3. a. The commissioner shall adopt rules and regulations establishing a schedule for the payment of fees for applications for those permits issued by the department which exceed $1,000 in cost. The rules and regulations shall provide that each applicant shall receive at the time a payment is due pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) or (3) of this subsection a written notice from the department. The notice shall certify that the department has completed its responsibilities at this stage of the process and specify any actions, findings, or conclusions by the department with regard to the application. The schedule shall provide that payment may be made by an applicant in the following manner:

(1) One third of the total fee amount shall be payable to the department at the time of the filing of an application for a permit;

(2) One third of the total fee amount shall be payable to the department upon the conclusion of the administrative review of a completed application for a permit; and

(3) One third of the total fee amount shall be payable to the department upon the taking of final action by the department on the permit application.

b. In the case when a permit applicant requests that the department discontinue the review of a permit application, the applicant shall be required to pay that portion of the cost of the permit application incurred by the department until the review of the application was discontinued.

c. When an applicant for a permit appeals a decision of the department, and the appeal results in a contested case pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C. 52:14B-1 et seq.), the department shall not require the payment of one third of the total fee amount as provided in paragraph (3) of subsection a. of this section, until the decision of the administrative law judge has been transmitted to the commissioner, and the commissioner has acted on that decision in the manner provided in section 10 of P.L.1968, c.410 (C. 52:14B-10).

L.1993,c.361,s.3.