What is the deadline to file a mechanic’s lien in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, on a residential construction contract, a contractor must first lodge a Notice of Unpaid Balance and Right to File Lien within 60 days after its last work and demand arbitration within 10 days, then lodge the lien claim within 10 days after the arbitrator’s determination and within 120 days after its last work. On a non-residential project the lien claim must be lodged for record within 90 days after the last work, services, material or equipment was provided. A claimant forfeits the lien unless it starts an action in the Superior Court in the county where the property is located within one year of its last work, or within 30 days after a written demand from the owner to do so. A subcontractor or supplier often has different notice requirements and deadlines. This is N.J.S.A. 2A:44A-6, 2A:44A-21, 2A:44A-20, 2A:44A-14.

WhatNew Jersey
Deadline to file the lienNotice in 60 days, lien in 120 days (residential)
Who this deadline is forA contractor hired directly by the owner

Source

N.J.S.A. 2A:44A-6, 2A:44A-21, 2A:44A-20, 2A:44A-14

Read the statute in the New Jersey Statutes (New Jersey Legislature): njleg.state.nj.us.

The linked sections open Justia’s free copy of the code, because the state’s own site has no stable address for each section.

Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

A contractor on Seayora keeps every job’s dates, its estimate, its invoices and its payments in one record, so the date work was last performed and the amount still owed are on file when a lien deadline is counted.

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