Newark, NJ Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Dogs excluded from definition
- Pet shop excludes dog sellers
- Dog sellers licensed as
- Dog shops / kennels instead
- License renewal
- Annually, December 31
- License fee
- $10 per year
- Sanitary review
- Division of Community Health
Summary
Newark does not ban retail pet stores from selling dogs or cats. It licenses ordinary pet shops separately from places that sell dogs: a 'pet shop' under city code is defined to exclude any place where dogs are kept for sale, since those places are licensed instead as dog shops or kennels.
As used in this Article, a pet shop shall mean an establishment containing a store, room or group of rooms, cages or exhibition pens, not part of a kennel, wherein birds or animals commonly accepted or regarded as pets are kept for sale, excluding, however, such places wherein dogs are kept for sale. No pet shop as herein defined, shall be maintained or conducted in the City without first obtaining a license therefor from the Director of the Department of Finance and/or his designee.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5019615; v61 updated 2026-06-17; through 06-17-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 6:2-2(a) defines a pet shop as a store, room or group of rooms, cages or exhibition pens, not part of a kennel, where birds or animals commonly accepted as pets are kept for sale, and it expressly excludes places where dogs are kept for sale from that definition. Section 6:2-2(b) requires anyone running a pet shop as defined to first obtain a license from the Director of the Department of Finance, and § 6:2-2(c) makes clear this license requirement is in addition to, not a substitute for, the separate dog shop and kennel licensing under § 6:1-41.
In practice this means a Newark business selling cats, birds, hamsters or rabbits needs a pet shop license under Chapter 6:2, while one selling dogs falls under the Chapter 6:1 dog shop and kennel rules instead; neither track amounts to a citywide sales ban on dogs or cats. A pet shop license cannot issue until the Division of Community Health or the Health Officer confirms sanitary conditions under § 6:2-3, and licenses expire annually on December 31 under § 6:2-4 with a $10 renewal fee under § 6:2-5.
Violations & Fines
Operating a pet shop without the required license, or without meeting the Division of Community Health's sanitary approval under § 6:2-3, exposes the operator to license denial and, under § 6:2-6, suspension or revocation after notice and hearing by the Director of Finance for cause. Chapter 6:2's general penalty section, § 6:2-37, sets fines of at least $100 and up to $1,000, plus up to 90 days of community service or 30 days in the Essex County Prison, for chapter violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Newark pet store sell dogs?
What does a Newark pet shop license cost?
Who inspects Newark pet shops before licensing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newark
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