Freehold Township, NJ Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential zone rule
- Large exotic animals barred entirely
- Registration requirement
- NJDEP permit plus Board of Health registration
- Regulation added
- Ord. No. O-06-6 (2006)
- Horses excluded
- Governed separately by § 190-125
- Governing section
- § 79-16B and § 79-17
Summary
Freehold Township bars large exotic animals and potentially dangerous species from residential zones under § 79-16B of the Township Code, and anyone possessing a potentially dangerous species anywhere in the Township must first get a New Jersey DEP permit and register with the Board of Health under § 79-17.
Large exotic animals, as determined by the Freehold Township Health Department, and potentially dangerous species are not permitted in residential zones. ... No person shall possess any potentially dangerous species unless such person has first received both the required permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:25, Subchapter 4, and has registered with the Freehold Township Board of Health.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 79, Article II, Animal Control, added by Ord. No. C. 8. Section 79-16 restricts what can be kept in a residential zone: housing or storing farm animals is barred unless the location qualifies as a farm, and Subsection B specifically bars large exotic animals, as determined by the Freehold Township Health Department, and potentially dangerous species from residential zones outright. C. 7:25, Subchapter 4, and then register the animal with the Freehold Township Board of Health, presenting that state permit and paying a registration fee set under Chapter 150, Fees.
Horses are carved out of this article entirely: § 79-15 sends horse-keeping to the separate land-use standards at § 190-125 of Chapter 190, which set pen size, box-stall dimensions and setback requirements for the Rural Residential zone. Enforcement of the exotic-animal rules runs through the Code Enforcement Officer, Health Officer or Police Department under § 79-22, with a summons returnable in Municipal Court.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a large exotic animal or an unregistered potentially dangerous species in a residential zone violates § 79-16B, and possessing a potentially dangerous species anywhere in the Township without the state DEP permit and Board of Health registration required by § 79-17 is punishable under Chapter 1, Article II, General Penalty per § 79-23, with each day of violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep an exotic pet in a Freehold Township residential zone?
Do I need a permit to own a potentially dangerous species in Freehold Township?
Are horses treated as exotic or dangerous animals under this chapter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Freehold Township
Compare Freehold Township to another location·View the New Jersey animal ordinances overview
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