The Stay NJ program reimburses New Jersey homeowners aged 65 and older for up to half of their property tax bill, capped at $6,500 per year. You claim it by filing the PAS-1 application, and for the 2025 tax year the deadline is November 2, 2026.1New Jersey Department of the Treasury. Stay NJ – Property Tax Relief for Senior Citizens The first payments went out in February 2026 for the 2024 tax year.2Department of the Treasury. Treasury Begins Distributing First Round of Stay NJ Benefits to Eligible Seniors
Who Qualifies
Three requirements have to line up in the same tax year:1New Jersey Department of the Treasury. Stay NJ – Property Tax Relief for Senior Citizens
- You are 65 or older in the application year. Social Security disability status by itself does not qualify you.
- You owned and lived in a New Jersey home as your primary residence for the full 12 months of the tax year being claimed. Vacation homes and investment properties do not count.
- Your gross income for the prior year is below $500,000.
The income test is where people miscalculate. “Gross income” for Stay NJ is broader than what appears on your NJ-1040. It also includes tax-exempt interest, Roth IRA distributions and rollovers, retirement income that New Jersey normally excludes from taxation, and Social Security benefits.3Tax Collectors and Treasurers Association of New Jersey. Stay NJ Webinar Jan 2025 Slides Add all of those together before assuming you’re under the limit.
Who Is Not Eligible
Renters cannot use Stay NJ. Mobile homeowners are also excluded, despite some early confusion on this point.1New Jersey Department of the Treasury. Stay NJ – Property Tax Relief for Senior Citizens The ANCHOR program covers a wider range of housing situations and may be the right place to look instead.
Homes Held in a Trust or Life Estate
If your home is in a trust, you can still qualify as long as you are a beneficiary or the trust gives you a life estate in the property. You’ll need to submit a copy of the trust agreement so the Division of Taxation can verify eligibility.4New Jersey Division of Taxation. Property Tax Relief Programs Frequently Asked Questions The Stay NJ Act treats life estate holders as owners, so a life estate in your full-time residence meets the ownership requirement.5New Jersey Legislature. P.L. 2023, c.75 – Stay NJ Act
How Much You Get
Stay NJ reimburses 50% of the property taxes billed on your primary residence, covering land and improvements. Eligible property tax is capped at $13,000, which puts the maximum benefit at $6,500. If your property taxes are below $13,000, you get half of whatever you were billed.6New Jersey Division of Taxation. Stay NJ – How Stay NJ Benefits Are Calculated
Stay NJ does not stack on top of your other property tax relief. The state calculates your ANCHOR and Senior Freeze benefits first. If those two together already reach 50% of your property taxes or the $6,500 cap, no additional Stay NJ money is owed. If they get you partway, Stay NJ fills the gap up to the 50% target. Total combined relief from all three programs will never exceed your actual property tax bill.6New Jersey Division of Taxation. Stay NJ – How Stay NJ Benefits Are Calculated
When and How Payments Arrive
The benefit is not a credit on your tax bill. The state pays it out to you on a quarterly schedule in February, May, August, and November.6New Jersey Division of Taxation. Stay NJ – How Stay NJ Benefits Are Calculated Payments for the 2025 tax year are expected to begin in February 2027.2Department of the Treasury. Treasury Begins Distributing First Round of Stay NJ Benefits to Eligible Seniors
If your mortgage servicer pays your property taxes through an escrow account, your monthly payment won’t drop the moment your Stay NJ check arrives. The servicer should adjust the escrow amount downward at its next annual review.7Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What is an Escrow or Impound Account? Expect a lag.
How to Apply
File the PAS-1 form. It is a combined application for Stay NJ, the Senior Freeze, and ANCHOR, replacing the older setup that required a separate form for each. You can file online through the Division of Taxation’s portal or mail a paper version.8New Jersey Department of the Treasury. PAS-19New Jersey Division of Taxation. Property Tax Relief Programs
You’ll need:
- Social Security numbers for yourself and any spouse or co-owner on the deed
- Proof of age, such as a driver’s license or birth certificate
- Income figures from your NJ-1040, plus the additional categories that count toward the Stay NJ gross income definition (tax-exempt interest, Roth IRA distributions, excluded retirement income, Social Security)
- The Block and Lot numbers for your property, which appear on your local tax bill or deed
Match every entry to what appears on your tax filings. The state cross-checks the application against records it already has, and any mismatch on income will pull your file into manual review and delay your payment.
Filing Deadline
The 2025 Stay NJ application is due November 2, 2026. Eligibility is measured against your age, residency, and income as of 2025.1New Jersey Department of the Treasury. Stay NJ – Property Tax Relief for Senior Citizens Miss the deadline and the benefit for that tax year is gone. There is no grace period and no late-filing option for the state’s property tax relief programs. Start gathering documents well before the fall, not in October.