Atlantic County, NJ Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Leash length
- Maximum six feet
- Exceptions
- Service animals; horses under control
- Loose animals
- May be seized and treated as strays
- Waste rule
- Owners must clean up pet feces, § 97-13
- Penalty
- $100 to $500 per offense
Summary
Atlantic County requires any pet in a County parks area to be restrained on a leash no longer than six feet under § 97-12, or it may be seized and treated as a stray. Owners must also clean up pet waste under § 97-13, and violations of Chapter 97 carry a fine of $100 to $500 per offense.
No person shall cause or permit any animal owned by him or her, in his or her custody or under his or her control to go or be in a County parks area, except a service animal or a household pet when restrained by a leash not exceeding six feet in length or a horse ridden or pulling a vehicle in an area designated therefor and under proper control. Any animal found at large may be seized and dealt with as a stray.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4863463; v25 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
§ 97-12, in Article III of Chapter 97, bars any animal an owner or custodian controls from being in a County parks area at all, except a service animal, a household pet restrained by a leash no longer than six feet, or a horse being ridden or pulling a vehicle in a designated area under proper control. Any animal found loose, or 'at large,' in a County park may be seized by Park Rangers and handled as a stray. The following section, § 97-13, added January 24, 2006 by Ordinance No.
1-2006, separately bars letting any animal defecate on grass, landscaped areas, footpaths, walks or drives on County property, and requires the person accompanying the animal to clean up and properly dispose of any waste that does occur; 'County property' under that section reaches every County-owned, leased or controlled street, sidewalk, right-of-way, land or water used for recreation or conservation. Park Rangers, the Division of Parks and Recreation's enforcement arm under the Atlantic County Department of Public Safety, enforce both sections, and a court can revoke a permit or bar a violator from the park system for twelve months under §§ 97-5 and 97-6.
Because § 97-12 applies to 'any animal,' not just dogs, the six-foot leash rule and stray-seizure provision cover cats and other pets brought into County parks areas as well.
Violations & Fines
Letting a dog or other pet off leash, or beyond six feet of restraint, in a County park violates § 97-12 and exposes the owner to seizure of the animal as a stray plus the Chapter 97 general penalty of $100 to $500 per offense under § 97-7. Failing to clean up pet waste under § 97-13 is a separate offense carrying the same fine range, and repeat violations can trigger a twelve-month park ban under § 97-6.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can my dog's leash be in an Atlantic County park?
Do I have to pick up after my dog in Atlantic County parks?
Are service animals exempt from the County park leash rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Atlantic County
Compare Atlantic County to another location·View the New Jersey animal ordinances overview
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