As the calendar year flips to 2026, New Jersey residents will see many new laws taking affect, impacting many families, taxpayers, businesses and commuters alike.

January also marks the start of a new administration in Trenton, with a new governor taking office for the first time in eight years, as the Murphy era comes to a close. Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill will be sworn in to office on January 20.

Below is a brief summary of the more notable laws taking effect in 2026:

New Minimum Wage:

The state’s minimum wage increases by $0.43 to $15.92 per hour for most employees on January 1, a sharp increase from the $8.85 an hour it was when Governor Phil Murphy first took office in 2018. A law he signed in 2019 increased the wage by at least $1 a year until it hit $15 an hour in 2024.

The increase leaves New Jersey with the sixth-highest statewide minimum wage in the nation.

Higher Gas Tax Takes Effect:

Beginning January 1, state’s gas tax rate will increase by 4.2 cents per gallon as a result of the law signed last year which gradually raises the State’s Highway Fuel Cap from Fiscal Year 2025 through Fiscal Year 2029.

The increase will bring the per-gallon tax from 34.4 cents to 38.6 cents for gasoline and from 38.4 cents to 42.6 cents for diesel fuel. When combined with the Motor Fuels Tax, which is fixed at 10.5 cents for gasoline and 13.5 cents for diesel fuel, the total tax rates that motorists will pay for gasoline and diesel fuel will be 49.1 cents and 56.1 cents, respectively.

Toll Hikes:

In addition to the gas tax increase, motorists will be paying more on virtually every state highway in the state this, as tolls will be increasing on the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike, as well as by all Port Authority bridges and tunnels.

Legal Notices:

Beginning March 1, public entities will be required to publish legal notices, including municipal meetings and foreclosures on their official websites, or eligible online news outlets.

The new law, signed by Governor Murphy in June, ends the state’s decades-long practice of requiring publication of public notices in newspapers with the aim of making information more accessible and saving costs for towns.