New Jersey Promissory Note Template

A New Jersey promissory note is a written document that records a loan, the interest rate and how the borrower will repay it. This free New Jersey promissory note template is a three-page PDF with 28 fillable fields, and you can complete it online, then download and print it. New Jersey law caps the interest a note can charge.[2]

Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current New Jersey law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.

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What Are the New Jersey Usury Laws for a Promissory Note?

Usury laws limit how much interest a lender can charge. In New Jersey, N.J.S.A. § 31:1-1(a) caps interest at $16 for every $100 borrowed for a year, or 16%, when a written contract states the rate.[2] Without a written contract that fixes a rate, the cap is $6 for every $100 for a year, or 6%.[1]

Except as herein and otherwise provided by law, no person shall, upon contract, take, directly or indirectly for loan of any money, wares, merchandise, goods and chattels, above the value of $6.00 for the forbearance of $100.00 for a year, or when there is a written contract specifying a rate of interest, no person shall take above the value of $16.00 for the forbearance of $100.00 for a year.

N.J.S.A. § 31:1-1(a)

For your note, that gives you two clear cases:

  • Write the yearly interest rate into the note. A written rate can go up to 16%, which is $16 for each $100 a year.[2]
  • If no written contract fixes a rate, the ceiling drops to 6%, which is $6 for each $100 a year.[1]

Put the rate in writing. Page 1 of the template has a line for the yearly interest rate, so the rate you agree on sits in the signed note.

Prepayment Penalty on a Mortgage Loan

Under N.J.S.A. § 46:10B-2, prepayment of a mortgage loan may be made by or on behalf of a mortgagor at any time without penalty.[3] In plain terms, a person who owes a mortgage loan, or someone paying for that person, can pay it off early and owe no penalty. This rule covers mortgage loans.

The FormsPal template is a promissory note, not a mortgage. Its own printed terms let the borrower prepay at any time without penalty.

New Jersey Promissory Note Form Details

Document Name New Jersey Promissory Note Form
Other Name NJ Promissory Note
Max. Rate 16% a year if a written contract states the rate[2]
6% a year if no written contract fixes a rate[1]
Relevant Laws New Jersey Statutes, Section 31:1-1
Avg. Time to Fill Out 10 minutes
# of Fillable Fields 28
Available Formats Adobe PDF
Template Preview
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Popular Local Promissory Note Forms

Whenever lending or borrowing money, consider signing a promissory note form. It is a useful legally binding document largely drafted by companies and individuals in many US states. Listed below are the local promissory note documents our users read about most often.


How to Fill Out a New Jersey Promissory Note Step by Step

The FormsPal New Jersey promissory note template is three pages long and has 28 fillable fields. Pages 1 and 2 hold the loan terms and the choices for payment and security. Page 3 holds the borrower and lender signature blocks. The six steps below follow the form in its own order.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal New Jersey promissory note template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.

  1. Date, parties, principal and interest rate. On page 1, enter the date, the principal amount, the name and address of the borrower, the name and address of the lender, and the yearly interest rate, and check that rate against the limits described above.
    New Jersey promissory note: NEW JERSEY PROMISSORY NOTE, filled with sample entries
    Step 1: sample entries, not a real document.
  2. Choose the payment due day. Still on page 1, mark one option to show whether each payment of principal and interest is due on a set day of every calendar month or on a set day of every calendar quarter, and then enter that day in the blank.
    New Jersey promissory note: Choose One, filled with sample entries
    Step 2: sample entries, not a real document.
  3. Choose the payment amount and set the maturity date. Mark either a fixed payment amount or an amortization schedule counted in years, which the form ties to an Exhibit A, and then write the Maturity Date, the day on which the whole outstanding balance falls due.
    New Jersey promissory note: Choose One, filled with sample entries
    Step 3: sample entries, not a real document.
  4. Unsecured or secured by collateral. On page 2, mark unsecured if the borrower pledges nothing as security, or mark secured and list the asset or assets that serve as collateral for the note, and leave the printed paragraphs that follow as they are.
    New Jersey promissory note: Choose One, filled with sample entries
    Step 4: sample entries, not a real document.
  5. Borrower signs. On page 3, the borrower signs on the By line and prints a name and a title in the lines underneath the signature.
    New Jersey promissory note: BORROWER, filled with sample entries
    Step 5: sample entries, not a real document.
  6. Lender signs. Below the borrower's block, the lender signs on the By line and prints a name and a title in the same way.
    New Jersey promissory note: LENDER, filled with sample entries
    Step 6: sample entries, not a real document.

Page 2 also carries printed terms that you do not fill in. Read them before you sign:

  • If the borrower defaults, the lender may accelerate the Maturity Date and declare the full balance due.
  • The lender may charge a late fee of five percent on any delinquent amount.
  • The borrower may prepay at any time, in whole or in part, without penalty.
  • The note is governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey.

Frequently Asked Questions

New Jersey caps the interest on a loan at 16% a year when a written contract states the rate, and at 6% a year when no written contract fixes one.[2][1] The questions below walk through those two limits.

New Jersey sets a ceiling rather than one fixed rate. When a written contract specifies the rate, N.J.S.A. § 31:1-1(a) puts the ceiling at $16 for every $100 for a year, which is 16% a year.[2]

How much interest can I be charged?

With a written contract that specifies the rate, the limit is $16 for every $100 for a year, or 16%.[2] Without a written contract that fixes a rate, the limit is $6 for every $100 for a year, or 6%.[1]

What is the highest interest rate in NJ?

Under N.J.S.A. § 31:1-1(a), the highest rate is $16 for every $100 for a year, or 16%, and it applies when a written contract specifies the rate.[2]

Is a 30% interest rate illegal?

A rate of 30% a year works out to $30 for every $100. That is more than the $16 for every $100 that N.J.S.A. § 31:1-1(a) lets a person take under a written contract.[2]

What are Usury Laws and Maximum Interest Rates?

Usury laws set the most a lender can charge for a loan. In New Jersey, the limit sits in N.J.S.A. § 31:1-1(a):

  • Under a written contract that specifies the rate, $16 for every $100 for a year.[2]
  • Without one, $6 for every $100 for a year.[1]

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

  1. N.J.S.A. 31:1-1(a).
  2. N.J.S.A. § 31:1-1(a).
  3. N.J.S.A. § 46:10B-2.
Published: Apr 10, 2022
Jennifer M. Settles
Jennifer M. Settles
Author & Attorney
With over 25 years of experience as a business and transactional attorney, Jennifer has mastered the craft of closing highly successful deals for her clients. Through her wide-ranging expertise in commercial contracts, real estate transactions, M&A and corporate law, Jennifer secures results that are second-to-none.