Which certificates you need to sell or rent a home, town by town in New Jersey
Certificate of occupancy Jersey City NJ: resale and rental rules
Confirm with the Jersey City offices before you rely on this page. Jersey City says plainly that it does not issue certificates of occupancy for the buying and selling of property, so a sale needs only the state smoke and carbon-monoxide alarm certificate from the Division of Fire's Fire Prevention Bureau: $75 by check or money order, submitted in person at Fire Headquarters, after which an inspector emails to schedule. The current form is undated and its body still quotes the old portable-fire-extinguisher wording even though its title and checklist dropped it. No reinspection fee, validity window or lead time is stated anywhere on the city site. For rentals the city site shows a landlord registration with the City Clerk (fewer than three units) and lead-based paint inspections by the Division of Housing Preservation, but no rental certificate of occupancy. Sources on the town's own site: Sale of Property Smoke Alarm, Carbon Monoxide Alarm Certification Form (undated); Construction Code - Inspections & Certificates (undated); Memorandum: Accepted forms of Payment (04/11/2022). State rule for every sale or lease of a one- or two-family home: N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.3 (text). Last checked 24 October 2026.
| Question | Answer | The town's own words |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal certificate needed before a sale | No municipal certificate of occupancy for resale; only the state Certificate of Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Compliance (CSACMAC) from the Division of Fire is required | Please note: Jersey City does not issue New Certificates of Occupancy for the buying and selling of property. |
| Municipal certificate needed before a new tenant | Not stated in the documents fetched: Landlord Registration Form filed with the City Clerk (fewer than 3 units) or DCA Bureau of Housing Inspection (3+ units); no municipal rental certificate of occupancy found; the smoke certificate form applies when a 1-2 family home is 'sold, leased, or otherwise made subject to a change of occupancy' | Every landlord of a residential dwelling, unless owner-occupied, must file a Landlord Registration Form. |
| Smoke and CO alarm certificate (state rule N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.3) | Jersey City Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire, Fire Prevention Bureau (2 Jackson Sq Plaza / 356 MLK Dr; 201-547-4255), fee $75.00 | II. CHECK OR MONEY ORDER IN THE AMOUNT OF $75.00 MADE OUT TO CITY OF JERSEY CITY |
| Fee: Smoke/CO certificate (flat) | $75.00 | CHECK OR MONEY ORDER IN THE AMOUNT OF $75.00 MADE OUT TO CITY OF JERSEY CITY |
| Fee: Card payment convenience fee (in person only; no personal/company checks) | 2.02% | Credit Card- there is a 2.02% convenience fee |
| Who applies | Owner (form: 'the owner shall obtain a certificate'); owner submits the form and fee at Fire Headquarters and awaits an inspector's email | the owner shall obtain a certificate of smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm, and portable fire extinguisher compliance CSACMAC, evidencing compliance with N.J.A.C. 5:70-4.19, from the appropriate enforcing agency. |
| Lead-safe inspection for pre-1978 rentals | Division of Housing Preservation conducts lead-based paint inspections in rental units under P.L. 2021, c.182 (Ord. 23-018); fee not stated | The Division is also responsible for conducting lead-based paint inspections in rental dwelling units pursuant to P.L. 2021, C.182. |
| Last rule change on record | Current form title and checklist drop the fire extinguisher (CSACMAC) but the body still quotes 'portable fire extinguisher compliance' and 'CSACMAPFEC CERTIFICATE'; Fire Prevention moved from 465 Marin Blvd to 2 Jackson Sq/356 MLK Dr; personal checks refused since 1 Jan 2022 | PROCEDURE TO OBTAIN A CSACMAC CERTIFICATE |