New Jersey Closing Costs for Buyers: How Much You'll Pay
In New Jersey, transfer taxes come to about $4,610 on a $545,300 home, and an owner's title policy runs about $2,350 plus $25 for the lender's policy. Figures below come from New Jersey statutes, the state's revenue and insurance regulators and filed title rate cards, read on September 11, 2026.
Transfer tax in New Jersey
| Jurisdiction | Rate | |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey (state) | Realty Transfer Fee (RTF), graduated per $500 of consideration. | source |
More on New Jersey (state)
Realty Transfer Fee (RTF), graduated per $500 of consideration. For consideration over $350,000: $2.90/$500 on the first $150,000; $4.25/$500 on $150,000, $200,000; $4.80/$500 on $200,000, $550,000; $5.30/$500 on $550,000, $850,000; $5.80/$500 on $850,000, $1,000,000; $6.05/$500 above $1,000,000. A separate Graduated ("mansion") Fee applies only above $1,000,000: 1% ($1M, $2M), 2% ($2M, $2.5M), 2.5% ($2.5M, $3M), 3% ($3M, $3.5M), 3.5% (above $3.5M), applied as a flat rate on total consideration, not marginal.
No separate county recordation tax; the RTF itself has a state and county-retained portion but is collected as one fee at recording.
Who pays: As of July 10, 2025 (P.L. 2025, c.57), the ENTIRE Realty Transfer Fee, including the former 1%+ buyer-paid "mansion tax"/Graduated Fee on sales over $1,000,000, is payable by the seller/grantor. Before that date the base RTF was seller-paid but the mansion tax was buyer-paid. Source
Worked example: On a $545,300 home (below the $1,000,000 mansion-fee threshold), the seller's Realty Transfer Fee is about $4,610, using the over-$350,000 bracket schedule: $870 on the first $150,000 + $425 on the next $50,000 + about $3,315 on the remaining $345,300. The buyer owes $0 in RTF/mansion fee under current law.
How much is title insurance in New Jersey?
On a $545,300 home in New Jersey, an owner's title policy costs about $2,350 and the lender's policy about $25 when both are issued together (the simultaneous-issue discount). The buyer customarily pays for the owner's policy and the lender's policy. New Jersey uses a filed uniform rate: insurers file one rate schedule with the state, so premiums are the same from company to company and shopping only affects settlement fees. Premiums computed from New Jersey Land Title Insurance Rating Bureau, Manual of Rates and Charges (rates approved by the NJ Commissioner of Banking and Insurance; current schedule effective 11/1/2023: $5.25/$1,000 on the first $100,000, +$4.25/$1,000 to $500,000, +$2.75/$1,000 to $2,000,000, +$2.00/$1,000 above $2,000,000, $200 minimum underwriting charge).
NJ is a filed-rate state administered by the NJ Land Title Insurance Rating Bureau (all major underwriters use the same filed manual, so premiums are effectively uniform across companies).
New Jersey-specific buyer costs on a $545,300 home
These are the line items set by New Jersey law or filed rates. Lender fees, appraisal, escrow and prepaid taxes and insurance come on top and depend on your loan.
| Owner's title policy | $2,350 |
|---|---|
| Lender's title policy | $25 |
| Deed recording | $45 |
| Mortgage recording | $35 |
| State-set items, total | $2,455 |
Do you need a closing attorney in New Jersey?
Not required. New Jersey does not require an attorney to conduct or supervise a residential closing by statute. Practice varies by region: attorneys customarily conduct closings in northern NJ, while title companies/settlement agents customarily close transactions in southern NJ. Buyers are strongly advised to use an attorney during the standard 3-business-day attorney-review period after contract signing, but this is a customary practice, not a closing-day requirement. Source
Recording fees
Recording the deed costs $45 and the mortgage $35 at the Bergen County Clerk (NJ's most populous county). Fees are per NJ's statutory per-page schedule (N.J.S.A. 22A:4-4.1 family of statutes: base first-page fee plus $10 per additional page); Bergen's deed fee of $45 includes a $10 tax abstract fee bundled in. A $20 surcharge applies if the required cover sheet/electronic synopsis is missing. Add $10 for each additional page beyond the first on both documents.. Fee schedule
Other New Jersey specifics
- NJ Mansion Fee no longer buyer-paid. Before July 10, 2025, buyers on NJ home purchases over $1,000,000 paid a 1% buyer-side "mansion tax" in addition to the seller-paid RTF. That buyer obligation was eliminated and folded into an expanded, now seller-paid Graduated Fee; buyers purchasing above $1M in NJ today owe no state transfer-related fee, though sellers may price this cost into negotiations. Source
How much are closing costs in New Jersey?
For a buyer, closing costs usually run 2% to 5% of the purchase price. On New Jersey's median-priced home (about $545,300), that is roughly $10,906 to $27,265, and it is separate from your down payment. The exact figure depends on your lender, your loan, and local taxes.
What closing costs include
Closing costs are a bundle of one-time fees due at settlement: lender or origination fees, an appraisal, title insurance, escrow and settlement fees, recording fees and any New Jersey transfer tax, plus prepaid property taxes and homeowners insurance.
Why New Jersey closing costs vary
The single biggest reason closing costs differ from state to state is transfer taxes, which states and sometimes counties and cities charge on the sale. Title insurance customs and whether an attorney is required at settlement also matter.
How a rebate offsets New Jersey closing costs
Buyer commission rebates are legal in New Jersey. Because a rebate can be paid as a credit at closing, it can erase a meaningful share of these costs. On a $545,300 home, a 2% rebate is about $10,906, often enough to cover much of the closing bill.
Frequently asked questions
How much is title insurance in New Jersey?
About $2,350 for an owner's policy on a $545,300 home, plus about $25 for the lender's policy when both are issued together. Rates are filed uniformly, so the premium is the same across insurers.
Who pays closing costs in New Jersey?
Transfer tax: As of July 10, 2025 (P.L. 2025, c.57), the ENTIRE Realty Transfer Fee, including the former 1%+ buyer-paid "mansion tax"/Graduated Fee on sales over $1,000,000, is payable by the seller/grantor. Before that date the base RTF was seller-paid but the mansion tax was buyer-paid. The buyer customarily pays for the owner's policy and the lender's policy, plus lender fees, appraisal and prepaid taxes and insurance. Sellers often cover part of the buyer's costs through a negotiated concession.
How much is the transfer tax in New Jersey?
Realty Transfer Fee (RTF), graduated per $500 of consideration. For consideration over $350,000: $2.90/$500 on the first $150,000; $4.25/$500 on $150,000, $200,000; $4.80/$500 on $200,000, $550,000; $5.30/$500 on $550,000, $850,000; $5.80/$500 on $850,000, $1,000,000; $6.05/$500 above $1,000,000. A separate Graduated ("mansion") Fee applies only above $1,000,000: 1% ($1M, $2M), 2% ($2M, $2.5M), 2.5% ($2.5M, $3M), 3% ($3M, $3.5M), 3.5% (above $3.5M), applied as a flat rate on total consideration, not marginal.. On a $545,300 home that is about $4,610, customarily paid by the seller.
Do you need an attorney to close on a house in New Jersey?
No. New Jersey does not require an attorney to conduct or supervise a residential closing by statute. Practice varies by region: attorneys customarily conduct closings in northern NJ, while title companies/settlement agents customarily close transactions in southern NJ. Buyers are strongly advised to use an attorney during the standard 3-business-day attorney-review period after contract signing, but this is a customary practice, not a closing-day requirement.
How much are closing costs in New Jersey?
Buyer closing costs in New Jersey typically run 2% to 5% of the purchase price. On New Jersey's median-priced home (about $545,300) that is roughly $10,906 to $27,265, on top of your down payment.
What do closing costs include in New Jersey?
Lender or origination fees, an appraisal, title insurance, escrow and settlement fees, recording fees and any New Jersey transfer tax, plus prepaid property taxes and homeowners insurance.
Can a buyer rebate offset closing costs in New Jersey?
Often yes. In New Jersey, buyer commission rebates are legal, and a rebate can be applied as a credit toward your closing costs at the settlement table.
Sources
- New Jersey transfer tax statute
- Who pays the transfer tax
- New Jersey Land Title Insurance Rating Bureau, Manual of Rates and Charges (rates approved by the NJ Commissioner of Banking and Insurance; current schedule effective 11/1/2023: $5.25/$1,000 on the first $100,000, +$4.25/$1,000 to $500,000, +$2.75/$1,000 to $2,000,000, +$2.00/$1,000 above $2,000,000, $200 minimum underwriting charge)
- New Jersey closing attorney rule
- Bergen County Clerk (NJ's most populous county) recording fees
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: buyer closing costs are typically 2% to 5% of the purchase price
New Jersey figures last verified against official sources on September 11, 2026.
New Jersey title insurance at every purchase price, with a calculator →
New Jersey transfer tax at every purchase price, who pays and local surcharges →
Read the full buyer closing-costs guide →
Figures are typical 2026 ranges and vary by lender, loan, and location. This is general information, not financial advice; confirm your numbers with your lender and closing agent.
See closing costs in all states