State desk
Ranks 47th of 50 on the Liberty Index.
Where New Jersey stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 9 New Jersey outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · New Jersey in red. Free to cite with attribution.
A permit is required and remains highly restrictive, with expanded sensitive-place bans limiting where carry is allowed.
New Jersey is 1 of 6 states with this rule
29 · Constitutional (Permitless) Carry15 · Shall-Issue Permit
New Jersey taxes individual income at graduated rates rising to 10.75 percent across 7 brackets, the fourth-highest top rate of the 41 states that tax income.
New Jersey is 1 of 26 states with this rule
8 · No Income Tax1 · Capital Gains Only15 · Single Flat Rate
New Jersey charges 49.15 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 7 of 50, which is among the highest in the country. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 67.55 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 56.15 cents.
New Jersey is 1 of 17 states with this rule
16 · Near the Middle17 · Among the Lowest
Abolished in 2007.
New Jersey is 1 of 23 states with this rule
23 · Retains the death penalty4 · Retains it, executions paused
Not a right-to-work state; union-security agreements are permitted.
New Jersey is 1 of 24 states with this rule
26 · Right-to-Work
State minimum wage is $15.92, above the federal $7.25 floor.
New Jersey is 1 of 30 states with this rule
12 · Matches the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
No ID is required; voters confirm identity by signature or personal information matched against the registration rolls.
New Jersey is 1 of 14 states with this rule
10 · Strict Photo ID14 · Photo ID Requested4 · Strict Non-Photo ID8 · ID Requested (No Photo)
No ESA, voucher, or tax-credit scholarship program.
New Jersey is 1 of 17 states with this rule
17 · Universal / Near-Universal16 · Limited Program
NCSL does not list New Jersey among no-duty-to-retreat states, and does not state a rule for it here. Verify with a primary source before relying on it.
New Jersey is 1 of 12 states with this rule
31 · No Duty to Retreat7 · Recognized by Court Decision
Any registered voter may request a mail-in ballot without providing a reason.
New Jersey is 1 of 29 states with this rule
8 · All-Mail13 · Excuse Required
New Jersey's unemployment rate was 4.2% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, down 0.1 percentage points from 4.3% in August. It ranks 32nd lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 5.5%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Appointed by the governor under the state constitution, serving a term concurrent with the governor's.
New Jersey is 1 of 5 states with this rule
43 · Elected by voters1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court