New Jersey officials announced a pause on enforcing a sweeping data-broker law that took effect June 30, giving companies until June 2027 before they must register or pay the statute’s new fees.
The alert, issued Friday by the Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Affairs, follows complaints from businesses about the law’s unusually high registration costs and uncertainty over which firms are covered. The division said it plans to release more guidance in the coming months to clarify the law’s requirements.
What this means for New Jersey businesses
Under the temporary enforcement pause, covered entities do not need to complete the state’s data-broker registry or submit the annual registration fee until the new deadline. The law’s fee schedule establishes annual payments that range widely, a point that prompted much of the pushback from industry groups.
- Enforcement delayed until: June 2027
- Annual fee range: $5,000 to $1.5 million
- Scope: Applies to third-party data brokers and businesses that directly collect and sell consumer data
The law also includes a prohibition on the sale of certain categories of sensitive personal data, expanding New Jersey’s consumer-privacy protections beyond registration and reporting rules.
“There may be questions about the contours of the new law,” the division said, and it plans to issue additional guidance “to provide the public with further clarity about the new law’s requirements.”
How New Jersey’s fees compare
New Jersey’s top-end fees are far higher than those previously seen elsewhere in the U.S., drawing comparisons with California’s data-broker registration program.
| State | Published annual fee |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $5,000 to $1.5 million |
| California | $6,000 |
The New Jersey statute deviates from many peers by covering both third-party brokers and companies that directly collect consumer data and then sell it. That broader reach helped fuel confusion among a range of businesses that reached out to state officials after the law was adopted and signed by Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
Next steps and state response
The Division of Consumer Affairs said it recognizes there are questions about the law’s scope and will provide additional explanatory material. A spokesperson for Gov. Sherrill did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
For now, companies operating in New Jersey have temporary relief from the new registration and fee requirements but should monitor forthcoming guidance from the division, which will spell out who must register and how the state intends to implement the fee structure.
As the division develops those materials, affected businesses may want to consult legal counsel or privacy advisers to prepare for compliance once enforcement resumes next summer.
— Isabella Moretti, New Jersey Correspondent
