Contact Info

DIVISION OF COMMERCE

The Division of Commerce administers the applicable  licensing  provisions of the Jersey City Code, including  the receiving of application and payments for all those licenses.  The Division shall issue the license  to the applicant, provided  that all other qualifications required of the applicant are met. 

 

Payments can be made to the City of Jersey City with certified check, money order, or credit card on the
ONLINE PAYMENT PORTAL      

CITY CALENDAR

ABC MEETING

DATE: Tuesday, May 23, 2023
TIME:  5:00 PM
LOCATION:
Mellissa Holloway Building Board Room
4 Jackson Square (39 Kearny Avenue)
Jersey City, New Jersey

In accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act/Sunshine Law, please be advised that a meeting of the Jersey City Division of Commerce will be held on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at 5:00 P.M., in the Board Room, Mellissa Holloway Building, 4 Jackson Square a/k/a 39 Kearny Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey.  

AGENDA

ANNUAL NOTICE

ABC APPLICATION

Alcohol Beverage Control  Application (ABC)

Our office maintains over 300 liquor licenses within the City of Jersey. Each liquor license requires to be renewed annually, the license term is from July 1st - June 30th

Contact information for Alcohol Beverage Control:

State of New Jersey
Department of Law and Public Safety
Division of Alcohol Beverage Control
P.O. Box 087
Trenton, NJ 08625-0087
Telephone #609-984-2830
ABC website @: NJ ABCABC website @: NJ ABC
https://nj.gov/lps/abc/posse/login.html

Contact information for the Division of Taxation:

New Jersey Division of Taxation Regional Office
124 Halsey Street – 2nd floor
Newark, NJ 07102
Telephone # 973-648-4700
E-Mail the ABC Licensing  Unit  @
[email protected] 

Bar Cards are to be obtained and renewed only by the ABC Enforcement Unit, contact # 201-547-4807

Apply HERE
ABC TRANSFER APPLICATION

Alcohol Beverage Control Application (Transfer)
Once a month, the third Tuesday of every month the ABC Board of Commissioners meet to vote on liquor license transfers.

Contact information for Alcohol Beverage Control:
State of New Jersey
Department of Law and Public Safety
Division of Alcohol Beverage Control
P.O. Box 087
Trenton, NJ 08625-0087
Telephone #609-984-2830
ABC website @: NJ ABC
https://nj.gov/lps/abc/posse/login.html

Contact information for the Division of Taxation:
New Jersey Division of Taxation Regional Office
124 Halsey Street – 2nd floor
Newark, NJ 07102
Telephone # 973-648-4700
E-Mail the ABC Licensing Unit @
[email protected]


Bar Cards are to be obtained and renewed only by the ABC Enforcement Unit, contact # 201-547-4807

Apply HERE 




AUTO REPAIR & AUTO BODY SHOP APPLICATION

Auto Repair & Auto Body Shop Application

REPAIR WORK ON MOTOR VEHICLES - Any work done on the premises of a motor vehicle repair shop which requires direct or indirect physical contact with a motor vehicle or any part of a motor vehicle.

Any place, indoors or outdoors, where motor vehicles are repaired for a fee; or where the work of repairing motor vehicles is carried on as an incident to:

(1)The business of selling new or used motor vehicles;
(2)New or used motor vehicle parts; or
(3)Any other traffic in motor vehicles or their parts or equipment

Motor vehicle repair shop-  does not include places where only the following work is done:

(1)Tire changing or repairing.
(2)Lamp globe changing.
(3)Charging of batteries.
(4)Installing minor parts or making trivial repairs customarily done in connection with the business of selling motor fuel, oil or motor vehicle accessories.

Apply HERE

BURGLAR ALARM APPLICATION

Burglar Alarm Application 

ALARM SYSTEM - A device or system that emits, transmits or relays a signal intended to summon, or that would reasonably be expected to summon, police services of the city, including but not limited to local alarms. "Alarm system" does not include:

A. An alarm installed on a vehicle unless the vehicle is permanently located at a site;

B. An alarm designed to alert only the inhabitants of premises that do not have a local alarm;

C. An alarm designed to be activated by an individual to alert about a robbery or holdup or personal attack in progress.

Apply HERE

BUSINESS LIQUIDATION APPLICATION
Business Liquidation License Application

Apply HERE
ENTERTAINMENT & DANCE APPLICATION
Entertainment & Dance Application

Nightclub / Entertainment License

Our office maintains over 60 entertainment licenses within the City of Jersey City. Each entertainment license requires to be renewed annually, the license term is March 1st – February 28th  

An entertainment license is required if your establishment is orchestrating the following: 

Floor shows, pre-recorded devises, smart phone applications, live vocals and/or bands

Depending on the capacity of your establishment will determine the application fee and renewal fee.

Apply HERE

RE: Objection to the Issuance of Entertainment License
The Golden Cicada 195 Grand Street, Jersey City, NJ

To Whom It May Concern:

In accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act/Sunshine Law, please be advised that a special meeting of the Jersey City Division of Commerce will be held on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at 5:00 p.m., in the Board Room located at the Melissa Holloway Building, 4 Jackson Square a/k/a 39 Kearney Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey.

The Director will hear objections to the issuance of an entertainment license for Jersey Gold LLC t/a The Golden Cicada, 195 Grand Street, Jersey City, New Jersey.

Advisement Notice of Entertainment Hearing


EXHIBITION LICENSE APPLICATION
Exhibition License Application 


Apply HERE
FLORIST LICENSE APPLICATION
Florist License Application

RETAIL FLORIST — A person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of selling at retail or wholesale, to the public, in any quantity, cut or rooted flowers, funeral sprays, wreaths, designs, corsages, potted plants or cuttings or bedding plants of natural growth, and selling the aforementioned products during the entire calendar year. This section shall not apply to the sale of Christmas trees.

Apply HERE
IMPOUND LICENSE APPLICATION
Impound License Application

Impound Operators:  Must maintain, either within a District or no farther than three miles from the boundary lines of a District, a single site or location with a minimum of 75 storage spaces for Class I vehicles, five spaces for Class II vehicles, and five spaces for Class III vehicles. Impound operators shall use the auto Impound tracking computer software program prescribed by the City and be governed by the City's usage policies and procedures for such software

Apply HERE
JUNKYARD LICENSE APPLICATION
Junkyard License Application


Apply HERE
LIMO DRIVER OPERATOR LICENSE APPLICATION
Limo Driver Operator License Application


Apply HERE
LIMO OWNER LICENSE APPLICATION ( NEW)
Limo Owner License Application (New Applicant)


Apply HERE
LIMO LICENSE APPLICATION ( RENEWAL)
Limo License Application ( Renewal )


Apply HERE
MECHANICAL AMUSEMENT DEVICE (DISTRIBUTOR)
Mechanical Amusement Device ( Distributor)

Any person who supplies or offers to supply by sale, lease or any other manner automatic amusement devices to any other person must first obtain a Mechanical Amusement Device Distributors license. The annual fee is $500

Apply HERE
MECHANICAL AMUSEMENT DEVICE ( OPERATOR )
Mechanical Amusement Device ( operator )

Any person may keep any automatic amusement device in any business premises unless that person has first secured an operator's license issued by the Division of Commerce each device.

Apply HERE
MECHANICAL AMUSEMENT DEVICE ( JUKEBOX )
Mechanical Amusement Device ( Jukebox )


Apply HERE
MECHANICAL AMUSEMENT DEVICE (POOL TABLE)
Mechanical Amusement Device ( Pool Table ONLY)

Apply HERE

PARKING LOT & GARAGES APPLICATION
Parking Lot &  Garages Application

In accordance with the Jersey City Municipal Code of Ordinances, “no person shall operate a parking lot or garage without having obtained a parking license”.

A GARAGE is defined as any covered and enclosed space, or any portion thereof, where more than five motor vehicles are exhibited for sale, stored, parked, housed or located.

A PARKING LOT refers to any outdoor space or uncovered plot of ground, place, lot, parcel, yard or enclosure, or any portion thereof, where more than five motor vehicles are exhibited for sale, stored, parked, housed or located.

At the Division of Commerce, we license Parking Lots and Garages that are required to do so based on Chapter 236 of the municipal code. The annual licensing fee for a Parking Lot or Garage is $.04 per square footage of the capacity of the facility. And the annual licensing term is from January 1 – December 31.

Apply HERE
PARKING LOT TAX
Parking Lot TAX 

With certain exceptions, New Jersey imposes Sales Tax on receipts from parking, storing, or garaging a motor vehicle. At the Division of Commerce, we collect Parking Lot/Garage Tax Payments based on the requirements of Chapter 304 of the municipal code. There is hereby imposed a 15 percent tax on any fees whether paid directly, or paid as part of the rent charged in a lease. There is also hereby imposed an additional Mass Transit Access Parking Tax of 3.5 percent on fees for the parking, garaging, or storing of motor vehicles, other than parking in a garage which is part of premises occupied solely as a private one- or two-family dwelling.

Jersey City residents are exempt from the full amount of the Mass Transit Access Parking Tax. Implementation of exemptions can be found in Chapter 304 of the municipal code.

Jersey City Parking Taxes are due quarterly as follows:

First quarter Parking Tax for period of January – March due April 15
Second quarter Parking Tax for period of April – June due July 15
Third quarter Parking Tax for period of July – September due October 15
Fourth quarter Parking Tax for period of October – December due January 15

Apply HERE
1st Quarter   2nd Quarter    3rd Quarter     4th Quarter



PEDDLERS LICENSE APPLICATION
Peddlers License Application 

Apply HERE
POOL ROOM LICENSE APPLICATION (NEW)
Pool Room License Application (New)

No person shall operate any pool room for the use of the general public for private profit without obtaining a license from the Director of the Division of Commerce.

 
Apply HERE


POOL ROOM LICENSE APPLICATION (RENEWAL)

Pool Room License Application (Renewal)

No person shall operate any pool room for the use of the general public for private profit without obtaining a license from the Director of the Division of Commerce.



Apply HERE

SECOND HAND DEALER CLASS A & B (NEW APPLICANT)
Second Hand Dealer Class A & B (New Applicant)

SECOND HAND DEALER - CLASS A — any person who deals in the purchase or sale of secondhand items, as follows: Items of every kind, e.g. furniture, clothes, toys, but not those items specifically listed under Secondhand Dealer

Apply HERE

SECOND HAND DEALER - CLASS B
— any person who deals in the purchase or sale of secondhand items which include the following:
A. Manufactured items composed wholly or in part of gold, silver, platinum or other metals.
B. Old gold, silver or platinum or items containing such precious metals.
C. Items comprised of gold, silver or platinum for the purpose of melting or refining.
D. Precious metals for the purpose of melting.
E. Purchase or sale of pawn tickets or other evidence of pledged articles or in the redemption or sale of pledged articles.
F. Paintings, coins, stamps, baseball cards, cameras, business machines or electronic equipment.

Apply HERE
SECOND HAND DEALER CLASS A & B ( RENEWAL)
Second Hand Dealer Class A & B ( Renewal)

SECOND HAND DEALER - CLASS A — any person who deals in the purchase or sale of secondhand items, as follows: Items of every kind, e.g. furniture, clothes, toys, but not those items specifically listed under Secondhand Dealer

Apply HERE

SECOND HAND DEALER - CLASS B — any person who deals in the purchase or sale of secondhand items which include the following:
A. Manufactured items composed wholly or in part of gold, silver, platinum or other metals.
B. Old gold, silver or platinum or items containing such precious metals.
C. Items comprised of gold, silver or platinum for the purpose of melting or refining.
D. Precious metals for the purpose of melting.
E. Purchase or sale of pawn tickets or other evidence of pledged articles or in the redemption or sale of pledged articles.
F. Paintings, coins, stamps, baseball cards, cameras, business machines or electronic equipment.

 Apply HERE
TAXI OWNER APPLICATION
Taxi Owner (New Applicant)


Apply HERE 


Taxi Owner (Renewal Applicant)


Apply HERE
TAXI DRIVER APPLICATION
Taxi Driver Application ( New Applicant )

No person shall operate a taxicab for hire upon the streets and no person who owns or controls a taxicab shall permit it to be so driven and no taxicab licensed by the City shall be so driven at any time for hire unless the driver of the taxicab shall have first obtained and shall have then in force a taxicab driver's license issued under the provisions of this article.

Apply HERE


Taxi Driver Application ( Renewal  Applicant )

Apply HERE

TIRE DISPOSAL LICENSE APPLICATION
Tire Disposal License Application 

Any person, partnership, corporation, association or organization of any kind. USED MOTOR VEHICLE TIRE - Any used tire previously used or designed for use on an automobile, truck, motorcycle, bicycle or any other trackless vehicle used to transport persons or property.

A. No person may conduct within the City of Jersey City a business of selling or otherwise disposing of used motor vehicle tires without first obtaining a permit from the license issuing authority; nor may any person dispose of used motor vehicle tires incidental to any business conducted within the City of Jersey City without first obtaining a permit.

B. Persons subject to this Article include but are not limited to persons conducting the following businesses:
(1) Dealers in new and used motor vehicle tires, whether at wholesale or retail.
(2) Service stations and motor vehicle repair shops which buy, sell or repair new and used tires
(3) Junkyards and junk dealers. 
(4) Persons engaged in the business of repairing motor vehicles incidental to any other business.
(5) Persons engaged in the business of buying and selling used motor vehicles

Apply HERE

TOWERS & TOWING CLASS A & B ( NEW APPLICANT)
Towers & Towing Class A & B ( New Applicant)

CLASS A TOWER'S LICENSE (HEAVY DUTY) - Required to be on police rotation list for Class I, Class II, and Class III vehicles and/or to pick up vehicles abandoned on private property within the City of Jersey City and/or to operate a vehicle towing business within the City of Jersey City.

CLASS A TOWER'S LICENSE (LIGHT DUTY) -
Required to be on police rotation list for Class I and Class II vehicles and/or to pick up vehicles abandoned on private property within the City of Jersey City and/or to operate a vehicle towing business within the City of Jersey City.

CLASS B TOWER'S LICENSE (INCIDENTAL) -
Required to operate a vehicle towing business within the City of Jersey City for towing operations that are incidental to another business which is located within the City of Jersey City, e.g., junkyard, car dealership and auto repair shop. This license does not permit a tower to be on the rotation list.

Apply HERE
TOWERS & TOWING CLASS A & B ( RENEWAL APPLICANT)

Towers & Towing Class A & B ( Renewal Applicants)

CLASS A TOWER'S LICENSE (HEAVY DUTY) - Required to be on police rotation list for Class I, Class II, and Class III vehicles and/or to pick up vehicles abandoned on private property within the City of Jersey City and/or to operate a vehicle towing business within the City of Jersey City.

CLASS A TOWER'S LICENSE (LIGHT DUTY) - Required to be on police rotation list for Class I and Class II vehicles and/or to pick up vehicles abandoned on private property within the City of Jersey City and/or to operate a vehicle towing business within the City of Jersey City.

CLASS B TOWER'S LICENSE (INCIDENTAL) - Required to operate a vehicle towing business within the City of Jersey City for towing operations that are incidental to another business which is located within the City of Jersey City, e.g., junkyard, car dealership and auto repair shop. This license does not permit a tower to be on the rotation list.

Apply HERE





USED CAR DEALER LICENSE APPLICATION

Used Car Dealer License Application ( New ) 

USED MOTOR VEHICLE - Every motor vehicle, Title to or possession of which has been transferred from the person who first acquired it from the manufacturer or dealer and so used as to become what is commonly known as "secondhand" within the ordinary meaning thereof.

USED MOTOR VEHICLE DEALER - A person engaged in the business of selling, buying or dealing in used motor vehicles and who has an established place of business.

USED CAR LOT - Any indoor or outdoor space used or occupied for the business of selling, buying or dealing in used motor vehicles

No person shall deal in or conduct or engage in the business, sale, purchase or exchange of secondhand or used motor vehicles without first having obtained a used motor vehicle sales license..

Apply HERE

Used Car Dealer License Application ( Renewal)

Apply HERE

NEWARK AVE PED PLAZA PHOTO

CANNABIS CONTROL BOARD MEETING

There will be a meeting of the Cannabis Control Board on Monday, May 8, 2023, at 5PM, in person at the Melissa Holloway Building, 4 Jackson Square, Jersey City NJ 07305. Main conference Room. The meeting of the Cannabis Control Board of the City of Jersey City is announced in accordance with the Open Public Meeting Act, known as the Sunshine Bill.

CCB Application HERE
See the agenda HERE  
View or download Council-approved Locations Map HERE
View list of addresses approved by the Cannabis Control Board HERE
View or download the ANNUAL NOTICE
Watch past Cannabis Control Board Meetings on YouTube

PAST CANNABIS CONTROL BOARD AGENDAS

If you are seeking to open a cannabis business in Jersey City please reference the linked FAQ, Instructions and Standards document. In this document, City staff seeks to provide you with information on how to seek and obtain local approvals while we all learn and respond to the legal framework under development at the State-level by the Cannabis Review Commission. First, are a list of frequently asked questions and answers with information and links about our local process. Following the FAQ are the standards and fees regarding Cannabis Businesses and Consumption Areas that were adopted by the City in August 2021. In the event that there are any inconsistencies between provisions of the State and local procedures detailed herein, please inform us. This industry in New Jersey is new and we are all learning as we proceed. That said, this document and our local procedures may change as necessary.