Lakewood, NJ Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Regulatory basis
- Individual conduct, not breed
- Potentially dangerous dog license fee
- $700 per year
- Required enclosure height
- At least 6 feet, locked
- Maximum fine
- $1,000 per day
- Appeal venue
- Superior Court, Law Division
- Enclosure inspections
- At least monthly
Summary
Lakewood Township has no breed ban; Code § 5-6 instead lets the Municipal Court declare an individual dog 'vicious' or 'potentially dangerous' based on a documented attack, triggering a locked six-foot enclosure, muzzling, tattooed registration, and fines up to $1,000 per day.
To immediately erect and maintain an enclosure for the potentially dangerous dog on the property where the potentially dangerous dog will be kept and maintained, which has sides, top and bottom to prevent the potentially dangerous dog from escaping by climbing, jumping or digging and within a fence of at least six feet in height separated by at least three feet from the confined area. All potentially dangerous dogs shall be confined in the enclosure, or, if taken out of the enclosure, securely muzzled and restrained with a tether approved by the Animal Control Officer having a minimum tensile strength sufficiently in excess of that required to restrict the potentially dangerous dog's movements to a radius of no more than three feet from the owner and under the direct supervision of the owner.
Full Breakdown
Township of Lakewood Code § 5-6 regulates dogs by conduct, not breed: a dog can be declared vicious for killing a person or causing serious bodily injury in an unprovoked attack, or for dog fighting (§ 5-6.5), and 'potentially dangerous' for an unprovoked bodily injury attack or for killing another domestic animal (§ 5-6.6). The Animal Control Officer must seize and impound a dog on reasonable cause of such conduct (§ 5-6.2), and the Municipal Court decides the classification by clear and convincing evidence, with the Township bearing the burden to disprove provocation (§ 5-6.5b).
Once declared potentially dangerous, the owner must obtain a special municipal license with a tattooed registration number, post a warning sign visible from 50 feet, and confine the dog in a locked enclosure at least six feet high, with muzzling and a three-foot tether radius required outside it (§ 5-6.7a). The Municipal Court may also require liability insurance naming the Township as an additional insured (§ 5-6.7b). The annual potentially dangerous dog license costs $700 (§ 5-6.14), the Animal Control Officer inspects the enclosure at least monthly (§ 5-6.15), and appeals go to the Superior Court, Law Division, for a hearing de novo (§ 5-6.8). Dogs used for public law enforcement are exempt (§ 5-6.17).
Violations & Fines
An owner who violates § 5-6 or fails to comply with a court order faces a fine of up to $1,000 per day, with each day of continued violation a separate offense; the Animal Control Officer can seize and impound the dog, and the Municipal Court may order its destruction (§ 5-6.12). If a dog is ultimately declared vicious and not appealed, it is destroyed humanely (§ 5-6.5c).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lakewood Township ban specific dog breeds?
What must an owner do once a dog is declared potentially dangerous?
How much is the annual fee for a potentially dangerous dog license in Lakewood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
How Lakewood compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Lakewood to another location·View the New Jersey animal ordinances overview
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