New Jersey’s 2026 laws take effect, raising wages, fuel taxes, and tolls while shifting public notices online

A series of New Jersey legal changes took effect at the start of 2026, including a statewide minimum wage increase, a higher gas tax tied to the Transportation Trust Fund, and new toll schedules on major crossings used by commuters in and out of the state.

Other changes arriving later in the year include a shift that moves many official public notices from print newspapers to government websites, a reorganization of state veterans services into a stand-alone cabinet-level department, and a new statewide framework that restricts student cellphone use during the school day beginning with the 2026–2027 school year.

State minimum wage: $15.92 for most workers starting January 1, 2026

What changed: New Jersey’s statewide minimum wage rose by 43 cents to $15.92 per hour for most employees on January 1, 2026. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development said the minimum wage for seasonal and small employers increased to $15.23 per hour.

What it means: The increase directly affects hourly workers and employers statewide, while also influencing related wage calculations for jobs that sit just above the minimum. For tipped employees, the state’s rules still require employers to make up the difference if the cash wage plus tips does not equal at least the full minimum wage.

Gas tax: up 4.2 cents per gallon, with totals of 49.1 cents for gasoline and 56.1 cents for diesel

What changed: The Treasury Department announced New Jersey’s gas tax rate increased by 4.2 cents per gallon beginning January 1, 2026. Treasury said the change was driven by a statutory formula tied to the Transportation Trust Fund and a 2024 law adjusting the state’s highway fuel cap over multiple fiscal years.

What it means: For drivers, the most visible effect is the higher per-gallon tax, though pump prices can still move independently based on wholesale fuel costs. For the state, the adjustment is designed to keep transportation funding on track as fuel consumption trends change.

Toll hikes: higher prices on the Turnpike and Parkway, Delaware River bridges, and Port Authority crossings

What changed: Several toll increases went into effect in early January 2026. WHYY reported that a 3% toll increase approved by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority for the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway took effect January 1.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission separately confirmed a new toll schedule took effect at the first second of January 1, 2026, across its eight toll bridges. The commission said passenger-vehicle E-ZPass tolls increased to $2, while toll-by-plate rates rose to $5.

For Port Authority bridges and tunnels into New York, the agency posted that new toll rates took effect January 4, 2026.

What it means: For commuters and commercial drivers, the increases stack quickly because they apply to different systems depending on the route: in-state toll roads, cross-river bridges to Pennsylvania, and Port Authority crossings into New York. For policymakers and toll agencies, the increases are typically tied to capital plans and long-term maintenance obligations, which are often set years in advance.

State government restructuring: New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs begins operations in January 2026

What changed: Legislation signed in 2025 establishes a cabinet-level Department of Veterans Affairs, separating veterans' services from the former Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The New Jersey League of Municipalities said the law takes effect January 9, 2026, with military functions continuing under a renamed Department of Military Affairs.

What it means: For veterans, the change is intended to put services such as benefits assistance, health care coordination, housing support, and mental health resources under a department focused exclusively on veterans' issues. For state agencies, the near-term work is administrative: reorganizing functions, leadership, and workflows without interrupting service delivery.

Public notices: Many legal notices move from newspapers to government websites beginning March 1, 2026

What changed: A new legal notice framework takes effect March 1, 2026, shifting publication requirements away from print newspapers and toward online posting. Under the new approach, public entities must publish legal notices on their official websites, and the Secretary of State must maintain a centralized portal linking to those notices, according to summaries of the law and local government guidance describing implementation.

What it means: For residents, the practical change is where to look for notices involving public meetings, local actions, and other required postings; more of it will be online and typically free to access. For municipalities and other public bodies, the shift creates ongoing compliance tasks: building a clearly labeled notices page, keeping posts up for required periods, and maintaining archives.

Schools: New Jersey restricts non-academic cellphone and device use beginning in the 2026–2027 school year

What changed: New Jersey enacted a law prohibiting the non-academic use of cellphones and other internet-connected devices during the school day for K–12 students, with statewide guidance to be developed by the state education commission and local school boards. The Associated Press reported the law takes effect in the 2026–2027 school year.

What it means: The rule is not an immediate January 1 change, but it is one of the state’s most significant 2026-dated policy shifts because it will shape school-day operations, discipline procedures, and how districts handle exceptions for safety, health needs, and academic use cases.

Tax and economic development: new film tax credit rules and other tax changes tied to the 2026 tax years

What changed: New Jersey’s Division of Taxation lists multiple tax-law changes that became effective January 1, 2026, or apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. They include amendments to the Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act that extend the program’s eligibility and adjust credit mechanics, and a separate provision that imposes a $3 surcharge on certain hotel occupancies in Newark to fund fire services.

The Division of Taxation also notes a change applying to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, that exempts certain qualified small business stock gains from New Jersey gross income when the gains are also exempt from federal taxation.

What it means: Most residents will not feel these provisions day to day, the way they will notice wage, fuel, and toll increases. But they matter for businesses, production companies, and taxpayers whose filings depend on eligibility timing, credit rules, and taxable-year definitions.