3 published records
Business licenses and permits in Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County, New Jersey, seat Somerville. According to the county's County Info page, its 21 municipalities are Bedminster, Bernards, Bernardsville, Bound Brook, Branchburg, Bridgewater, Far Hills, Franklin, Green Brook, Hillsborough, Manville, Millstone, Montgomery, North Plainfield, Peapack-Gladstone, Raritan, Rocky Hill, Somerville, South Bound Brook, Warren and Watchung. The county-level records here are the County Planning Board's land development review fees under the Land Development Review Resolution (resolution PH11-108, adopted April 12, 2011), the road opening permit for work in a County road right-of-way under the county's January 2009 road opening specifications and fee schedule, the Somerset County Park Commission's per-date food truck permit for its parks and golf courses, and the State weighing and measuring device registration, with inspection by the county Office of Weights and Measures. The county Department of Health serves as health department for the contracted communities listed on its page; its permits page tells applicants to submit health applications 'to the town you are applying to', and its retail food plan review memo makes fees payable 'to the appropriate Township or Borough'. 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 357,467 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.
What are you opening in Somerset 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 Somerset County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Planning Board Land Development Review (Site Plan and Change of Use)only if it applies to you | Somerset County Planning Board (Land Development Review) | Per Part II of the county Land Development Application Form Checklist & Review Fee Schedule (approved with resolution PH11-108, April 12, 2011): site plan that does not impact a County road or drainage facility $150.00 flat fee; site plan that impacts a County road or drainage facility $400.00 flat fee plus $10.00 per parking stall (commercial/office), $2.00 per 100 sq. ft. (industrial) and $20.00 per dwelling unit (residential). Revisions: 1st revision no fee; 2nd and each subsequent revision $300.00 for all site plans. Geographic Information System fee $25.00 per site plan if the proposed structure is greater than 400 sq. ft. (separate check). Where improvements are built under County jurisdiction, the Land Development Review Resolution (Ch. 6, §VIII) sets an inspection fee of 4% of the estimated improvement cost for smaller roadway projects (nonrefundable) or 10% for bridges and larger roadway improvements (partially refundable), as the County Engineer's Office determines. Review fees are payable by certified check or money order to 'Treasurer, County of Somerset' and are non-refundable | one-time fee per application; revision fees per revised submission | 2026-10-10 |
| County Road Opening Permit (Work in a Somerset County Road Right-of-Way, Including Driveways)only if it applies to you | Somerset County Engineering Division, Department of Public Works | Per the county's road opening fee schedule (January 2009), the schedule the county's Business pages link: application fee $200.00 minimum up to 50 lineal feet, plus $0.75 per lineal foot in excess of the first 50 lineal feet. Refundable deposit (performance guarantee) $1,200.00 for the first 30 square yards opened, plus $30.00 for each additional square yard; no performance guarantee is required for a residential driveway overlay. On completion, a two-year maintenance guaranty of 20% of the deposit fee. Land development project improvements whose performance guarantees are posted with the County Planning Board: $200.00 application fee | permit expires one year after issuance | 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 Somerset County?
County Planning Board Land Development Review (Site Plan and Change of Use)
The county's Land Development Application Form states that all site plans for land development and all change of use applications, as well as subdivisions, must be submitted to the Somerset County Planning Board for review and, where required, approval. A business building, expanding or changing the use of a site in Somerset County, usually through its engineer or contractor, files this form and pays the review fee with the submission. The figures are those printed in Part II of the form, the Review Fee Schedule, which the county's current Land Development Review page lists among 'the rules, regulations and forms for County land development review'; the schedule was approved together with the Land Development Review Resolution by resolution PH11-108, adopted April 12, 2011. The form states that applicants uncertain whether a project impacts a County facility should submit the lesser fee, and that the County will advise if a higher fee applies. It exempts minor building additions not on a county road involving less than 1,000 sq. ft. and no additional parking, and plans submitted by a nonprofit institution or municipality. An escrow account may be required for projects needing more detailed review. Inspection fees under Chapter 6, §VIII of the Resolution are submitted before County Planning Board approval. Contact the Planning Board at 908-231-7021.
County Road Opening Permit (Work in a Somerset County Road Right-of-Way, Including Driveways)
This applies to a business, through its contractor, whose work opens a Somerset County road or takes place in a County road right-of-way, including a new or modified driveway onto a County road. The figures are those in the county's road opening fee schedule dated January 2009, the booklet served by the 'Road Opening Information' item on the county's Business pages; the booklet's authorizing resolution adopts that schedule but prints no adoption date, and the adoption date is not published on the county site. The booklet states that the applicant must be a contractor who will actually perform the work and be directly responsible for it, and that the permit expires one year after issuance. Deposits over $4,000.00 may be posted partly as a surety bond, and the booklet sets insurance minimums the applicant must carry. The county's Land Development Review Resolution also lists a Road Opening Permit from the Public Works Department among the items needed before construction of improvements under County jurisdiction. Contact the Engineering Division at 908-231-7024.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Somerset County Planning Board, Land Development Application Form Checklist & Review Fee Schedule (Part II, Review Fee Schedule)County of Somerset, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Somerset County Land Development Review pageCounty of Somerset, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Somerset County Land Development Review Resolution, with Freeholder resolution PH11-108 adopted April 12, 2011County of Somerset, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Somerset County Department of Public Works, Specifications and Fee Schedules for Road Openings (dated January 2009), served by the county's Road Opening Information pageCounty of Somerset, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Somerset County Engineering pageCounty of Somerset, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
Who issues business permits in Somerset County?
Permitting in Somerset 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.
Somerset County issuing agencies
- New Jersey Office of Weights and Measures, Division of Consumer AffairsRegisters weighing and measuring devices used for commercial purposes under N.J.A.C. 13:47F-1.3 · Sets the registration fee schedule under N.J.A.C. 13:47F-1.74 permits
- Somerset County Engineering Division, Department of Public WorksIssues Somerset County Road Opening Permits for work in a County road right-of-way under the county's Specifications and Fee Schedules for Road Openings dated January 2009, which require a permit from the County Director of Public Works1 permit
- Somerset County Planning Board (Land Development Review)Reviews subdivisions, site plans and change of use applications under the Land Development Review Resolution, according to the county's Land Development Application Form Checklist & Review Fee Schedule · Approves land development that affects County roads or drainage facilities, pursuant to the County Planning Act N.J.S.A. 40:27-1 et seq., as stated on the county Land Development Review page1 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.