Official Site of The State of New Jersey

BORDENTOWN – Governor Mikie Sherrill today announced continued progress in her Administration’s effort to cut permitting delays, deliver faster reviews, and decrease costs for New Jersey families and businesses. To further increase transparency and accountability, Governor Sherrill also unveiled the public view of the New Jersey Permitting Dashboard Pilot, giving residents a real-time look at how projects move through state review at Permits.NJ.gov. 

Since January, the Department of Environmental Protection has reduced its Freshwater Wetlands Letter of Interpretation backlog by 74 percent while the Department of Transportation has cut its Minor Access Permit backlog by 83 percent – including by resolving 523 stalled permits. In just the last few months, DEP has also reduced its Remedial Action Permit backlog by 25 percent and DOT has cut its Major Access Permit backlog by 19 percent. That progress keeps the housing, energy, and infrastructure projects New Jersey needs moving forward. 

“When I took office, I promised to save New Jerseyans time and money,” said Governor Sherrill. “Slow permits mean higher costs for everyone, from families waiting on new homes to businesses ready to hire. In less than a year, we’ve cleared backlogs, changed how agencies work, and moved critical projects forward. And because accountability matters, we’re opening the books so every resident can see the progress for themselves via the New Jersey Permitting Dashboard Pilot. Faster reviews help build a more affordable New Jersey, and we’re just getting started.” 

Clearing the Backlog

Since January 20, 2026, State agencies have made substantial progress in reducing permitting backlogs by reviewing and resolving long-pending permit applications: 

• DEP Freshwater Wetlands Letters of Interpretation: 74 percent reduction in permit backlog, with applications pending for 6+ months falling from 927 to 240. These letters confirm whether wetlands are present on a property and where their boundaries fall, a necessary step that a project must complete before it can start engineering design work.
• DOT Minor Access Permit: 83 percent reduction in permit backlog, with total pending applications falling from 653 to 108 – including the resolution of 523 stalled permits. These permits allow small- to medium-sized housing projects and businesses to build or modify driveways and entrances onto state highways, which are required for many projects statewide to move forward.

Building on that progress, DEP and DOT have started additional backlog reduction efforts in just the last few months, with immediate results: 

• DEP Remedial Action Permit: 25 percent reduction in permit backlog, with total pending applications falling from 656 to 493. This permit is necessary for redeveloping previously contaminated “Brownfield” sites into safe and productive commercial, industrial, or residential properties.
• DOT Major Access Permit: 19 percent reduction in permit backlog, with total pending applications falling from 262 to 211. These permits allow large housing projects and businesses to build or modify driveways and entrances onto state highways, which are required for many projects statewide to move forward.

“Governor Sherrill has challenged us to make government more efficient and responsive, and improving permitting is one way NJDOT is delivering on that commitment,” NJDOT Commissioner Priya Jain said.“We were able to resolve over 500 stalled Minor Access and Highway Occupancy permits by looking at e-permitting data to identify delays and direct additional staff and resources where they were needed most. We built on that progress with the creation of a new Division of Transportation Permitting within the Department. The goal is to provide businesses, developers, and municipalities with more timely, transparent, and predictable decisions while maintaining essential safety standards.” 

“Through Operation FAST, DEP is reducing bureaucratic delays without weakening our strong environmental standards. We are streamlining our processes, hiring new staff to speed up reviews, and modernizing our tech to better serve the public and our stakeholders,” said Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Ed Potosnak. “This initiative proves that we can make our state more affordable and protect New Jersey’s natural resources at the same time. This is what it looks like to deliver for New Jerseyans.”

How New Jersey Is Delivering Faster Reviews 

New Jersey State agencies have reorganized their permitting offices and created new strike teams to increase collaboration and efficiency within their permit processes.

• DEP has created Operation FAST to specifically streamline permitting for clean energy projects, and this new initiative currently includes over 25 solar and battery storage projects. 
• DEP has also created strike teams focused on Remedial Action Permits and Watershed & Land Management permits, with the goal of expediting the review process and reducing backlogs for some of the most complex permits that the agency issues.   
• DOT has designed and recently completed a reorganization to shift all permitting functions under one division – the Division of Transportation Permitting – to prevent bureaucratic obstacles from causing permitting delays. 
• DOT has also fully digitized its Major Access Permit process.

In collaboration with the Permitting Governing Council, agencies have also taken new steps to keep projects moving: 

• New Reviewers on the Job: Through new funding in Governor Sherrill’s FY 2027 budget, DEP has hired and onboarded 49 new staff to expand review capacity. 
• Process Mapping: DEP and DOT completed full process maps and recommendations for key permits, including the Freshwater Wetlands General Permit and Major Access Permit, to identify barriers and develop recommendations to reduce costs and delays.
• Energy Coordination: A new Energy Cross-Agency Working Group brings together BPU, DEP, DCA, and the Department of Agriculture to align reviews for energy projects.

Increasing Transparency with the new Public View of the Permitting Dashboard Pilot 

Expanding on the Permitting Dashboard Pilot launched in June, the new public view at Permits.NJ.gov lets anyone follow the 10 pilot projects as they move through review at DEP, DOT, and the Department of Community Affairs. For each project, the dashboard shows every permit that the project has applied for, the responsible agency, and progress through each step of the review process, from application to completeness review, technical review, and final decision, with dates showing when each milestone was completed. DEP and the New Jersey Innovation Authority are now automating the dashboard to reduce manual data entry and allow significantly more projects to be added in the coming months. 

“Housing and other building projects depend on construction permitting moving efficiently. A developer can have the funding, the site, and the community support, but if permitting creates months of unpredictable delays, projects stall. Governor Sherrill has made it clear that our job at DCA is to remove those obstacles while maintaining the safety standards that protect residents,” said Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “In partnership with the New Jersey Innovation Authority, we are building a unified construction permitting system – a single online platform covering the full permit lifecycle from application to certificate of occupancy – to accelerate processing on routine permits and make the system more consistent across the board.” 

“The Permitting Dashboard brings transparency and coordination to a complex process: developers and the public can see what’s done and what’s left to keep critical projects on track,” said New Jersey State Chief Innovation Officer Dave Cole. “Under Governor Sherrill’s leadership, we’ll keep improving the permitting process while helping New Jerseyans know how investments in their communities are moving forward.” 

“CREDA NJ applauds Governor Sherrill's focus on making New Jersey’s approval process more timely, transparent and predictable,” said Dan Kennedy, CEO of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association – New Jersey Chapter (CREDA NJ). “NJDEP’s significant reduction in its freshwater wetlands determination backlog and the launch of a cross-agency permitting dashboard are examples of real-world improvements already making a noticeable impact to the CRE industry. NJDOT's recent reorganization and focus on its highway access permits is expected to deliver similar results. By reducing unnecessary delays and uncertainty, these reforms can help move job-creating investments forward by lowering the cost and time required to expand economic opportunity across New Jersey.”  

What’s Next

DEP is currently working to reduce its Water Quality Management Program backlog, DOT is continuing to reduce its Major Access Permit backlog, and DCA is mapping the municipal Uniform Construction Code process to identify further improvements. Each agency is in the process of developing shot clock timelines in line with the requirements of Executive Order 5, which will eventually be added to the public view of the permitting dashboard. 

The public Permitting Dashboard is available at Permits.NJ.gov. 

What They are Saying

“As Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, I know firsthand that upgrading our state’s transportation networks, roads, and transit infrastructure is essential to New Jersey’s economic vitality. For too long, cumbersome multi-agency reviews have slowed down critical capital projects. By introducing this centralized permitting dashboard, we are bringing unprecedented transparency and accountability to the process. This initiative cuts through bureaucratic red tape, helping us deliver vital infrastructure, mobility, and community investments faster and more efficiently than ever before. said Senator Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex).  

“Permitting reform is about customer service – making State government more predictable, transparent, and accountable to the people and businesses it serves,” said Senator Troy Singleton (D-Burlington), prime sponsor of S-1788, which would establish fee refunds for applicants facing delays. “Applicants deserve clear requirements, reasonable timelines, and accountability when reviews fall behind. I’m proud to partner with Governor Sherrill to ensure government serves as a partner, not a hindrance, to getting projects and investments off the ground.” 

The permitting dashboard is a direct reflection of Governor Sherrill's steadfast commitment to modernizing and improving how state government works for every New Jersey resident,” said State Chief Technology Officer Kevin Dehmer. “By making critical processes more transparent, accountable, and easily accessible, this tool highlights the steady progress being made in successfully clearing historic permit backlogs. Providing applicants and the public with clear visibility into the permitting pipeline drives operational improvements while supporting New Jersey’s economic vitality.

“Governor Sherrill is delivering on her promise to make government more efficient, effective, and transparent,” said Civil Service Commission CEO and Chair Mary Cruz. “The Civil Service Commission is proud to collaborate with our State agency partners to ensure that New Jersey's State government has the streamlined hiring process and well-trained workforce that it needs to deliver services for families and residents, while maintaining the integrity of our merit-based selection process.” 

“Streamlining New Jersey’s permitting process has long been a priority for the business community, and we applaud Governor Sherrill and her administration for taking meaningful steps to address this issue. For too long, businesses have faced unnecessary delays, uncertainty and regulatory hurdles that discourage investment and job creation. A more efficient, transparent and predictable permitting process is essential to making New Jersey more competitive. The progress made by the Permitting Governing Council, along with the launch of the public Permitting Dashboard, represents an important step toward creating a more business-friendly environment. We look forward to continued collaboration with the administration to build on this progress,” said Tom Bracken, President & CEO, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce 

“NJBIA has been excited to partner with the Sherrill Administration on their “Saving Time & Money Agenda” to make it easier for businesses to work with state government." said New Jersey Business & Industry President & CEO Michele Siekerka. “The new Permitting Dashboard is a significant step forward in Governor Sherrill’s efforts to make state government more responsive and accountable to taxpayers. We stand ready to continue to work with the Sherrill Administration on these critical efforts and other opportunities that can provide greater certainty and predictability to our job creators and expedite their path to creating new jobs and growing our economy.”