4 published records
Business licenses and permits in Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County, New Jersey, seat Paterson. The county is made up of 16 municipalities: Bloomingdale, Clifton, Haledon, Hawthorne, Little Falls, North Haledon, the City of Passaic, Paterson, Pompton Lakes, Prospect Park, Ringwood, Totowa, Wanaque, Wayne, West Milford and Woodland Park. The county-level records here follow the county road network: the County Planning Board's site plan review and Corridor Enhancement Program contribution for development along or draining to county roads, the County Engineer's Right-of-Way Access Permit for driveways and curbing on a county road, and the Division of Roads' Highway Opening and Use Permit for work in the county right-of-way. According to the county Site Plan Resolution, county site plan review comes before a municipal building official issues a building permit, so each municipality's own building, zoning and business licensing stacks on these county records and is not itemised in this entry. The population figure of 526,597 is the 2024 Census estimate supplied with the assignment.
What are you opening in Passaic 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 Passaic County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Planning Board Site Plan Review (Development on or Draining to a County Road)only if it applies to you | Passaic County Planning Board | Per the Planning Board's 2025-2027 Development Review Application fee schedule: site plan with no new residential units, $990.00 plus $17.00 per new parking space; residential (including mixed-use) site plan, $990.00 plus $33.00 per new dwelling unit; each up to a maximum fee of $12,420.00. Not-for-profit organizations pay a processing fee of $170.00 per application; there is no fee for government agencies; there is no charge for revisions. | one-time, per new submission | 2026-10-08 |
| Corridor Enhancement Program Contribution (Site Plans with County-Road Frontage)only if it applies to you | Passaic County Planning Board | $20 per linear foot of frontage on a county roadway, per the Planning Board's 2025-2027 Development Review Application fee schedule | one-time, with the site plan application | 2026-10-08 |
| Right-of-Way Access Permit (New or Modified Driveway or Curb on a County Road)only if it applies to you | Passaic County Office of the County Engineer | No fee | one-time approval per driveway or curb project; work only between April 1 and November 15 | 2026-10-08 |
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 Passaic County?
County Planning Board Site Plan Review (Development on or Draining to a County Road)
Section II of the Passaic County Site Plan Resolution states that, prior to the issuance of any building permit by a municipal building official, the site plan for any proposed land development along county roads, or which will cause storm water to drain directly or indirectly to a county road or to a drainage facility the county is responsible for, shall be submitted to the County Planning Board for review and approval. The resolution and the application form state two exemptions: site plans for housing structures containing less than five dwelling units, and site plans for land development not along a county road that include less than one acre of impervious surfaces. The fee figures are those printed in Section V of the Planning Board's 2025-2027 Development Review Application, published on the county site in February 2025. The form states that the fees cover all new submissions, defined as development, change of use and/or subdivision not previously reviewed by the county, and that no refund is made if an application is denied, withdrawn or changed. The Site Plan Resolution adjusts the fees for inflation every three years based on the Consumer Price Index. The Corridor Enhancement Program contribution is a separate line on the same schedule and is a separate record.
Corridor Enhancement Program Contribution (Site Plans with County-Road Frontage)
The Planning Board's 2025-2027 Development Review Application lists a Corridor Enhancement Program line in its Section V fee schedule, tied to the Corridor Enhancement Plan element of the Passaic County Master Plan, at $20 per linear foot of frontage on a county roadway. The figure is the one printed on that form, published on the county site in February 2025. The contribution applies to site plans with frontage on a county road and is paid with the site plan application, in addition to the site plan review fee recorded separately. The Corridor Enhancement Program itself is set out in Section VIII.A of the Passaic County Site Plan Resolution.
Right-of-Way Access Permit (New or Modified Driveway or Curb on a County Road)
The County Engineer's application form (revised 11/2023) states that the Engineer's office charges no fee for this application: 'There are no fees for this application.' The form is used to request permission for any new driveway access or the reconstruction of an existing driveway access, or to modify frontage curbing, on a county road. According to the county Road Permits page, where the driveway is part of a site plan approved by the County Planning Board, the permit is approved in most cases within five business days; otherwise a plan of the proposed work is submitted and a letter is sent within 15 business days. The form states that all work must be performed between April 1 and November 15, and that no work may start in the county right-of-way until the applicant or contractor has obtained a Highway Opening Permit from the Roads Division and posted the required bond and insurance certificate. The form states that fees, bonding and insurance are paid with that Highway Opening Permit, which is a separate record.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Passaic County Planning Board, Development Review Application 2025-2027 (fee schedule, Section V)Passaic County, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Passaic County Site Plan Resolution (adopted May 18, 1988; amended through August 19, 2014)Passaic County, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Passaic County Planning Board pagePassaic County, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Passaic County Office of the County Engineer, Right-of-Way Access Permit application (Form Revised 11/2023)Passaic County, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Passaic County Right-of-Way Access Permit ProceduresPassaic County, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Passaic County Road Permits pagePassaic County, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
Who issues business permits in Passaic County?
Permitting in Passaic County is split across 3 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.
Passaic County issuing agencies
- Passaic County Planning BoardReviews and approves site plans for land development along county roads, or development draining to county roads or county drainage facilities, under the Passaic County Site Plan Resolution · Collects site plan review fees and the Corridor Enhancement Program contribution under the 2025-2027 Development Review Application fee schedule2 permits
- Passaic County Department of Operations, Division of RoadsIssues Highway Opening and Use Permits for work in the county right-of-way under Resolution L-45 of 12/30/2015 · Collects permit fees, bonds and insurance certificates for Highway Opening Permits, as stated on the County Engineer's Right-of-Way Access Permit form1 permit
- Passaic County Office of the County EngineerIssues the Right-of-Way Access Permit for new or reconstructed driveway access and curbing on a county road, as described on the Engineer's application form1 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.