Jersey City, NJ Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 239-4, Molestation of animals or birds
- Where it applies
- Inside any Jersey City park or recreation area
- Exception
- Deadly poisonous snakes may be killed on sight
- Enforcing agencies
- Dept. of Public Works and Dept. of Public Safety
- Maximum penalty
- Up to $2,000 fine and/or 90 days (§ 1-25)
Summary
Jersey City bans hunting, harming, trapping or feeding any animal, reptile or bird within city parks under § 239-4 of the Code. The rule protects wildlife nests, eggs and young from removal, bars giving animals tobacco or alcohol, and is enforced by the Department of Public Works and Department of Public Safety under § 239-16.
No person in a park shall: A. Hunt, molest, harm, frighten, kill, trap, chase, tease, shoot or throw missiles at any animal, reptile or bird; nor shall any person remove or have in his or her possession the young of any wild animal or the eggs, nest or young of any reptile or bird; nor shall any person collect, remove, have in his or her possession, give away, sell or offer to sell or buy or offer to buy or accept as a gift any specimen alive or dead of any of the of the group of tree snails. Exception to the foregoing is made in that snakes known to be deadly poisonous, such as rattlesnakes, moccasins, coral snakes or other deadly reptiles, may be killed on sight. B. Give or offer or attempt to give to any animal or bird any tobacco, alcohol or other known noxious substances.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
§ 239-4, titled "Molestation of animals or birds," sits in Chapter 239 (Parks) and applies to conduct "in a park", any city park, reservation, playground, ballfield, beach or recreation center as defined at § 239-1. Subsection A bars anyone from hunting, molesting, harming, frightening, killing, trapping, chasing, teasing, shooting at or throwing missiles at "any animal, reptile or bird," and separately forbids taking the young of any wild animal or the eggs, nest or young of any reptile or bird. The section also bars collecting, possessing, selling or buying any live or dead specimen "of the group of tree snails", a species-specific carve-out.
" Subsection B separately bars giving or offering "any animal or bird any tobacco, alcohol or other known noxious substances", covering the common park nuisance of feeding wildlife intoxicants. Enforcement of the entire parks chapter, including § 239-4, rests with the Department of Public Works and the Department of Public Safety under § 239-16, which authorizes both departments to eject any violator from the park. There is no separate numeric fine written into § 239-4 itself; violations of Chapter 239 fall back to the citywide general penalty at § 1-25, up to $2,000 and/or 90 days of imprisonment or community service, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 239-4 exposes an offender to ejection from the park on the spot by Public Works or Public Safety personnel under § 239-16, plus prosecution in Municipal Court under the Code's general penalty, § 1-25: a fine of up to $2,000, up to 90 days of imprisonment or community service, or both, with each day a continuing violation treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed squirrels or ducks in a Jersey City park?
What happens if park staff catch someone harming a bird?
Are there any animals people are allowed to kill in a Jersey City park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jersey City
Compare Jersey City to another location·View the New Jersey animal ordinances overview
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