Plainfield, NJ Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Article 10 of Chapter 5 of the Plainfield Municipal Code governs cats. A cat of licensing age is one that has reached seven months or has a set of permanent teeth (§ 5:10-1). Under § 5:10-2 no one can own, keep, harbor or maintain a cat over seven months of age in the City of Plainfield unless it is vaccinated and licensed. Catteries, State or Federal licensed research facilities, veterinary establishments, licensed animal shelters, pounds, kennels and pet shops are outside the rule. The Plainfield Board of Health can exempt a cat from vaccination for a specified period on a certificate that an infirmity, physical condition or therapy makes the shot inadvisable.

Licensing runs through § 5:10-3. The owner applies each year to the Plainfield City Clerk or the official designated to license cats, receives a tag with a license number or a registration sleeve, and fastens it to a collar or other device. Break-away and elastic collars qualify, and tags and sleeves cannot be transferred. The application states breed, sex, age, color and markings, whether the cat is long or short haired, and the owner's name and address, and the Clerk keeps it for three years. No license issues without evidence of rabies inoculation or an exemption certificate, and the vaccine must cover at least the first ten months of a twelve-month license or the first 34 of 36 months for a three-year license.

The fee schedule is printed in the code. A one-year license is $18.20 for a non-neutered cat and $15.20 for a neutered or spayed cat; three-year licenses are $54.60 and $45.60. The late fee is $1.00 from March 1 through April 1 and $2.00 after April 1. A duplicate tag or sleeve is $6.20.

Timing and proof matter. A newly acquired cat must be licensed within ten days, except a non-resident keeping a cat in the City for no longer than ninety days. A cat licensed in another State must be licensed here if kept more than ninety days, and an unlicensed cat brought in must be licensed after ten days. Any health official, police officer or animal control officer can demand proof of licensing under § 5:10-3(k).