Title 4, Title 4: AGRICULTURE AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS

4:19-15.12 Fee for dog license. 12. a. The governing body of each municipality may, by ordinance, fix the sum to be paid annually for a dog license and each renewal thereof, as required by section 3 of this act, which sum shall be not less than $1.50 or more than $21; provided ho…

4:19-15.13. List of licensed kennels, pet shops, shelters and pounds The clerk or other official designated to license dogs in the municipality shall forward to the State Department of Health a list of all kennels, pet shops, shelters and pounds licensed within thirty days after …

4:19-15.14. Rules and regulations for kennels, pet shops, shelters and pounds The State Department of Health shall, within six months of the approval of this act and with the co-operation and assistance of the State Department of Agriculture, prepare and promulgate rules and regu…

4:19-15.14a Animal facilities, use of artificial turf in outdoor enclosures. 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 14 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.14) and any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto to the contrary, the surfaces of an outdoor animal enclosure of a ken…

4:19-15.16 Unclaimed dogs or other animals to be euthanized, offered for adoption. 16. a. The certified animal control officer appointed by the governing body of the municipality shall take into custody and impound any animal, to thereafter be euthanized or offered for adoption, …

4:19-15.16a Rules, regulations concerning training, educational qualifications for animal control officers. 3. a. The Commissioner of Health shall, within 120 days after the effective date of P.L.1983, c.525, and pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.…

4:19-15.16b Appointment of certified animal control officer. 4. The governing body of a municipality shall, within three years of the effective date of P.L.1983, c.525, appoint a certified animal control officer who shall be responsible for animal control within the jurisdiction …

4:19-15.17. Seizure of dogs, going on premises for Any officer or agent authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this act is hereby authorized to go upon any premises to seize for impounding any dog or dogs which he may lawfully seize and impound when such officer is in …

4:19-15.18. Interfering with persons performing duties under act No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this act. L.1941, c. 151, p. 502, s. 18.

4:19-15.19 Violations of act or rules; penalty. 19. Except as otherwise provided in this act, any person who violates or who fails or refuses to comply with sections 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, or 18 of this act or the rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Health pursuant…

4:19-15.2 Dog licensing, tag; exemptions. 2. Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of licensing age shall annually or every third year, in accordance with a 3-year dog license or renewal thereof issued under subsection b. of section 12 of this act (C. 4:19-15.12b), apply…

4:19-15.20 Penalty to be paid to plaintiff; disposition. 20. Any penalty recovered in an action brought under the provisions of this act shall be paid to the plaintiff therein. When the plaintiff is the Commissioner of Health, the penalty shall be paid by the commissioner into th…

4:19-15.21. Courts of jurisdiction, summary hearing, process 21. The Superior Court and the municipal courts shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine in a summary manner proceedings for violations of any of the provisions of this act. Penalties for such violations shall be e…

4:19-15.23. Refusal to pay judgment; confinement in jail The court shall cause a defendant who refuses or neglects to pay forthwith the amount of a judgment rendered against him and the costs and charges incident thereto, to be committed to the county jail for a period not exceed…

4:19-15.27. Act inapplicable to veterinarians' establishments No provision of this act shall be construed to apply to any establishment wherein or whereon dogs are received or kept for diagnostic, medical, surgical, or other treatments, owned by and operated under the immediate s…

4:19-15.28. Statutes repealed Sections 4:19-10, 4:19-11, 4:19-12, 4:19-13, 4:19-14, 4:19-15, 40:52-5, 40:52-6 of the Revised Statutes are hereby repealed. L.1941, c. 151, p. 506, s. 28.

4:19-15.29. Effective date This act shall take effect November first, one thousand nine hundred and forty-one. L.1941, c. 151, p. 506, s. 29.

4:19-15.2a. Evidence of inoculation with rabies vaccine or certification of exemption; requirement for license No municipal clerk or other official designated by the governing body of any municipality to license dogs therein shall grant any such license and official metal registr…

4:19-15.3 Application, renewal of dog license; fee; exemptions. 3. The person applying for the license and registration tag shall pay the fee fixed or authorized to be fixed in section 12 of this act, and the sum of $1.00 for a one-year registration tag or $3.00 for a three-year …

4:19-15.30 "Pet Sterilization Pilot Program." 3. a. The Department of Health shall develop and establish a pilot program to be known as the "Pet Sterilization Pilot Program." The pilot program shall operate in any county with significant animal overpopulation issues that is selec…

4:19-15.31 Exceptions to sterilization requirement for adopted animals. 4. a. Pursuant to the pilot program established under section 3 of P.L.2011, c.142 (C.4:19-15.30), a person may adopt and remove a cat or dog from a shelter, pound, or kennel operating as a shelter or pound, …

4:19-15.32 Impounded cat, dog, search for owner prior to release to adopter, euthanization. 5. a. When a cat or dog is put in the custody of and impounded with a shelter, pound, or kennel operating as a shelter or pound, or an animal rescue organization facility receives a cat or…

4:19-15.33 Registry of animal rescue organizations, facilities. 6. a. The Department of Health shall establish a registry of animal rescue organizations and their facilities in the State. Any animal rescue organization may voluntarily participate in the registry. b. The departmen…

4:19-15.3a. Staggered expiration of licenses, prorated fees 4. Subsequent to the effective date of P.L.1982, c.203, the provisions of any law to the contrary notwithstanding: a. All annual licenses required pursuant to the provisions of section 2 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.2),…

4:19-15.3b. Additional fee; dog of reproductive age without permanent alteration of reproductive capacity; disposition a. In addition to the fee charged pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1941, c. 151 (C. 4:19-15.3) and forwarded to the Department of Health pursuant to section 11 of P.…

4:19-15.3c. Additional fee for dogs; disposition In addition to the fee charged pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.3) and forwarded to the Department of Health pursuant to section 11 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.11), any person applying for the license and regis…

4:19-15.4. Time for applying for license The owner of any newly-acquired dog of licensing age or of any dog which attains licensing age, shall make application for license and registration tag for such dog within ten days after such acquisition or age attainment. L.1941, c. 151, …

4:19-15.5. Application for dog license, information requested, preservation 5. The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the dog for which license and registration are sought, whether it is of a long- or short-haired variety, and whether it has been s…

4:19-15.6. Dogs brought into state Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into this State any dog licensed in another State for the current year, and bearing a registration tag, and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the State for a period of more…

4:19-15.7. Removing tag from dog without owner's consent; attaching tag to another dog No person, except an officer in the performance of his duties shall remove a registration tag from the collar of any dog without the consent of the owner, nor shall any person attach a registra…

4:19-15.8 Licensing of kennel, pet shop, shelter, pound. 8. a. Any person who keeps or operates or proposes to establish a kennel, a pet shop, a shelter or a pound shall apply to the clerk or other official designated to license dogs in the municipality where such establishment i…

4:19-15.9. License fees for kennels and pet shops; no fee for shelter or pound The annual license fee for a kennel providing accommodations for ten or less dogs shall be ten dollars ($10.00) and for more than ten dogs twenty-five dollars ($25.00). The annual license fee for a pet…

4:19-16. Liability of owner regardless of viciousness of dog The owner of any dog which shall bite a person while such person is on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, shall be liable for such damages as may …

4:19-17. Findings, declarations The Legislature finds and declares that certain dogs are an increasingly serious and widespread threat to the safety and welfare of citizens of this State by virtue of their unprovoked attacks on, and associated injury to, individuals and other ani…

4:19-18. Definitions 2. As used in this act: "Animal control officer" means a certified municipal animal control officer or, in the absence of such an officer, the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality or his designee. "Department" means the Department of Health. "Dog…

4:19-19. Impoundment of dog An animal control officer shall seize and impound a dog when the officer has reasonable cause to believe that the dog: a. attacked a person and caused death or serious bodily injury as defined in N.J.S.2C:11-1(b) to that person; b. caused bodily injury…

4:19-2. Assessors to set down number of dogs owned The assessors of the several taxing districts in this state shall set down in a separate column on the several duplicates opposite the name of each person, the number of dogs which he owns or harbors at the time of the annual ass…

4:19-20. Notification of owner of dog; hearing 4. a. The animal control officer shall notify the municipal court and the municipal health officer immediately that he has seized and impounded a dog pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1989, c.307 (C.4:19-19), or that he has reasonable cau…

4:19-21.1. Settlement agreements, immunity of municipality 12. Notwithstanding any provision in P.L.1989, c.307 (C.4:19-17 et seq.) to the contrary, the municipality and the owner of the dog may settle and dispose of the matter at any time in such manner and according to such ter…

4:19-22 Dog declared vicious by municipal court; conditions. 6. a. The municipal court shall declare the dog vicious if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that the dog: (1) killed a person or caused serious bodily injury to a person; or (2) (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2019,…

4:19-23 Dog declared potentially dangerous; conditions. 7. a. The municipal court shall declare a dog to be potentially dangerous if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that the dog: (1) caused bodily injury to a person during an unprovoked attack, and poses a serious threa…

4:19-24. Registration of potentially dangerous dog; conditions 8. If the municipal court declares the dog to be potentially dangerous, it shall issue an order and a schedule for compliance which, in part: a. shall require the owner to comply with the following conditions: (1) to …

4:19-25. Appeal of decision 9. The owner of the dog, or the animal control officer in the municipality in which the dog was impounded, may appeal any final decision, order, or judgment, including any conditions attached thereto, of a municipal court pursuant to P.L.1989, c.307 (C…

4:19-26. Liability of owner for cost of impounding, destroying dog; rabies testing 10. a. If a dog is declared vicious or potentially dangerous, and all appeals pertaining thereto have been exhausted, the owner of the dog shall be liable to the municipality in which the dog is im…

4:19-27. Hearing on subsequent actions of dog 11. If the municipal court finds that the dog is not vicious or potentially dangerous, the municipal court shall retain the right to convene a hearing to determine whether the dog is vicious or potentially dangerous for any subsequent…

4:19-28. Obligations of owner of potentially dangerous dog 12. The owner of a potentially dangerous dog shall: a. comply with the provisions of P.L.1989, c.307 (C.4:19-17 et seq.) in accordance with a schedule established by the municipal court, but in no case more than 60 days s…