Stafford Township, NJ Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered animals
- Lions, tigers, bears, wolves, bobcats, poisonous and nonnative reptiles, like wild animals
- Registration fee
- $30 for each exotic animal
- Renewal
- Annually, due by the first day of February
- Maximum fine
- Not more than $1,250 under § 60-28B
- Enforcing officer
- Animal Control Officer (home inspections)
- Earlier owners
- Proof of ownership before the effective date plus Township registration
Summary
Stafford Township, including Manahawkin, bars anyone from keeping, harboring or owning an exotic animal covered by the 2014 ordinance. Owners who can prove ownership from before the section's effective date keep the animal only if it is registered, at $30 per animal, with renewal due each year by February 1.
§ 60-29. Possession of exotic animals prohibited. ... A. No person shall keep, harbor, possess, own or allow to be kept within the Township any exotic animal on the premises which are purchased after the effective date of this section. B. Any person who has proof of ownership of an exotic animal prior to the effective date of this section will be permitted to retain such animal, provided that the owner registered said animal with the Township. ... Registration costs shall be $30 for each exotic animal being registered. Exotic animals permitted under this chapter shall be registered annually and due by the first day of February each calendar year. If a home inspection is required, the person registering such animal shall be notified by the Animal Control Officer. Any person who fails to register an exotic animal or provide proof of ownership will be in violation, resulting in fines and the possible seizure of the animal.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 60 of the Stafford Township Code defines exotic animals as lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, margays, mountain lions, lynx, bobcats, bears, wolves, wolf hybrids, feline hybrids, poisonous reptiles, nonnative reptiles, nonnative species or any other like animal normally wild (§ 60-1). Harboring means affording lodging, shelter or refuge to an exotic animal, and ownership means the right to possess one by purchase or receipt of the animal.
Section 60-29, added by Ord. No. 2014-10 on July 15, 2014, says no person shall keep, harbor, possess, own or allow to be kept within the Township any exotic animal, and it fixes the cutoff by reference to what is "purchased after the effective date of this section." Subsection B protects earlier owners: a person with proof of ownership from before that date will be permitted to retain the animal, provided the owner registered it with the Township.
Section 60-30 sets the registration terms. The person registering must provide and show proof of ownership and confinement of the animal, state permits if any, vaccinations if any, and the treating veterinarian. Registration costs $30 for each exotic animal and is annual, due by the first day of February each calendar year. If a home inspection is required, the Animal Control Officer notifies the person registering. Section 60-28A gives its own penalty range only to sections 60-2, 60-3, 60-5, 60-6, 60-14, 60-22 and 60-25, so the exotic animal sections fall under § 60-28B, and § 60-28C adds court abatement by restraining order or injunction.
Violations & Fines
Failing to register an exotic animal or to provide proof of ownership is a violation under § 60-30, resulting in fines and the possible seizure of the animal. Because §§ 60-29 and 60-30 are not on the § 60-28A list, § 60-28B applies: a fine of not more than $1,250, a term not to exceed 90 days, or community service of not more than 90 days, or any combination, set by the Municipal Court Judge. Each successive day of a continuing violation is a separate offense, and § 60-28C allows summary abatement by restraining order or injunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Stafford Township ban pet snakes and lizards?
What if I owned an exotic animal before the ordinance passed?
How much does registration cost and when is it due?
What happens if I do not register?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stafford Township
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How other cities in this county handle exotic pets.