A Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing the Right NJDEP Permit, Checking Eligibility, Gathering Your Site Information, and Filing the Application
Yes, you can apply for a New Jersey industrial stormwater permit yourself. NJDEP doesn't require a consultant or any special credential, and for the simplest permit the paperwork is a few forms and a written stormwater plan. The harder part is figuring out which permit applies to your facility, because New Jersey doesn't have one industrial stormwater permit the way most states do. Pick the wrong one and you can end up filing paperwork that doesn't protect you.
This guide walks through the whole process: how to choose among NJDEP's permits, how to check whether your facility qualifies, what information to gather first, and how to complete and submit the application. We'll also cover what it costs, what happens once you're covered, and when going it alone stops making sense. If you'd rather hand off any part of it, feel free to reach out to RMA and we'll talk through your situation.
Table of Contents
TL;DR
You can apply for a New Jersey industrial stormwater permit yourself by submitting a request for authorization to NJDEP, but you have to pick the right permit first. The basic permit (5G2) works only if you've eliminated, or can eliminate within six months, everything exposed to rain. If your industry has its own general permit and it's open to new facilities, that's usually your path, and an individual permit covers everyone else. Gather your industry code, a site map, and a clear picture of where your water goes before you start. Doing the 5G2 yourself is realistic, while individual permits are where most facilities want help.
What Should You Know Before Applying for a New Jersey Industrial Stormwater Permit?
Start with what the permit regulates. When rain or snowmelt touches materials, equipment, or activities at an industrial site and then runs off, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) treats that water as a discharge that needs permit coverage. The state runs its own version of the federal Clean Water Act permit program, called the New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or NJPDES. NJDEP's rules reach water that soaks into the ground on your site as well as water that flows to a storm drain or stream, which surprises facilities that figure a retention basin means they don't discharge anything.
Whether you need a permit at all depends on three things: your industry classification (your SIC code), whether anything industrial is exposed to the weather, and where your water goes. Plenty of warehouses, data centers, body shops, dealerships, and quick-lubes fall outside the program, or only come into it because of outdoor vehicle maintenance, fueling, or washing. Our articles on who needs a stormwater permit and what stormwater associated with industrial activity means show how regulators draw that line, so read those first if you aren't sure you need coverage.
One boundary before we go further. This guide covers the permits an operating facility needs. Construction-phase requirements, such as construction stormwater coverage under the 5G3 general permit and soil erosion and sediment control certification, are separate programs, and RMA doesn't prepare them. If you're building or expanding, your engineer or contractor will usually handle that piece. Once the facility is running, though, you'll almost always need one of the operational permits below, and that's the part we're walking through here.
Which NJDEP Industrial Stormwater Permit Should You Apply For?
New Jersey sorts industrial facilities across a basic general permit, a set of industry-specific general permits, individual permits, and an exclusion for facilities with nothing exposed. A general permit is one master permit NJDEP wrote for a whole category of facilities, and you apply to be covered by it. An individual permit is written for one site. Here's the lineup, using the codes NJDEP uses on its own pages and the ones you'll see on authorization letters and inspection reports.
| Code |
Permit Name |
Who It Fits |
| No exposure |
No exposure exclusion |
Facilities with every industrial material and activity inside a permanent, fully enclosed building. It's an exclusion, not a permit. |
| 5G2 |
Basic Industrial Stormwater General Permit |
Regulated facilities that have eliminated, or can eliminate within six months of authorization, all exposure to rain and snowmelt |
| CPM |
Concrete Products Manufacturing |
Ready mixed concrete plants and facilities making block, brick, and other concrete products |
| R4 |
Hot Mix Asphalt Producers |
Facilities manufacturing hot mix asphalt |
| R13 |
Mining and Quarrying Activity |
Mines and quarries |
| RSG |
Sand and Gravel Activity |
Sand and gravel operations whose stormwater goes only to groundwater |
| SM2 |
Scrap Metal Processing and Recycling |
Scrap metal recyclers (the older SM permit is no longer available) |
| RVR |
Vehicle Recycling |
Auto salvage and vehicle recycling yards |
| WRC |
Wood Waste Recycling and Leaf Composting |
Wood recyclers, mulch producers, and leaf composting facilities |
| Individual |
Individual NJPDES Industrial Stormwater Permit |
Facilities that can't eliminate exposure and don't qualify for any general permit |
To narrow it down, work through three questions in order. First, can you get everything industrial indoors or under permanent cover? If so, you're looking at no exposure or the 5G2. Second, does your industry have its own general permit? If it does, that's usually your path, and our guides to the SM2 scrap metal permit and concrete plants and stormwater permits show what an industry permit looks like in practice. Third, if neither fits, you're headed for an individual permit. Our explainer on which NPDES permit you need lays out the general, individual, and no exposure options side by side.
Check current permit status before you commit to a plan. General permits run on five-year terms, and several of New Jersey's industry-specific permits are well past their expiration dates. Facilities already covered generally stay covered while NJDEP works on a renewal, but a new facility usually can't get fresh coverage under an expired permit, which can push it toward an individual permit. NJDEP's industrial stormwater general permits page shows what's current.
How Do You Check Whether Your Facility Qualifies for the 5G2 or No Exposure?
Most facilities that apply on their own are looking at the 5G2, so eligibility is where to spend your time. The 5G2 is open to regulated facilities that have eliminated, or can eliminate within six months of being authorized, all exposure of industrial materials and activities to rain and snowmelt. You do that by moving things indoors or covering them. Walk your property with that test in mind and list everything outside: dumpsters, stockpiles, drums and totes, stacked material, equipment parked in the yard, generators, fueling areas, wash areas, and loading docks. Any one of those can knock a site off the 5G2 until it's moved or covered.
The no exposure exclusion sets a higher bar. It's for facilities where every industrial material and activity sits inside a permanent building, and a tarp or a temporary structure doesn't count. A loading dock that extends past the building's wall, material stored under an overhang, or visible oil and grease stains on the ground can each disqualify a site. Our article on what no exposure means goes through the details. New Jersey has its own process and form for claiming it, so use NJDEP's current version instead of a form from another state.
Then trace where your water goes. It might flow to a storm drain, a ditch, a stream, a basin where it soaks into the ground, or a combined sewer. Several older New Jersey cities have combined sewers that carry stormwater and sewage together, and if your site drains only to one, your local sewerage authority's rules may apply instead of, or alongside, an NJPDES permit. Confirm that with the authority or your municipality instead of guessing from your town's name.
If you're close to qualifying, small changes can move you into the 5G2: a covered dumpster, a storage shed for materials that sit outside, or a sealed shipping container. In nearly every case that's cheaper and simpler than the alternatives, since the 5G2 is the lightest permit NJDEP offers.
Gather everything first, because the forms ask for site details you'll want in front of you instead of reconstructing from memory. Here's the working list.
| What You Need |
Where to Find It |
| Legal name of the owner and operator, mailing address, and a facility contact |
Corporate records, deed, or lease |
| Facility address and location |
Property records and online mapping |
| SIC code (and NAICS code) |
Your business classification, checked against the categories NJDEP regulates |
| Description of operations and the materials you use, store, make, and throw away |
Your own site walk-through |
| Site map showing buildings, drains, outfalls, and outdoor areas |
Existing plans, or a hand-drawn map that's accurate |
| Where your stormwater goes: storm drain, ditch, stream, basin, groundwater, or sewer |
A rainy-day walk, municipal storm drain maps, or your sewerage authority |
| Existing NJPDES permits or other environmental approvals for the site |
Authorization letters in your files |
| The person authorized to sign for your company |
NJDEP's forms spell out who qualifies |
The most useful prep step is a walk around the site during or right after a rain. You'll see where water pools, which drain it heads for, and what it touches on the way, and you can take dated photos of each outdoor area. Those photos help later when you write your stormwater plan. If a drain's destination isn't obvious, ask your municipality for storm drain maps or call the sewerage authority.
How Do You Complete the 5G2 Application Step by Step?
Applying for a general permit means submitting a written request for authorization (RFA) to NJDEP, which some people still call a notice of intent. For the 5G2, the package has been three forms plus a stormwater plan you commit to putting in place. NJDEP updates its forms and instructions, so treat the steps below as the shape of the process and use whatever versions NJDEP's 5G2 page and permit forms checklist show today.
- Pull the current 5G2 permit, the guidance document, and the application forms from NJDEP's 5G2 permit page, and read the permit itself. It's short, and it's the document an inspector will hold you to.
- Complete the general NJPDES application form with your owner and operator information, facility location, contact names, and mailing addresses. Everything on it is information you already know.
- Complete the 5G2 supplemental form, which asks about the materials, equipment, and activities exposed to stormwater. If you qualify for the 5G2, this form is short, because nothing should be exposed.
- Prepare your stormwater pollution prevention plan, or SWPPP. In New Jersey you'll also hear it called an SPPP, an SP3, or just a stormwater plan, but it's all the same document, and we'll use SWPPP here. NJDEP offers a template for 5G2 facilities, and our guides to what a SWPPP is and writing your own SWPPP walk through what goes in it. NJDEP generally asks to see the plan only on request, but it needs to be written and ready.
- Sign the 5G2 certification form, which states that you'll prepare and implement the SWPPP and meet the permit's conditions. Have the right person at your company review it before it's signed.
- Submit the package the way NJDEP's current instructions say, then keep a copy of everything you sent.
Expect to wait. NJDEP can take a few weeks or the better part of several months to issue your authorization, and our article on how long it takes to get a New Jersey stormwater permit covers what drives that range. Don't sit idle while you wait. Start your inspections, training, and recordkeeping as if you were already covered, so you have records from day one if an inspector asks about your application. For more on how the permit works day to day, see our guide to the 5G2 permit.
What Changes If You Need an Industry-Specific or Individual Permit?
The process for an industry-specific general permit follows the same pattern: you submit a request for authorization under that permit, prepare a stormwater plan written to it, and wait for authorization. What changes is the eligibility test and the workload. Each industry permit has its own conditions tied to industry codes, the activities on your site, and where your water goes, and some carry sampling, reporting, or other requirements that the 5G2 doesn't. Those requirements vary by permit category, so read the current permit for yours before you decide how much of this you want to handle alone. If your site also generates process water, such as concrete washout or quarry dewatering, read up on the difference between stormwater and process water, since NJDEP regulates that water differently.
An individual permit is a different animal. It's written for your site, for facilities that can't eliminate exposure and don't fit any general permit. The application is more involved, NJDEP's review takes longer, and the requirements are tailored to your operation. This is the point where most facilities stop being comfortable going it alone. Our guide on whether you need an individual NJPDES industrial permit explains how that decision plays out and what to expect.
How Much Does It Cost to Apply for a New Jersey Industrial Stormwater Permit?
NJDEP's program runs on annual fees, and in our experience there's no separate application fee for the 5G2. The 5G2 minimum annual fee in NJDEP's recent fee reports is $800, and the minimum for an individual industrial stormwater permit is $4,100. Other general permits fall at different amounts depending on the category, so check the permit you're applying for. NJDEP sets fees each fiscal year, so look at the current annual fee report before you budget. Your first bill arrives after you're authorized, and it's worth knowing that if the bill never shows up, you still need to pay it. We've seen facilities lose coverage over an unpaid fee the state forgot to send, so call NJDEP and ask for the invoice if you don't get one.
The fee isn't the whole cost. Getting to the 5G2 can mean buying a covered dumpster, building a small storage structure, or paying for regular sweeping, and those costs repeat. There's also your own time to prepare the forms and the SWPPP and to run inspections and training every year. If you bring in a consultant, the price depends on the permit category, the size and complexity of your site, whether a SWPPP already exists, and whether you want training and inspections included. Our article on what an NPDES permit costs in 2026 breaks those drivers down. If you'd like a price for RMA's help with your own facility, the pricing calculator below gives you a quick estimate.
What Happens After You Submit Your NJPDES Stormwater Application?
Once NJDEP authorizes you, you'll get an authorization letter, and a bill for your first annual fee follows. Keep that letter. It names the permit category you're covered under, and you'll want to check now and then that the category still matches what you do on site. A facility that qualified for the 5G2 years ago may have added an outdoor storage area since.
Under the 5G2, your ongoing work is lighter than under most NJPDES permits. You'll follow your SWPPP, run and document inspections, including an annual inspection and certification, and train your staff each year. The 5G2 doesn't require stormwater sampling. Document everything, because your records are what you'll show an inspector. If you want a low-cost way to handle the training piece, see our article on taking your 5G2 training online or browse our online training library.
NJDEP may inspect, and 5G2 inspections are usually brief: a walk around the exterior and a look at your SWPPP and records. The most common problems we see are materials or equipment that drifted back outdoors, a SWPPP nobody has updated, and missing inspection or training records. Our article on common NPDES permit problems covers more. Last, watch for renewals. When NJDEP reissues a permit, make sure your coverage rolled over, so you don't find out otherwise during an inspection.
Should You Apply for a New Jersey Stormwater Permit Yourself or Get Help?
For the 5G2, doing it yourself is realistic. If someone on your staff can read the permit, fill out the forms, write a SWPPP from NJDEP's template, and run the inspections and training, you don't need us or anyone else, and you can keep the consulting money. Our general guide to applying for a stormwater permit yourself lays out the tradeoffs.
Help starts to pay off in three situations: you're not sure which permit fits, you need an industry-specific or individual permit, or nobody on your team has the time to own the program after it's issued. A consultant can also tell you early whether a few site changes would qualify you for the 5G2 or no exposure, which can save real money over the life of the permit.
We should be clear about where RMA fits, too. We use senior staff, we're not the cheapest option, and we're a small firm, so we can't always meet very tight timelines. We also don't do engineering design, treatment system construction, or construction-phase permits. If your situation needs one of those, we'll say so and point you toward the right people.
How Does RMA Help With New Jersey Stormwater Permit Applications?
We're based in New Jersey, and we've been helping facilities here with environmental compliance since 1992. We help facilities confirm whether they need a permit at all, figure out which one fits, prepare the application, write a SWPPP built for that specific permit, and train their teams to run it. After you're permitted, we offer annual support, such as reminders, help interpreting results, SWPPP updates, and inspection prep. You can lean on us as much or as little as you like, and if you don't need us, we'll tell you.
There's no pressure and no obligation. You can call us, email us, or fill out the form on our website, and we'll take a look at your situation. When you're ready, contact RMA and we'll help you work out the right next step.
