RetireReady NJ has been live since June 2024. It applies to New Jersey employers with 10+ employees that do not offer a qualifying retirement plan. Penalty: Up to $500 / employee / yr (escalating). Upcoming: 20–24 employees by 2026-12-01; 10–19 employees by 2027-02-17.
Set your headcount for your real exposure — data verified against the statute.
Informational only, not legal or tax advice.
Get your full breakdown + a private-plan savings estimate:
RetireReady NJ covers New Jersey employers with 10+ employees that do not offer a qualifying retirement plan. Counting rule: At no time during the previous calendar year employed fewer than 10 New Jersey employees (a floor for the whole prior year, not a peak). Applies to employers in business for 2+ years.
Escalating: year 1: written warning; $100 per employee (year 2); $250 per employee (years 3-4); $500 per employee (year 5+). The penalty is in force; no public record of assessments yet.
Upcoming: 20–24 employees by 2026-12-01; 10–19 employees by 2027-02-17. Already passed: 40+ employees (2024-09-15); 25–39 employees (2024-11-15) — unregistered employers should register or certify an exemption now. Newly eligible employers: within 3 months of hire.
N.J.S.A. 43:23-14, 43:23-31 (P.L.2025 c.379, approved 2026-01-20, effective 2026-04-01) · Official program: retireready.nj.gov · Verified 2026-09-17.
RetireReady NJ is New Jersey's state-facilitated retirement savings program. It has been live since June 2024. Program: https://retireready.nj.gov.
RetireReady NJ covers New Jersey employers with 10+ employees that do not offer a qualifying retirement plan. Counting rule: At no time during the previous calendar year employed fewer than 10 New Jersey employees (a floor for the whole prior year, not a peak). Applies to employers in business for 2+ years.
Escalating: year 1: written warning; $100 per employee (year 2); $250 per employee (years 3-4); $500 per employee (year 5+). The penalty is in force; no public record of assessments yet.
Upcoming: 20–24 employees by 2026-12-01; 10–19 employees by 2027-02-17. Already passed: 40+ employees (2024-09-15); 25–39 employees (2024-11-15) — unregistered employers should register or certify an exemption now. Newly eligible employers: within 3 months of hire.
Exempt with a plan under 401(a)/401(k), 403(a)/403(b), SEP (408(k)), SIMPLE (408(p)), 457(b) or a PEO plan; payroll-deduction IRAs do not qualify; certify with the Access Code. A private 401(k) or SIMPLE IRA satisfies the mandate and may qualify for SECURE 2.0 startup credits.
Book a free 15-minute compliance audit. We'll show your exact requirement, your real exposure, and whether your own plan saves you money.