East Orange, NJ Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Section 132-17 states plainly that 'no person shall keep or harbor any cat or dog of licensing age within the City without registering and obtaining a license therefor, to be issued by the City Clerk upon application by the owner and payment of the prescribed fee.' A cat or dog reaches 'licensing age' at seven months, or once it 'possesses a set of permanent teeth,' under the definition in § 132-5. The application under § 132-18 must state the cat's breed, sex, age, color, markings and coat type along with the owner's name and address, and the City Clerk keeps that record for three years and reports registration numbers to the State Department of Health monthly.

Section 132-19 requires the license and its official metal tag to be procured annually 'in the month of February' and fastened to the cat's collar or harness. A newly acquired cat, or one that newly reaches licensing age, must be registered within 10 days (§ 132-21), and a cat brought into East Orange already licensed elsewhere must be re-registered once it has been kept in the City more than 90 days (§ 132-22). Household cat numbers are capped at six cats or dogs combined, or ten birds, under § 132-3, and an unlicensed cat found off its owner's property is subject to impoundment under § 132-25.