Passaic County, NJ Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Dogs per person in dog park
- 2 dogs maximum
- Minimum accompanying owner age
- 15 years or older
- Applies to
- County-operated dog parks only
- Household pet limits
- Not set by the county: municipal issue
- Penalty ceiling
- 90 days jail and/or $200 fine
Summary
Inside Passaic County's dog parks, no single person may bring in more than two dogs at a time. This is a park-use rule under the county's Park Property Ordinance, not a household pet-ownership cap: the county does not regulate how many pets a resident may keep at home.
Section 3. Dog owners are responsible and liable for the actions and behavior of their dog at all times. Section 4. Dogs must be up to date on all mandatory NJ state vaccinations (rabies, distemper, leptospirosis, Lyme, Bordetella) and wear a collar with license tags. Section 6. Limit of 2 dogs per person. Section 7. Dogs must be accompanied by an owner 15 years or older.
Full Breakdown
" The rule sits alongside a run of companion requirements for using the dog park facility: dogs must be accompanied by an owner who is at least fifteen years old, must be up to date on mandatory New Jersey vaccinations (rabies, distemper, leptospirosis, Lyme and Bordetella) and must wear a collar with license tags. Children under eight are barred from the dog park area entirely, and those between nine and fifteen must be accompanied by an adult. Because Passaic County is a New Jersey county, it has no authority to cap how many dogs or cats a resident may keep at a private home, that is a municipal function set by each of the county's sixteen municipalities, not the county government.
The two-dog limit quoted here applies only on the fenced dog-park grounds the county itself owns and operates, where park staff and the Parks Director enforce the full run of Article VI conditions as terms of using the facility, in the same way Article IV treats other park permits and use rules.
Violations & Fines
Article I's enforcement provision routes park violations to "the Municipal Court having jurisdiction over the territory wherein the violation shall have occurred," and the ordinance's penalty section authorizes the Board of County Commissioners to impose imprisonment not exceeding ninety days, a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars, or both, for violations of the park rules, including the Article VI dog park conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring three dogs to a Passaic County dog park?
Does Passaic County limit how many dogs I can keep at my house?
Is there an age requirement to bring a dog into a Passaic County dog park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Passaic County
Compare Passaic County to another location·View the New Jersey animal ordinances overview
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