Elizabeth, NJ Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Elizabeth City Code § 12.48.070
- Protected animals
- Wild birds, city-owned squirrels, fish, other park wildlife
- Prohibited acts
- Hunting, molesting, injuring, capturing, interfering with freedom
- Enforcing agency
- Elizabeth Police Department; parks overseen by Public Works
- Penalty
- $100-$2,000 fine or up to 90 days jail
- Adopted
- Codified 2004 from prior code § 102-20
Summary
Elizabeth's municipal code makes it unlawful to hunt, molest, injure, capture, or otherwise interfere with the freedom of any wild, undomesticated bird in a city park, along with squirrels, fish, and other animals that belong to the city. The ban sits in the parks chapter alongside rules protecting statues, lawns, and park structures, and it applies citywide to every park under the city's jurisdiction.
It is unlawful for any person to hunt, molest, injure, capture or in any way interfere with the freedom of any bird, being free and undomesticated, in any city park in the city; or to hunt, molest, injure, capture or in any way interfere with the freedom of any squirrel, fish or other animal, being the property of the city, in any such park.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31).
Full Breakdown
48 (Parks), protects both wild birds and city-owned park wildlife from harassment. The ordinance draws a line between free, undomesticated birds and animals the city itself owns, such as squirrels and fish living in park ponds: both classes are covered by the same prohibition on hunting, molesting, injuring, capturing, or interfering with their freedom while inside any city park. 040), oversees park conditions day to day, while the Elizabeth Police Department handles enforcement of park violations reported on site. 080, which bars disorderly conduct and gambling in parks, so the chapter reads as one connected set of park-conduct rules rather than a standalone wildlife statute.
Because the section is written as a blanket prohibition rather than a permitting scheme, there is no application, fee, or discretionary approval process for anyone; the rule is a flat ban enforceable the moment a violation is observed. 48 does not set its own separate fine schedule for park offenses.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Section 12.48.070 is prosecuted under the city's general penalty at Section 1.12.010: a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $2,000, up to ninety days in the county jail, up to ninety days of community service, or any combination the municipal court orders. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, and a repeat conviction within one year draws an additional fine on top of the original penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed pigeons or squirrels in an Elizabeth city park?
What happens if I catch a squirrel or fish in an Elizabeth park?
Who enforces the park wildlife protection rule in Elizabeth?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elizabeth
Compare Elizabeth to another location·View the New Jersey animal ordinances overview
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