Restaurants operating without a displayed New Jersey Workers' Compensation Poster face immediate $500 fines per day from the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development (NJDOL) until corrected. This mandatory notice, also called an “insurance carrier poster” or the NJDOL’s Form C-50, must be posted in a conspicuous workplace area in Jersey City and across the state.
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Displaying the official New Jersey Workers' Compensation Poster in Jersey City is a mandatory compliance requirement under New Jersey State law, specifically the New Jersey Workers' Compensation Act (N.J.S.A. 34:15-1 et seq.). The Act requires every employer subject to the law to post and maintain this notice, prepared by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL), in a conspicuous place accessible to all employees. This obligation is separate from, and in addition to, other required postings for state minimum wage, earned sick leave, and other employment laws. The poster provides essential information to employees about their rights to medical care and wage replacement benefits for work-related injuries or illnesses, and it must be displayed regardless of your restaurant's size if you have even one employee.
Failure to post the correct and current version of this notice can trigger significant enforcement actions from the NJDOL. Practical consequences include:
Legal code: State minimum wage law, earned sick time law, tip law, workplace poster statutes, prevailing wage law
Recent update: The NJDOL periodically updates its mandatory posters; for 2026, employers must verify they are displaying the most current version, which may reflect changes to benefit rates or contact information.
| Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (Full-Service) | Required | Required if you have any employees (including part-time), per N.J.S.A. 34:15-71, as all employers with one or more workers must post the state-provided notice. |
| Bar / Nightclub | Required | Required if you have any employees, as the law covers all establishments with a payroll, regardless of service type. |
| Food Truck | Required | Required if you have any employees; mobile food service operations are not exempt from NJ workers' compensation posting laws. |
| Coffee Shop / Café | Required | Required if you have any employees, as cafes with staff are covered under the same mandatory posting rules. |
See which restaurant types need this requirement — and which don't.
See Full Requirements →Posting the previous year's poster or a faded, low-quality print that renders text or contact information unreadable violates N.J.S.A. 34:15-131. If an employee cannot read the legally mandated language or the claim filing instructions, your business faces an immediate citation from the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development (NJDOL). Avoid this by downloading the official 2026 poster directly from the NJDOL website and printing it in color on 11" x 17" paper, ensuring the NJDOL phone number (1-800-777-9772) is clearly visible.
Tucking the poster in a manager's office, a locked break room, or an area not frequented by all employees (like a stockroom) fails the 'conspicuous place' requirement. If the poster is not easily seen by all staff during the workday, it is not legally posted. This mistake is the top cause of employee complaints to the NJDOL, which can trigger a workplace inspection. Ensure the poster is placed in a central, common area like the main kitchen notice board, time clock area, or employee entrance where it is visible at all times.
Failing to post the Spanish-language version ('Compensación a los Trabajadores - Aviso') alongside the English poster in workplaces where Spanish is routinely spoken is a common violation. The NJDOL requires the Spanish notice be posted 'conspicuously' if any employees' primary language is Spanish. Relying solely on the English poster risks non-compliance and potential fines. To avoid this, download both the English and Spanish posters from the NJDOL site and post them side-by-side in the required conspicuous location.
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| City | Fee Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Jersey City | ||
| Newark | ||
| Paterson |
Contact your workers' compensation insurance provider immediately after purchasing your policy to request the official New Jersey workers' compensation poster. This poster is provided by your insurance carrier, not a government agency. If you are legally exempt from carrying insurance, you must obtain a 'Notice of Exemption' poster from the NJ Compensation Rating & Inspection Bureau (CRIB).
Alongside the main carrier poster, you must post the State of New Jersey's official 'Workers' Compensation Notice' (Form NJ-100), which details employee rights. This form is available for free download from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development website. Print it on legal-sized paper (8.5 x 14 inches) for compliance.
Display both posters (the insurance carrier poster and Form NJ-100) in a common, well-lit employee area, such as a break room, time clock location, or near other required labor law postings. New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 34:15-81) requires posters be 'conspicuous and accessible' to all employees, including part-time and temporary workers. Failure to post can result in fines.
Applications go to the New Jersey department of labor. Local procedures and fees may vary — select your city below.
This is one of 13 requirements for opening a restaurant in New Jersey.
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See All RequirementsProcessing time varies as there is no formal application or approval process for this poster. The poster is a downloadable document that you can obtain and print immediately from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) website. Your responsibility is to display it promptly upon hiring employees, which is also required when you complete your E-Verify Enrollment.
There are no government filing fees for the poster itself. The New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Commission provides the official poster free of charge through its website. However, failing to post it can result in significant fines, which is similar to the penalty structure for not having a valid City Business License/Registration.
Yes, the same physical or printed poster can be transferred to a new business location within New Jersey. The poster contains general legal notice information that does not change based on your address. You must ensure it is prominently displayed at each worksite, a requirement parallel to displaying your official Certificate of Occupancy.
You do not renew the poster, but you must replace it if the New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Commission issues an updated version. It is your responsibility to monitor the NJDOL website for revisions. There is no set schedule for updates, so checking annually when you file your Annual Report Filing is a practical reminder.
During a routine state labor inspection, an officer will check for the poster’s presence and visibility in the workplace. They will verify it is the current, state-issued version. Non-compliance can trigger fines starting at $100 per violation, per N.J.S.A. 34:15-129. Not legal advice — verify poster requirements with the NJDOL.
This guide is generated from ApronPrep's compliance dossier system, which uses 53 parallel AI authority experts to discover requirements, then downloads actual forms and generates field-level intelligence for each one.
For New Jersey specifically, we have analyzed compliance dossiers for 3 cities (Jersey City, Newark, Paterson), generating Rich FILs (Form Intelligence Layers) with 0 form fields analyzed for this requirement. Fee data is sourced from actual county department fee schedules, not estimates.
Our data is verified against official government sources and updated when regulatory changes are detected. If you find an error, please report it — accuracy is our core commitment.
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