New Jersey Opportunity Zones 2.0

New Jersey OZ 2.0 Selection Process

Last updated: August 31, 2026 (official language re-verified). Status: Closed — stakeholder recommendations closed August 28, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. DCA is no longer accepting recommendations.

New Jersey ran one of the most open nomination processes of the OZ 2.0 cycle. Governor Mikie Sherrill tasked the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) with a joint public engagement period that opened July 31, 2026. That window is now closed.

Official DCA language (recrawled August 31, 2026): "The stakeholder recommendation period for Opportunity Zone 2.0 closed at 11:59 p.m. on August 28, 2026. DCA is no longer accepting recommendations. Recommendations received during the stakeholder process will be reviewed together with technical analysis as part of the Governor's Opportunity Zone nomination process."

New Jersey has 516 census tracts eligible for OZ 2.0 designation under OBBBA's tightened low-income criteria, spanning 20 of the state's 21 counties. Under the 25% federal cap the governor may nominate up to 129 tracts — down from 169 OZ 1.0 zones designated in 2018. Eligible is not designated: no nomination results have been published. New designations take effect January 1, 2027.

Process timeline:

• July 31, 2026: DCA and NJEDA opened the public recommendation period and published scoring priorities.
• August 28, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET: Stakeholder Recommendation Form closed. DCA is no longer accepting recommendations.
• By September 28, 2026: New Jersey submits the governor's final nominations to the U.S. Treasury (a single 30-day extension is available through October 28, 2026 under IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-14).
• January 1, 2027: Certified OZ 2.0 designations take effect.

How the state says it will choose: DCA and NJEDA will combine stakeholder input with technical analysis and prioritize (1) economic opportunity and investment potential — developable land near employment centers, transit, incentive zones, and energy infrastructure; (2) housing development capacity across the affordability spectrum near transit and jobs; and (3) economic need paired with evidence of real community engagement. The state has also committed to distributing zones throughout New Jersey rather than concentrating them in a handful of counties.

Questions: njopportunityzones@dca.nj.gov. Official page: NJ Opportunity Zones 2.0.

Sources: NJ DCA Opportunity Zones page; DCA/NJEDA July 31, 2026 announcement.