Hamilton, NJ Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Breed-specific ban
- None in the code
- Dangerous-dog basis
- Court declaration under N.J.S.A. 4:19-23
- Potentially dangerous dog license fee
- $700 per year
- Attack-trained dogs
- Banned outright, § 108-20
- Vicious dog disposition
- May be seized or killed if unsafe to seize
Summary
Hamilton Township has no breed-specific ban; instead it regulates individually declared dangerous dogs. A dog a court declares "potentially dangerous" under state criteria must be licensed under a special $700 annual license and its owner must follow every court-ordered condition, per § 108-22.
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG Any dog declared potentially dangerous pursuant to the criteria set forth in N.J.S.A. 4:19-23, as same may be amended. ...
§ 108-22. Potentially dangerous dogs. In addition to the obligations of licensing as set forth in § 108-16, in the event a Court of competent jurisdiction has declared that a dog is a potentially dangerous dog, the owner of said animal shall be responsible for complying with all requirements and conditions imposed by the Court, including those set forth in N.J.S.A. 4:19-24, as same may be amended.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4984352; v35 updated 2026-06-16; through 06-16-2026).
Full Breakdown
Hamilton's code does not target any breed by name. Chapter 108 defines POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG as "any dog declared potentially dangerous pursuant to the criteria set forth in N.J.S.A. 4:19-23," and VICIOUS DOG as "any dog declared vicious pursuant to the criteria set forth in N.J.S.A. 4:19-22," both individualized, court-driven designations rather than a breed list. Section 108-22 provides that once "a Court of competent jurisdiction has declared that a dog is a potentially dangerous dog, the owner of said animal shall be responsible for complying with all requirements and conditions imposed by the Court, including those set forth in N.J.S.A.
4:19-24," on top of the Township's own licensing duties in § 108-16. A potentially dangerous dog must be licensed under § 108-17.A(6), and the fee schedule at Chapter 215-6 sets that license at $700 per year, citing N.J.S.A. 4:19-31, a steep premium over an ordinary dog license. Separately, § 108-20 flatly bans keeping any dog "intentionally trained to attack, injure, maim or kill any human being or domestic pet," regardless of breed, and § 108-23.A(5) authorizes the Township to impound a dog "determined to be a vicious dog," adding that police may kill it on the spot if it cannot be safely seized.
Dog-bite cases trigger a mandatory process under § 108-21: veterinary exam within 12 hours, 10-day quarantine, and a written health report to the Division of Health.
Violations & Fines
Violating a court-imposed condition on a potentially dangerous dog under § 108-22, or keeping an attack-trained dog under § 108-20, is punished under Chapter 1, § 1-2, Violations; penalties, per § 108-15, and a vicious dog may also be seized and, if it cannot be seized safely, killed under § 108-23.A(5).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hamilton Township ban pit bulls or other specific dog breeds?
How much does it cost to license a dog declared potentially dangerous in Hamilton Township?
What happens after a Hamilton Township court declares a dog potentially dangerous?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hamilton
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