Passaic NJ Business Requirements: $174 CO, $120 CCO and UEZ Benefits

If you plan to open a shop, office, restaurant, or other business in Passaic, the first question is not which license to buy. It is which City approval must come before you can legally occupy the space. In Passaic, that approval is the Certificate of Occupancy (CO) or the Continued Certificate of Occupancy (CCO), and it is the document that most often delays new tenants. This guide covers the paperwork, the fees as of October 2026, and the points you should confirm with the City before you sign a lease.

Disclaimer: This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Rules, fees, and procedures can change, and every property is different. Talk to a qualified attorney or CPA before you commit to a lease, an entity structure, or a tax plan.

What the State Requires and What It Does Not

New Jersey has no state general business license, and counties do not issue business licenses either. Your state obligations begin with forming your entity, then registering with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) for taxes and employer purposes using Form NJ-REG. That registration produces a Business Registration Certificate (BRC), but the BRC is proof of tax registration. It is not a license to operate. Some occupations need a professional or industry license from the Division of Consumer Affairs or another agency, and the City handles its own local permits. Passaic's requirements sit on top of the state steps, so you need both.

Materials and Documents You Need

Gather these before your first visit to the City. One missing item can reset your timeline.

• UCC Form 27 CO/CCO application
• Entity formation papers, such as your filed Certificate of Formation (LLC) or Certificate of Incorporation (corporation)
• PVSC sewer connection form
• Five years of PVWC water use records
• Sealed architectural drawings, required for a new CO
• A layout sketch showing square footage
• A Health Department application, if any part of the business involves food
• A Fire Prevention application, required for all uses
• Payment for the CO ($174) or the CCO ($120)

Step-by-Step: Getting Your Passaic CO or CCO

1. Confirm which approval you need. Call or visit the City Construction Department and describe the business, the use, and the space. A new CO applies to a new build out or a change of use, and it carries the $174 fee. A CCO carries the $120 fee and generally applies when the existing use continues. Ask which one fits your situation before you prepare anything, because the wrong application wastes time.
2. Form the entity first. The City asks for your formation papers, so file before you apply. An LLC filing costs $100 since July 1, 2026, not $125, and the certificate of formation is filed through the Online Business Entity Filing portal at njportal.com. Check name availability at the DORES business name search first. The name must carry a designator such as LLC, and the registered office must be a New Jersey street address. A corporation filing also costs $100. New Jersey has no publication requirement for LLCs, so be skeptical of any service that tells you otherwise.
3. Register for taxes. After formation, complete NJ-REG through the NJ Business Portal. This produces your NJ tax identification number and your BRC. If you will sell taxable goods, you also need a sales tax certificate of authority. The state sales tax rate is 6.625%. Keep the confirmation in your project file, because the City may ask for proof of registration.
4. Request the sewer and water paperwork. Obtain the PVSC sewer connection form and collect five years of PVWC water use records for the property. Both depend on other agencies, so start them early and do not assume they will be quick.
5. Prepare the drawings. A new CO requires sealed architectural drawings. Every application needs a layout sketch with the square footage clearly labeled. Confirm with the City whether your project needs a licensed design professional to seal the drawings.
6. File the health and fire applications. If the business involves any food use, file the application with the City's own Division of Health. The Fire Prevention application is required for all uses, so file it even for a basic office.
7. Submit the UCC Form 27 with payment. Attach every document from the checklist above, pay $174 for a CO or $120 for a CCO, and keep the receipt.
8. Clear approvals and inspection. The City does not issue a CO or CCO until the documents are approved, the fees are paid, and the location has been inspected. Food uses must pass a satisfactory health inspection before the CO or CCO can issue, so schedule that step as early as you can.
9. Do not open before the CO is in hand. Occupying the space without a CO violates N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.23 and carries a $2,000 penalty.
10. Handle signs and other licenses. Sign permits are required, so apply before you install exterior signage. Contact the City Clerk about any other license your business needs.

Passaic Fees and Holds at a Glance

Item	Amount	Notes
New or change-of-use CO	$174	Requires sealed drawings and the full document set
CCO	$120	Confirm with the City that your use qualifies
Sign permit	Confirm with the City	Required before installing signs
Occupying without a CO	$2,000 penalty	N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.23

Confirm any fee not listed above with the City Construction Department or the City Clerk. Do not rely on older figures from other sites.

Is There a Passaic Mercantile License?

Many New Jersey municipalities issue a local business license, and some call it a mercantile license. This guide cannot confirm whether Passaic issues a license under that name, what it costs, or whether your business would need one. Ask the City Clerk directly and get the answer in writing. Do not assume that a state filing or an NJ-REG registration covers a local license, because it does not.

Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) Benefits in Passaic

Passaic is covered by an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) designation. UEZ programs are designed to encourage businesses inside designated zones, and they may include a reduced sales tax rate on qualifying sales and certain employer credits. Passaic also does not impose a municipal occupancy tax, which is worth factoring into your lease math.

UEZ benefits are not automatic. Eligibility depends on the street address of your business, not just the city name, and on the type of sales and employment involved. Confirm the zone boundary for your address, the current sales tax rate, and the employer credit rules with the UEZ program administrator and the New Jersey Division of Taxation at nj.gov/treasury/taxation before you price a deal around them.

Tips and Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Looking for a state license that does not exist. New Jersey issues no general business license. Your state paperwork is formation plus NJ-REG.
• Treating the BRC as a license. The BRC proves tax registration. Your operating permissions come from the City and any professional agency.
• Signing a lease before the CO path is clear. Ask the City how long approvals and inspections take for your use before you commit to a rent start date.
• Forgetting the five-year water records. Request them early, because they come from a separate agency.
• Filing a food use without the Health Department step. A food use cannot get its CO or CCO until the satisfactory health inspection is complete.
• Opening early or installing signs without a permit. Occupying without a CO carries a $2,000 penalty, and unpermitted signs can delay your opening.
• Using an old fee. The LLC filing fee is $100 since July 1, 2026. The annual report is $75, and you will owe it every year by the last day of your anniversary month.

Expected Results

Following this checklist in order may help you avoid the most common causes of delay. A complete, well-organized package is designed to move through review with fewer back-and-forth requests, and an early health inspection for food uses may help you keep your opening date on track. Results will still depend on the City's workload, the condition of the space, and any issues found during inspection, so treat every timeline as an estimate until the City confirms it in writing.

Next Steps

Start with a call to the City Construction Department to confirm the CO or CCO path for your use, then form your entity and complete NJ-REG. Ask the City Clerk about any mercantile or other local license, and confirm sign permit fees before you order signage. For complex leases, food operations, or a change of use in an existing building, consult a qualified attorney and CPA before you commit.