License Fee Schedule
All cannabis business licenses are issued by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC). The CREAMM Act (Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act) created a two-step licensing process: a conditional license followed by an annual license. The following table summarizes fees by license class:
| License Class | Type | Conditional Fee | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Cultivator | $200 + $800 | $5,000–$50,000 |
| Class 2 | Manufacturer | $200 + $800 | $20,000–$30,000 |
| Class 3 | Wholesaler | $200 + $800 | $10,000 |
| Class 4 | Distributor | $200 + $800 | $3,000 |
| Class 5 | Retailer | $200 + $800 | $10,000 |
| Class 6 | Delivery | $200 + $800 | $3,000 |
| Micro | Microbusiness | $100 + $400 | $1,000 |
The conditional license fee structure is: $200 submission fee + $800 approval fee for standard licenses, or $100 submission + $400 approval for microbusiness licenses. Annual fees vary by class as shown above.
The CREAMM Act establishes six cannabis license classes plus testing laboratories and microbusiness, with conditional licensing fees and annual fees set by the CRC.
NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission
License Class Details
Class 1 — Cultivator
Conditional Fee: $200 + $800 | Annual Fee: $5,000–$50,000/year
Authorizes the growing, harvesting, drying, curing, grading, trimming, and packaging of cannabis. Cultivators grow the raw plant material that supplies the rest of the supply chain. Annual fees scale based on production capacity — smaller operations pay toward the lower end, while large-scale cultivators pay significantly more. The wide annual fee range reflects the CRC's approach to scaling costs by canopy size and output.
Class 2 — Manufacturer (Processor)
Conditional Fee: $200 + $800 | Annual Fee: $20,000–$30,000/year
Authorizes the processing, extraction, and manufacturing of cannabis products including concentrates, edibles, tinctures, topicals, vape cartridges, and other infused products. Manufacturers transform raw cannabis into finished consumer products. This license requires specialized equipment, safety protocols, and compliance with all CRC product standards including the 100 mg THC per package limit for edibles.
Class 3 — Wholesaler
Conditional Fee: $200 + $800 | Annual Fee: $10,000/year
Authorizes the purchase and resale of cannabis and cannabis products between licensed businesses. Wholesalers serve as intermediaries in the supply chain, purchasing from cultivators and manufacturers and selling to retailers. This license does not authorize direct sales to consumers.
Class 4 — Distributor
Conditional Fee: $200 + $800 | Annual Fee: $3,000/year
Authorizes the transportation and physical distribution of cannabis and cannabis products between licensed businesses. Distributors handle the logistics of moving products through the supply chain. All transport must comply with CRC security and tracking requirements.
Class 5 — Retailer (Dispensary)
Conditional Fee: $200 + $800 | Annual Fee: $10,000/year
Authorizes the retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products to consumers. Class 5 licensees operate the dispensaries where consumers make purchases. Beginning April 20, 2026, Class 5 licensees will be permitted to open up to 3 satellite dispensary locations each, expanding retail access across the state.
Class 6 — Delivery
Conditional Fee: $200 + $800 | Annual Fee: $3,000/year
Authorizes the delivery of cannabis and cannabis products directly to consumers. Delivery licensees can partner with retailers to provide home delivery services. This license type has its own compliance requirements around delivery vehicles, tracking, age verification at the point of delivery, and delivery hours.
Testing Laboratory
Testing laboratories are licensed separately and must remain independent from all other cannabis license types. Labs test all cannabis products for potency, pesticides, heavy metals, microbials, residual solvents, and mycotoxins before products can be approved for sale. See Lab Testing in NJ for details.
Microbusiness License
The microbusiness license is designed to lower barriers to entry for smaller operators. Key limitations and benefits:
- Maximum 10 employees
- Maximum 2,500 square feet of facility space
- Maximum 1,000 plants per month (for cultivators)
- Conditional fee: $100 submission + $400 approval (50% discount)
- Annual fee: $1,000/year
- 50% fee discounts on all regulatory fees
Microbusinesses can hold multiple license types (e.g., cultivator + manufacturer + retailer) within a single microbusiness license, allowing for vertically integrated small-scale operations.
Conditional vs. Annual License
NJ uses a two-step licensing process:
- Conditional license: The first step. Evaluated primarily on the applicant's qualifications, business plan, and compliance with social equity and diversity criteria. Does not require a physical location or site control.
- Annual license: The second step. Requires proof of site control, municipal endorsement, completed standard operating procedures (SOPs), security plans, and all operational documentation. Must be obtained within 120 days of conditional approval, with a possible 45-day extension.
The conditional license allows applicants to plan and secure resources without having to invest in real estate upfront — a key feature designed to make the market more accessible to smaller operators and social equity applicants.
Application Priority Order
The CRC processes applications in a defined priority order:
- Social equity businesses
- Diversely-owned businesses
- Impact zone businesses
- Microbusinesses
- All other applicants
This priority system means applications from social equity and diversely-owned businesses are reviewed first. As of late 2025, the 30% diversity mandate has been far exceeded, with approximately 70% of all licensees being diversely owned.
CRC Licensing Information