Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup

Woodbridge, NJ Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

License required
cats over 7 months, annual
License fee
$13 altered / $23 unaltered
Household cap
5 cat licenses
Renewal date
expires September 30 annually
Feral feeding rule
outdoor cat must be spayed/neutered
Late fee
$3 after November 1

Summary

Every cat over seven months in Woodbridge must be vaccinated against rabies and licensed annually with the Department of Health and Human Services, capped at five licenses per household, and anyone feeding a stray cat outdoors must first have it spayed or neutered. License fees run $13 for altered cats and $23 for unaltered ones, with a $3 late fee after November 1.

No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat over seven (7) months of age within the Township unless the cat is vaccinated and licensed. The provisions of this section do not apply to cats held in a cattery, or those held by a State or Federal licensed research facility or a veterinary establishment where cats are received or kept for diagnostic, medical, surgical, or other treatments or licensed animal shelters, pounds, kennels or pet shops.

Full Breakdown

2 requires every cat kept in the Township past seven months of age to carry both a current rabies vaccination and an annual license; the section exempts catteries, state- or federally licensed research and veterinary facilities, and licensed shelters, pounds and kennels. 3, an owner has ten days from acquiring a cat of licensing age (or from the cat reaching that age) to apply for a license, and the same ten-day clock applies to unlicensed cats brought into town; a cat already licensed by another state gets a ninety-day grace period.

d caps any single household at five cat licenses. 7 and updated by Ordinance No. 2022-56, are $13 for a spayed or neutered cat ($6 for residents sixty-five or older) and $23 for an unaltered cat ($16 for seniors), plus a $3 delinquent fee charged after November 1. 9. 1 folds cats into the Township's at-large ban, so a cat may not run loose regardless of licensing status. c is direct: outdoor feeding is tied to sterilization, not banned outright. 10.

Violations & Fines

Violating the licensing chapter carries a penalty under § 11-4.12 of not less than $100 up to the ceiling set in Chapter 1, § 1-5, recovered in the name of the Board of Health or the Township. Running a cat at large or failing to sterilize an outdoor-fed cat is enforced separately under Chapter 11's general penalty at § 11-5.12, with each day of a continuing violation treated as its own offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a license for an indoor-only cat in Woodbridge?
Yes. Section 11-4.2 applies to any cat over seven months "owned, kept, harbored or maintained" in the Township, with no exception for indoor cats; only catteries, licensed research/veterinary facilities, shelters, pounds and pet shops are excluded. Indoor cats still need current rabies vaccination and an annual license from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Can I feed a feral cat colony in my neighborhood?
Section 11-5.11.c allows it on one condition: "No person shall feed an outside cat unless the cat is spayed or neutered." The ordinance does not ban colony feeding outright, but anyone feeding an unaltered outdoor cat is violating the section regardless of whether the cat is owned.
How many cats can one household license in Woodbridge?
Section 11-4.3.d caps it at five cat licenses per residential household. Households with more cats than that must still comply with anti-cruelty and nuisance provisions elsewhere in Chapter 11, but the Department of Health and Human Services will not issue a sixth license to the same address.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Woodbridge

All Woodbridge rules

Compare Woodbridge to another location·View the New Jersey animal ordinances overview

Get notified when Cat Rules in Woodbridge, NJ changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.

Cat Rules in Nearby Cities

How other cities in this county handle cat rules.

Edison, NJ
Some Restrictions