New Jersey businesses register with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: entities file formation documents and then Form NJ-REG, while sole proprietors file NJ-REG. Completing these allows the business to obtain a Business Registration Certificate. Lynxstead Financial, a small-business funding broker in Toms River, NJ, explains why lending partners ask about registration.
| Tax and employer registration | Form NJ-REG, filed online with the Division of Revenue |
|---|---|
| Business Registration Certificate | Proof of valid registration with the Division of Revenue |
| Verify registration | Online registration inquiry from the Division of Revenue |
| Local permits in Toms River | Township of Toms River |
| Customer Contact Center | 609-292-9292 (Division of Revenue, as listed on its certificate page) |
How to register a business in New Jersey
The New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services publishes the sequence on its Getting Registered page (checked 2026-10-16). The path depends on the type of business:
| Business type | Steps, in order |
|---|---|
| Corporation, LLC, LLP or LP | 1. Check the name (business name search). 2. Get an EIN from the IRS (IRS EIN application). 3. File the certificate of formation or authorization (online). 4. File Form NJ-REG (online). 5. Obtain the Business Registration Certificate. |
| General partnership, sole proprietor or self-employed | 1. Get an EIN if the business is a general partnership or has employees. 2. File Form NJ-REG (online). 3. Obtain the Business Registration Certificate. |
Form NJ-REG is the state's combined tax and employer registration. It is where a business tells the state which taxes and employer obligations apply to it.
The Business Registration Certificate
The Business Registration Certificate is the Division of Revenue's proof that a business is validly registered. The division describes two main uses: showing valid registration when contracting with public agencies and the state, and serving as certification for unincorporated construction contractors (Business Registration Certificate page, checked 2026-10-16).
To check whether a business is already registered, or to retrieve a certificate, the division offers an online registration inquiry linked from the same page. Its Customer Contact Center, listed on that page, is at 609-292-9292.
Owners often search for a "business registration certificate search". In practice that is this online inquiry, which looks up registration status for a business.
Where the sales tax Certificate of Authority fits
Businesses that sell taxable goods or services in New Jersey deal with the Division of Taxation's sales and use tax rules, which are published on its Sales and Use Tax page. Many owners searching for a "sales tax certificate of authority" are really asking how to become set up to collect New Jersey sales tax. Registration for state taxes runs through the same NJ-REG filing described above.
Local permits and licenses in Toms River, NJ
State registration does not replace local requirements. In Toms River, zoning, construction permits and any municipal license for your type of business are handled by the Township of Toms River, whose website lists building permit and construction inspection information (checked 2026-10-16). Businesses elsewhere in Ocean County deal with their own municipality.
Keeping registration current
Registration is not a one-time event. Business.NJ.gov lists annual report filing among its quick services for registered businesses (checked 2026-10-16). A business whose state records lapse can find that a lending partner's verification fails at the last step, so check your status before applying. If the business has moved, changed its name or added owners, update the state records first; a mismatch between the registration and the bank account is one of the most common reasons a file is sent back.
Why lending partners ask about registration
- Identity: a partner must confirm that the business it is funding exists and is in good standing.
- Public contracts: a contractor funding a public job may be asked for the Business Registration Certificate.
- Inventory and retail: partners financing stock for resale often confirm the business is registered for the taxes that apply to its sales; see inventory financing.
- Employer status: payroll appears in bank statements, and partners may cross-check it with employer registration.
In short, registration is one of the first things a partner verifies and one of the easiest to get right in advance. Having the entity name, registration details and EIN at hand when you first call saves a round of back-and-forth later.
Ocean County, NJ context
Ocean County had 15,020 employer establishments in 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023) and 56,836 businesses without employees in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024). An estimated 9.6 percent of employed county residents were self-employed (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024). Every one of those businesses passes through the same state registration steps, whatever its size.
Next steps
With registration complete, how a request moves explains what happens when you approach lending partners, and our Toms River, NJ page collects local contacts. The rest of our New Jersey guides are in the resources section.
By Lynxstead Financial · Updated
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