecting or abutting county roads, county drainage facilities or other county property under the Mercer County Land Development Ordinance (effective June 12, 2024) · Collects site plan and subdivision review fees under Chapter 4.09 of the Mercer County Code (Ord. 2024-11); payment questions 609-989-65451 permit
Other New Jersey jurisdictions we cover
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.