Restaurants and food trucks.
Confirm the authority for your exact address. Some cities run their own health division, and building, planning, fire, sewer/grease and business-license approvals are separate even when Jersey City Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Health (retail food regulated locally under N.J.A.C. 8:24) issues the health permit.
About 1,663 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 705,472. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
License required under Jersey City Municipal Code Ch; 175 (Food-Handling Establishments) with fees set in Ch; 160 (Fees & Charges); The Municode fee table was not publicly retrievable (HTTP 403) and no official dollar amount is published online; left null; Contact the Jersey City Division of Health
Under State Sanitary Code Chapter 24 (N.J.A.C. 8:24), establishments post a color-coded placard: Satisfactory (white), Conditionally Satisfactory (yellow), or Unsatisfactory (red).
Annual mobile food unit permit from the Division of Health; A separate Itinerant Food Truck Parking Permit under Ch; 332/160 costs $200/day; Zone 1 up to $11,000/year, Zone 2 $200/day or $4.00/hour (verified from 2023 city ordinance); Commissary agreement required
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| caterer | — | Catering licenses issued under the NJ retail-food framework (Jersey City Dept of Health & Human Services); fee not published online |
| market/grocery with deli | — | Delis and butcher shops among NJ retail food establishment types; vending machines also licensed; Fee not published online |
| temporary/seasonal/special-event | — | Jersey City temporary health permit required for event food vendors; food trucks must first obtain a Jersey City Fire Dept permit/letter; Permits obtained in person at the Health Dept (not day-of-event); Dollar fee not published online |
Health-department plan review looks for specific, code-compliant fixtures. Compare spec-filtered options, then confirm counts and sizes with your local requirements. See the full list in what equipment a commercial kitchen requires.
Permit costs and rules change at the county line — compare Hudson County with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →