Licenses and permits to open a cosmetics store in Fort Lee

Opening a cosmetics store in Fort Lee takes 8 filings with 5 agencies, starting with the business formation and tax registration and ending with the product safety certificate, filed electronically at entry. None of them has a fixed government fee, 3 fees are set by the space or the business and 5 filings are free. Build-out, insurance and adviser costs are on top.

Updated October 21, 20268 filingsSources: the agencies' own sitesSources checked October 21, 2026

Fees and timelines at a glance

Importing cosmetics brings product registration and import filings on top of the store's own.

Filing	Agency	Government fee	How long	Renews
Business formation and tax registration	NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services	Varies	Not listed	Not listed
Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN)	Internal Revenue Service	Free	Fax: about 4 business days. Mail: about 4 to 5 weeks. Phone: issued on the call.	Not listed
New Jersey tax and employer registration (NJ-REG)	NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services	Varies	File at least 15 business days before opening.	Not listed
Create/Update Importer Identity Form	U.S. Customs and Border Protection	Free	Up to 5 business days.	Not listed
Customs Bond	U.S. Customs and Border Protection	Varies	At least 5 business days for review.	Continuous bonds renew yearly.
Cosmetic product facility registration (MoCRA)	U.S. Food and Drug Administration	Free	Not listed	Every two years.
Cosmetic product listing (MoCRA)	U.S. Food and Drug Administration	Free	Not listed	Update every year.
Product safety certificate, filed electronically at entry	U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission	Free	Not listed	Not listed

Business formation and tax registration

NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise ServicesNew Jersey

Form or register the company, then register for state taxes.

Fee
Varies
Filed
Filed online

File on the agency's site How to fill it
Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Internal Revenue ServiceUS federal

Owners with an SSN or ITIN apply online. A company whose responsible party has neither (most China-based owners) faxes or mails Form SS-4, or calls the IRS international line.

Fee
Free
Filed
Paper form, faxed or mailed
Takes
Fax: about 4 business days. Mail: about 4 to 5 weeks. Phone: issued on the call.

File on the agency's site How to fill it
New Jersey tax and employer registration (NJ-REG)

NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise ServicesNew Jersey

Everyone doing business in New Jersey registers; NJ-REG is the tax and employer registration, filed online at least 15 business days before opening. A corporation or LLC files its certificate of formation first. A business collecting sales tax gets a Certificate of Authority.

Fee
Varies
Filed
Filed online
Takes
File at least 15 business days before opening.

File on the agency's site How to fill it
Create/Update Importer Identity Form

U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionUS federal

Sent to CBP (usually through your customs broker), or created in the ACE portal. Needed before your first entry as importer of record.

Fee
Free
Filed
Paper form, mailed
Takes
Up to 5 business days.

File on the agency's site How to fill it
Customs Bond

U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionUS federal

Bought from a CBP-approved surety, usually through your customs broker, who files it electronically. A continuous bond covers a year of entries.

Fee
Varies
Filed
Filed on the agency's portal
Takes
At least 5 business days for review.
Renews
Continuous bonds renew yearly.

File on the agency's site How to fill it
Cosmetic product facility registration (MoCRA)

U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationUS federal

Filed online in Cosmetics Direct by the facility that makes or processes the cosmetics.

Fee
Free
Filed
Filed online
Renews
Every two years.

File on the agency's site How to fill it
Cosmetic product listing (MoCRA)

U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationUS federal

Filed online in Cosmetics Direct by the brand (the responsible person on the label), one listing per product.

Fee
Free
Filed
Filed online
Renews
Update every year.

File on the agency's site How to fill it
Product safety certificate, filed electronically at entry

U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionUS federal

The importer issues the certificate itself (there is no government form) and, under the eFiling rule, files the certificate data with CBP at entry.

Fee
Free
Filed
Filed online

File on the agency's site How to fill it

Questions and answers

How much do the permits cost to open a cosmetics store in Fort Lee?

None of them has a fixed government fee, 3 fees are set by the space or the business and 5 filings are free. Build-out, insurance and adviser costs are on top.

How long do the permits take for a cosmetics store in Fort Lee?

The times the agencies give. Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN): Fax: about 4 business days. Mail: about 4 to 5 weeks. Phone: issued on the call. New Jersey tax and employer registration (NJ-REG): File at least 15 business days before opening. Create/Update Importer Identity Form: Up to 5 business days. Customs Bond: At least 5 business days for review.

Which agencies issue the permits for a cosmetics store in Fort Lee?

The 8 filings go to 5 agencies: NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

What is the first filing to open a cosmetics store in Fort Lee?

The business formation and tax registration, with the NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services. Form or register the company, then register for state taxes.

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<div class="placetta-checklist"><p><strong>Licenses and permits to open a cosmetics store in Fort Lee</strong></p><ol><li>Business formation and tax registration (NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services)</li><li>Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN) (Internal Revenue Service)</li><li>New Jersey tax and employer registration (NJ-REG) (NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services)</li><li>Create/Update Importer Identity Form (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)</li><li>Customs Bond (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)</li><li>Cosmetic product facility registration (MoCRA) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)</li><li>Cosmetic product listing (MoCRA) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)</li><li>Product safety certificate, filed electronically at entry (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)</li></ol><p>Source: <a href="https://www.placetta.com/guides/fort-lee/cosmetics-store.html">Placetta license guide</a></p></div>

Questions people ask

Other businesses in Fort Lee

Every filing links to the agency's own page, and every fact comes from an official form or agency page. Agency requirements change; check the agency's page before you file. How we source and check these guides

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