Newark Title 8 Chapter 4 requires owned cats to be licensed annually, vaccinated against rabies, and ideally kept indoors. Free-roaming cats may be impounded by Animal Control, and feral colony caregivers must coordinate with Essex County Animal Welfare Federation TNR partners.
Under Newark Title 8 Chapter 4, every owned cat over six months must wear a license tag and current rabies vaccination proof. Newark allows trap-neuter-return colony management when registered through approved partners, but unsterilized stray cats are subject to impoundment at the Associated Humane Societies Newark shelter on Evergreen Avenue. Owners letting cats roam freely can be cited if the animal damages neighbors' property, defecates on private lots, or hunts protected birds in Branch Brook Park. Veterinary records must be produced on demand by Newark Department of Health inspectors performing welfare checks.
First-time roaming or unlicensed cat violations carry $25-$100 fines. Repeated offenses, failure to vaccinate, or interference with Animal Control trigger municipal court summons and up to $500 penalties.
Newark, NJ
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See how Newark's cat rules rules stack up against other locations.
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