East Brunswick, NJ Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)

The East Brunswick Township Code treats grooming as a licensed business under its Dogs and Cats chapter. Section 83-31.2 is one sentence long: groomers shall annually be licensed and the fee is $50.00. The fee comes due each year rather than once. The section was added 11-28-16 by Ord. 16-23, the same ordinance that amended the chapter's definition of owner and its license application rules.

The definition in § 83-1 sets the scope. Grooming means both the hygienic care and cleaning of a dog and a process by which a dog's physical appearance is enhanced, and both activities fall inside it. A groomer is a person who earns their living grooming dogs. The definition names dogs only; cats are not mentioned.

The fee sits beside other fixed fees in the same chapter. Under § 83-31 a pet shop pays $10.00 a year and a kennel pays $10.00 for ten or less dogs and $25.00 for more than ten. Under § 83-5 an individual dog or cat license costs $15.20 annually. The groomer fee is a business license and is separate from those.

The section prints no application form, issuing office, expiration date or inspection standard. The Township Clerk's Office is where § 83-3A directs dog and cat license applications, but § 83-31.2 itself does not name an issuer. Enforcement of the chapter belongs to the Director of Public Safety and/or Chief of Police and the Animal Control Officer under § 83-27.