Long Branch, NJ Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing age
- 7 months, or full permanent teeth
- License trigger date
- Owned/kept in city as of Jan. 1
- New-resident grace period
- 10 days after bringing cat into city
- Out-of-state license grace
- 90 days before local license required
- Feral cat feeder status
- Counted as the cat's legal owner
- Unlicensed-cat fine
- Up to $100 per offense
Summary
Long Branch requires every cat of licensing age, seven months old, to be licensed if a resident owns, keeps or harbors it as of January 1, and the code makes anyone who regularly feeds a stray cat that cat's legal owner, license obligation included.
CAT: Any animal of the domestic feline species, be it wild, feral or domesticated, male, female or altered. ... OWNER: When applied to the proprietorship of a dog or cat, shall mean and include every person having a right of property or custody in such dog or cat and every person who has such dog in his/her keeping and every person who has a cat in his keeping, or who harbors or maintains a cat or knowingly permits a cat to remain on or about any premises occupied by that person. A person who feeds a stray cat shall be considered its owner. ... (2) Cat licensing provisions. ... (a) License; when required. Licenses shall be required for the following cats of licensing age: [1] Any cat owned, kept, harbored or maintained within the City by a resident of the City on the first day of January of any calendar year. [2] Any cat acquired by any person during the course of any calendar year and kept within the City for more than 10 days after acquisition.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4904719; v48 updated 2026-06-10; through 06-10-2026).
Full Breakdown
City of Long Branch Code § 109-1 defines 'cat' broadly enough to reach feral colonies: it covers any domestic feline, 'be it wild, feral or domesticated,' not just an indoor pet. ' That definition, added January 24, 2017 by Ordinance No. 2-17, means someone feeding a colony of feral cats takes on the same licensing duty as someone who bought a kitten from a breeder. Section 109-2(A)(2), also added in 2017, requires a license for any cat of licensing age, defined in § 109-1 as seven months old or possessing a full set of permanent teeth, that is owned, kept, harbored or maintained within the city by a resident as of January 1 of any year; acquired and kept in the city more than 10 days; that reaches licensing age during the year; brought into the city unlicensed and kept more than 10 days; or licensed elsewhere and kept in the city more than 90 days.
Applications under § 109-2(B) must describe the cat's breed, sex, neuter status, age, color, markings and hair length, and give the owner's name and address.
Violations & Fines
Failing to license a cat as required by § 109-2 carries a penalty of not more than $100 per offense under City of Long Branch Code § 109-11. Other violations of the dogs-and-cats article default to Chapter 1's general penalty, up to a $2,000 fine, 90 days imprisonment or 90 days of community service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to license a feral cat I feed in Long Branch?
At what age does a cat need a license in Long Branch?
What's the fine for an unlicensed cat in Long Branch?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Branch
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