Bayonne, NJ Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Chapter 5, Article IV requires a license for any cat of licensing age owned or kept in Bayonne by a resident as of January 1, acquired and kept more than 10 days, or brought in from out of state and kept more than 90 days, per § 5-11.1. Applications go to the Division of Health with the cat's description, the owner's address, and proof of current rabies vaccination for any cat over six months, and must be renewed before February 1 each year under § 5-11.3.

Section 5-11.5 sets the fee at $15 per cat, plus an additional $5 for any cat of reproductive age that is not sterilized, $2 for a duplicate tag, and a $25 late fee for licenses renewed after January 31. Article VIII's Trap-Neuter-Return Program, added by Ord. No. O-22-30, separately governs feral cats: § 5-27.4 requires caregivers to register each feral cat colony with the City of Bayonne Health Department, make reasonable efforts to have colony cats spayed or neutered, ear-tipped and rabies-vaccinated, and report on the colony every June 30 and December 31.

Section 5-27.3 sets duties for owners of domesticated cats, including providing adequate food, water and shelter, guarding against the cat becoming a nuisance, and not permitting a sexually intact domesticated cat to roam unsupervised. Feral cats meeting the article's requirements are exempt from the Article IV licensing scheme.