All Updates

New Jersey changed its ACH banking routing and account numbers on May 27, 2026. If you make automated tax or employer payments to the state and haven't updated your payment software, your payments are failing now.

The deadline to update was June 30. Payments submitted with old banking information after that date will not go through. Failed payments are your responsibility to correct and may subject you to penalties and interest.

Contact your financial institution or software provider immediately to update the state's routing and account numbers for all New Jersey ACH credit tax and employer payments.

As of July 17, 2026, New Jersey employers must provide job-protected leave to more workers. The law has expanded in two key ways:

Workers receiving Temporary Disability Insurance or Family Leave Insurance benefits now have job protection during their leave if not already covered by the New Jersey Family Leave Act or federal Family and Medical Leave Act. There's no minimum employer size for this requirement. A worker’s eligibility for benefits is based on their recent earnings.

The New Jersey Family Leave Act now covers employers with 15 or more employees worldwide (down from 30), in addition to continuing to cover state and local government agencies of all sizes. Employees qualify after three months and 250 hours worked (down from 12 months and 1,000 hours). These workers remain eligible for up to 12 weeks of protected leave in a 24-month period.

Review the updated guidance to ensure you're in compliance.

New Jersey formalized two sets of PFAS regulations, converting interim standards from 2022-2023 into enforceable requirements:

Site Remediation Standards: Contractors conducting site remediation must now analyze for PFNA, PFOA, PFOS, and GenX when contaminants are unknown or poorly documented. The standards establish soil remediation criteria for ingestion-dermal exposure, inhalation of particulates or vapors, and soil leachate migration to groundwater. This affects how remediation projects are scoped, bid, and executed. Technical guidance: https://dep.nj.gov/srp/guidance/rs/

Groundwater Quality Standards: DEP set a formal limit for GenX chemicals at 0.02 µg/L (practical quantitation level: 0.0075 µg/L), replacing the June 2023 interim standard. The rule also updates cancer descriptor definitions to align with EPA's 2005 framework. Full rule adoption and GWQS information: https://dep.nj.gov/wms/bears/ground-water-quality-standards-gwqs/

Both regulations are effective immediately.

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Cannabis being legal in New Jersey doesn't mean you can sell it anywhere. As of April 13, 2026, products exceeding 0.3% total THC concentration or 0.4 mg of total THC per container are legally classified as cannabis, and businesses require a New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ-CRC) license to sell them.

Gas stations, convenience stores, or any unlicensed retailers still carrying high-potency gummies, vapes, beverages, or other products, are breaking the law.

What's also prohibited, regardless of license:

• Selling any THC product to anyone under 21
• Vending machine sales of hemp-derived products
• Selling or carrying synthetic cannabinoids

Review the NJ-CRC FAQs on intoxicating hemp derived products for more.

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The New Jersey Department of Labor created a free Small Business Guide to NJ Earned Sick Leave to help businesses develop compliant sick leave policies. The guide is action-oriented and was tested with small business owners.

The resource, and additional FAQs, are available in** English and **Spanish on** mysickdays.nj.gov**.

The guide was developed in collaboration with the Employers Association of NJ and focuses on practical implementation for businesses navigating earned sick leave requirements.

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The NJ LEAF Program provides low-cost financing to New Jersey cannabis businesses for fixed assets and working capital. Fixed asset loans range from $100,000 to $1.5 million; working capital loans from $100,000 to $500,000.

Eligible businesses must hold a valid recreational Class 1 Cultivator, Class 2 Manufacturer, or Testing Laboratory license; be New Jersey-based with fewer than 250 employees, at least one year of operation, and $5 million or less in annual gross revenues. Five percent of funds are reserved for Impact Zone businesses.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection reminds businesses to conserve water as the State remains under a Drought Warning. Persistent below-average precipitation has strained water supplies across all six state regions. Above-average rainfall is needed across the entire state before conditions improve.

Mandatory restrictions may become necessary if drought conditions worsen. Landscapers, car washes, food service, manufacturing, and other water-intensive businesses should review current usage and conservation options now. DEP is monitoring conditions closely and working with water suppliers to manage supplies across affected regions.

Water supply indicators are updated weekly.

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New Jersey law requires all employers to register at MyWorkingPapers.NJ.gov before hiring any worker under 18. Registration generates a unique 8-digit Employer Unique Code that each minor must enter to complete their working papers application. Minors cannot legally begin work until their application is approved.

Employers must share their code with every newly hired minor. Email updates notify employers throughout the review process.

With seasonal hiring underway, register now to avoid delays onboarding young workers.

The NJ Permitting Dashboard will track permit applications in real time, giving developers visibility into status, due dates, and next steps across multiple state agencies.

Eligible project types for the pilot: multi-family or mixed-use housing (25+ units); commercial real estate creating at least 10 permanent or 25 temporary construction jobs; and solar or energy storage projects generating at least 1 MW. 

Applications are open now through May 21. Up to 10 projects will be selected for the pilot launching this summer.

The Division on Civil Rights (DCR) requires owners with a combined total of 25 or more dwelling units across properties located anywhere in New Jersey to electronically file an annual Multiple Dwelling Reporting Rule (MDRR) Report in the MDRR portal. For example, an owner with five properties with five units each (25 total units) must file five separate reports, one for each location.

The MDRR report collects demographic information about housing applicants, data on unit turnovers, rental rates, apartment size, and whether developments are barrier free. Annual reports are due each year by January 30.

Filing these reports is mandatory. Failure to comply may result in penalties ranging from $500 to $2,500.

DCR provides a Tenant/Applicant Inquiry Form to assist owners in collecting and recording required information. Owners must provide this form to all applicants upon completion of the application process and to all tenants or leaseholders. Owners are prohibited from requesting this information from applicants before they complete their application process.

Detailed information is available on DCR’s website, including portal access, FAQs, and MDRR Worksheet. For questions, contact DCRMDRR@NJCivilRights.gov or call 609-376-3295.