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Veteran business benefits in New Jersey (2026)

Published by the Honest MOS Editorial DeskVerified against DoD/.gov sourcesUpdated August 2026Editorial standards

New Jersey has 4 verified programs for veteran-owned businesses, and a standard LLC filing fee of $100. Everything below is cited to the statute or official program page it came from, with the date we last checked it — because these programs get amended and repealed, and a confident page with a dead benefit on it costs you a filing fee.

New Jersey is the first state in this set with an actual set-aside rather than a goal — three percent of contracts reserved, not merely targeted. Read the wording carefully though, because it is narrower than most summaries suggest: the set-aside is for DISABLED veteran-owned businesses. A veteran-owned business that is not disabled-veteran-owned gets a certification, a listing, and a sentence obliging agencies to think about it. Useful, free, and not the same thing as three percent.

New Jersey at a glance
Verified programs	4
LLC filing fee	$100
Recurring obligation	$75 annual report, due the last day of your formation month every year
Benefit types	Fee waiver, Contracting preference
Last verified	2026-08-11

Fee source: NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services — Filing Fees

Fee waiver

$100 business certification application fee waived indefinitely

$100 application fee → $0

The fee to apply for VOB or DVOB certification is zero, and has been since 1 June 2021. Treasury puts it plainly: "the $100 fee normally required to apply for certification has been waived indefinitely." Small money next to a state contract, but it removes the last reason to put the application off, and the waiver covers the whole certification family — Small, Minority, Woman, Veteran, Disabled Veteran, SEDB and LGBTQ+ — filed on one application. Note the word indefinitely rather than permanently: this is an administrative waiver, not a statute, so re-check it before you plan around it years from now.

Who qualifiesAny applicant for a New Jersey SMWVBE-family certification, including VOB and DVOB. Annual reverification is also required and likewise carries no fee.

Source: NJ Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue — Business Certification Program · verified 2026-08-12

Contracting preference

3% contract set-aside for Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses

New Jersey runs two set-aside programs: 25% for certified Small Business Enterprises and 3% for Disabled Veteran Owned Business Enterprises. A set-aside reserves contracts rather than setting a target somebody may miss, which makes it stronger than the goal-based programs most states run. The catch is the eligibility line — this one is disabled-veteran-owned, not veteran-owned generally.

Who qualifiesCertified DVOB status. A disabled veteran-owned business must have its principal place of business in New Jersey, be independently owned and operated, and be at least 51% owned and controlled by disabled veterans — or be verified by the US Department of Veterans Affairs as a service-disabled veteran-owned business.

Source: NJ Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue — Business Certification Program · verified 2026-08-11

Veteran-Owned Business (VOB) and Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (DVOB) certification

Two separate certifications through Treasury's Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services. New Jersey defines a veteran by statute as someone honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances after at least 90 days of service, which is a lower service threshold than several states use. DVOB certification has to be reverified every year — diary it, because letting it lapse drops you out of the set-aside.

Who qualifiesPrincipal place of business in New Jersey, independently owned and operated, at least 51% owned and controlled by veterans (VOB) or disabled veterans (DVOB). At least 90 days of service and an honorable discharge or release under honorable circumstances.

Source: Business.NJ.gov — Veteran and Disabled Veteran-Owned Business · verified 2026-08-11

Veteran-Owned Business (VOB) Set-Aside Program — due consideration, no percentage

No percentage set — "due consideration" only

New Jersey runs a VOB set-aside program alongside the DVOB one, and Treasury lists them as separate programs — but read what the VOB program actually promises. The Division of Purchase and Property describes it as a "goal that contracting agencies give due consideration to certified VOBs in awarding contracts." No reserved percentage, no bid-price adjustment, no dollar target. Compare the DVOB line directly underneath it, which reserves three percent of contracting and purchase order dollars. If you are a veteran without a service-connected rating, this is the program you are in, and knowing that up front is worth more than discovering it after you have built a bid strategy around a number that does not exist.

Who qualifiesCertified VOB status: principal place of business in New Jersey, independently owned and operated, at least 51% owned and controlled by veterans. No disability rating required — that is the whole distinction from the DVOB program.

Source: NJ Department of the Treasury, Division of Purchase and Property — Doing Business with the State of New Jersey · verified 2026-08-12

What to do next

Forming in New Jersey costs $100 in state fees before anyone sells you anything on top. Check whether one of the waivers above applies to you first — if it does, your formation cost is zero and you should not be paying a service to tell you otherwise.

Check your SDVOSB eligibility The cheapest compliant way to file

More verified states

New Hampshire New York

Questions people actually ask

Does New Jersey waive business filing fees for veterans?

Yes. $100 business certification application fee waived indefinitely: The fee to apply for VOB or DVOB certification is zero, and has been since 1 June 2021. Treasury puts it plainly: "the $100 fee normally required to apply for certification has been waived indefinitely." Small money next to a state contract, but it removes the last reason to put the application off, and the waiver covers the whole certification family — Small, Minority, Woman, Veteran, Disabled Veteran, SEDB and LGBTQ+ — filed on one application. Note the word indefinitely rather than permanently: this is an administrative waiver, not a statute, so re-check it before you plan around it years from now. Verified against NJ Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue — Business Certification Program on 2026-08-12.

Is there a New Jersey state certification for veteran-owned businesses?

3% contract set-aside for Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses: New Jersey runs two set-aside programs: 25% for certified Small Business Enterprises and 3% for Disabled Veteran Owned Business Enterprises. A set-aside reserves contracts rather than setting a target somebody may miss, which makes it stronger than the goal-based programs most states run. The catch is the eligibility line — this one is disabled-veteran-owned, not veteran-owned generally. Source: NJ Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue — Business Certification Program.

How much does it cost to start an LLC in New Jersey?

The state filing fee is $100, with a recurring obligation: $75 annual report, due the last day of your formation month every year. Formation services charge their own fee on top of that; you can file directly with the state yourself and pay only the state fee.