New Jersey A 1506: Exempts from realty transfer fee recording of deed of preserved farmland to qualified beginning farmer.

Bill Text

A1506 

ASSEMBLY, No. 1506 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ROY FREIMAN

District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)

Assemblyman ALEX SAUICKIE

District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Exempts from realty transfer fee recording of deed of 
preserved farmland to qualified beginning farmer.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act concerning the realty transfer fee, amending P.L.1968, 
c.49, and supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 6 of P.L.1968, 
c.49 (C.46:15-10) is amended to read as follows:

���� 6.��� The fee imposed by [this act] P.L.1968, 
c.49 (C.46:15-5 et seq.) shall not apply to a deed:

���� (a)�� For a consideration, as 
defined in section 1(c), of less than $100.00;

���� (b)�� By or to the United 
States of America, this State, or any instrumentality, agency, or subdivision 
thereof;

���� (c)�� Solely in order to 
provide or release security for a debt or obligation;

���� (d)�� Which confirms or 
corrects a deed previously recorded;

���� (e)�� On a sale for delinquent 
taxes or assessments;

���� (f)�� On partition;

���� (g)�� By a receiver, trustee 
in bankruptcy or liquidation, or assignee for the benefit of creditors;

���� (h)�� Eligible to be recorded 
as an "ancient deed" pursuant to R.S.46:16-7;

���� (i)��� Acknowledged or proved 
on or before July 3, 1968;

���� (j)��� Between husband and 
wife, or parent and child;

���� (k)�� Conveying a cemetery lot 
or plot;

���� (l)��� In specific performance 
of a final judgment;

���� (m)� Releasing a right of 
reversion;

���� (n)�� Previously recorded in 
another county and full realty transfer fee paid or accounted for, as evidenced 
by written instrument, attested by the grantee and acknowledged by the county 
recording officer of the county of such prior recording, specifying the county, 
book, page, date of prior recording, and amount of realty transfer fee 
previously paid;

���� (o)�� By an executor or 
administrator of a decedent to a devisee or heir to effect distribution of the 
decedent's estate in accordance with the provisions of the decedent's will or 
the intestate laws of this State; 

���� (p)�� Recorded within 90 days 
following the entry of a divorce decree which dissolves the marriage between 
the grantor and grantee;

���� (q)�� Issued by a cooperative 
corporation, as part of a conversion of all of the assets of the cooperative 
corporation into a condominium, to a shareholder upon the surrender by the 
shareholder of all of the shareholder's stock in the cooperative corporation and 
the proprietary lease entitling the shareholder to exclusive occupancy of a 
portion of the property owned by the corporation [.] ;

���� (r)��� For transfer of real 
property that is entered into on and after January 1, 2021 that is an 
intercompany transfer between combined group members as part of the unitary 
business, as those terms are used in section 4 of P.L.1945, c.162 (C.54:10A-4) 
;

���� (s)�� Conveying preserved 
farmland as defined in section 4 of P.L.2009, c.213 (C.54:4-23.3c) to a person 
who possesses a written certification, issued by the Department of Agriculture 
pursuant to section 2 of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.���� ) (pending before the Legislature 
as this bill), demonstrating that the person qualifies as a beginning farmer.

(cf: P.L.2020, c.118, s.17)

���� 2.��� (New section)� a.� The 
Department of Agriculture shall establish a process whereby a person may 
request to receive written certification from the department that the person 
qualifies as a beginning farmer.� The department shall establish the manner and 
form, including eligibility criteria and documentation necessary, for a person 
to receive certification pursuant to this section.� In developing the manner 
and form necessary, the department shall consider the certification for 
qualified beginning farmers used by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

���� The department shall publish 
the form to be used to request certification as a beginning farmer, together 
with the eligibility criteria and documentation necessary, in a prominent 
location on its website.� The department may charge a fee, not to exceed $100, 
to a person requesting certification as a beginning farmer.� 

���� b.��� As used in this section:

���� �Beginning farmer� means a 
person who desires to engage in farming and has never farmed before, who has 
engaged in farming in the State for 10 years or less as of the effective date 
of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.���� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), or 
who qualifies as a first-time farmer pursuant to 26 U.S.C. s.147(c)(2).

���� �Farming� means the 
cultivation of land for the production of agricultural crops, the ra