How to Get a Dealer License in New Jersey: Cost & Requirements

Last updated: October 2, 2026

New Jersey has the cheapest dealer bond in the country. Where most states want $25,000 to $100,000, New Jersey asks for $10,000. The license is $100 plus $257.50 for plates, and there is no course and no exam. What New Jersey wants instead is a real, inspected, separately-walled place of business — and it will not take your money until it has seen it.

The $10,000 Bond Is the Outlier

Across the states we have documented, dealer bonds run $25,000 in Arkansas, $50,000 in Florida, Louisiana, Kansas and Virginia, and $100,000 in Nevada or for high-volume New York dealers. New Jersey asks $10,000.

Three conditions attach to it:

• It runs in favor of the State of New Jersey and must be executed by a surety company authorized to transact business in the state.
• The MVC requires the original. Copies are explicitly not acceptable.
• It must not expire until March 31 of the year your license is set to expire — so the bond term is pinned to the license year, not to the date you bought it.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Dealer license	$100
One set of vehicle registrations + five plates	$257.50	Or $77 for motorcycle registrations + three plates
Surety bond	$10,000	Original only; must run to March 31 of the license expiry year
Liability insurance	See below	Original certificate, 30-day cancellation clause
New Jersey LLC	$100	Certificate of Formation with NJ DORES; $75 annual report

You are not asked to pay up front. The MVC sends a notification requesting the license and registration fees, along with proof of insurance and bond, only after preliminary approval of all licensing requirements and a site inspection. Budget for the money, but expect the sequence to be paperwork first.

One quiet saving: a licensed motor vehicle dealer can also deal in mopeds and leased vehicles with no additional license.

Check the Insurance Figures With the Bureau

New Jersey’s own application package states the liability minimums two different ways, and they do not agree on property damage:

• The narrative on page one requires $100,000 per person/incident, up to $250,000 per incident for bodily injury or death, $25,000 per incident for property damage, and $250,000 combined personal injury and property damage per incident for all owned or fleet vehicles.
• The application checklist on the next page requires $100,000 per person/incident up to $250,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage.

Bind to the higher figure and confirm with the Business Licensing Services Bureau on 609-292-6500 ext. 5014 rather than assuming. In either version the certificate must carry a 30-day cancellation clause, and the certificate holder must read NJ Motor Vehicle Commission.

What the Premises Have to Be

• An established, maintained place of business in existence at the time the license is issued.
• An exterior sign permanently attached to the building or grounds. Banners are not permitted.
• A clearly identifiable, separate area to display at least two vehicles.
• Conformance with all municipal and zoning requirements.
• You cannot use the premises of a currently licensed dealer, or the premises of the proprietor of an allied business. Sharing a lot with a repair shop or another dealer will not be approved.
• New car dealers additionally file a certified statement that the facility is not less than 1,000 square feet.

Three forms carry the location burden: BLS-162, the Municipal Approval Certificate, signed and stamped by the municipality; BLS-158, the Dealer Certification of License Location Type and Proper Walls, with supporting documentation; and photographs or plans clearly depicting the complete premises and signage.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Form the entity — municipal approval is issued to a named business.
2. Secure premises that are not shared with another dealer or an allied business, with room to display at least two vehicles.
3. Get municipal approval (BLS-162) signed and stamped by your town, and confirm zoning.
4. Install a permanent exterior sign — not a banner — and photograph the complete premises and signage.
5. Complete BLS-158 on location type and walls, and BLS-20 for authorized signatories.
6. File the Application for a Dealer License with driver license copies for every owner, partner, officer or member.
7. Pass the site inspection.
8. On the approval notice, submit the original $10,000 bond, the original insurance certificate, and $100 + $257.50.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a New Jersey dealer license cost?

$100 for the license itself, plus $257.50 for one set of vehicle registrations and five license plates — or $77 for one set of motorcycle registrations and three plates. You are not asked for the money up front: the MVC requests fees only after preliminary approval and a site inspection.

How much is the New Jersey dealer bond?

$10,000, in favor of the State of New Jersey, executed by a surety company authorized to transact business in the state. It is the lowest dealer bond of any state that requires one — most are $25,000 to $100,000. The MVC requires the original bond; copies are not acceptable, and it must not expire until March 31 of the year your license expires.

Can I use a banner as my dealership sign in New Jersey?

No. New Jersey requires an exterior sign permanently attached to the building or grounds, and states plainly that banners are not permitted. You also need a clearly identifiable, separate area to display at least two vehicles, in conformance with all municipal and zoning requirements.

Do I need a course for a New Jersey dealer license?

No. New Jersey requires no pre-licensing course or exam for a dealer license. What it requires instead is documentation and an inspection: municipal approval stamped by your town, a certification about your location type and walls, photographs of the premises and signage, and a site inspection before fees are requested.

Sources

Source	What it confirms
NJ MVC New/Used and Used Only Car Dealership application package	Fees, $10,000 bond, insurance minimums (both versions), sign and banner rule, two-vehicle display, BLS forms, site inspection
NJ MVC — How To Get A Dealership License	Licensing agency and process
N.J.A.C. Title 13, Chapter 21 — Licensing Service	Dealer regulations

Comparing states? See our dealer license guides for every state we cover.