Trenton, NJ Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 21-14, Dog kennels, pet shops, shelters
- License authority
- City Clerk, with Health Officer approval
- Kennel fee
- $10 (≤10 dogs) or $25 (>10 dogs)/year
- Pet shop fee
- $10 per year
- Sale restriction
- none; licensing/sanitation only
- License term
- expires each January 31
Summary
Trenton requires anyone operating a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound to obtain an annual license from the City Clerk with the Health Officer's written approval, under § 21-14. The code does not ban retail sale of dogs or cats or require adoption-only sourcing; it instead regulates location, sanitation and licensing of any establishment that sells or houses animals.
License required. Any person who keeps or operates or proposes to establish a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound shall apply to the City Clerk or a license to keep or operate such establishment. The application shall describe the premises where the establishment is located and the purpose or purposes for which it is to be maintained and shall be accompanied by the written approval of the Health Officer of the City of Trenton, showing compliance with local and state rules and regulations governing the location and sanitation of the establishment. ... Fees. The annual license fee for a kennel providing accommodations for 10 or a fewer dogs shall be $10 and for more than 10 dogs, $25. The annual license fee for a pet shop shall be $10. No fee shall be charged for a shelter or pound.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4853025; v21 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 21-14, Dog kennels, pet shops, shelters and pounds, requires any person who keeps, operates or proposes to establish a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound to apply to the City Clerk for a license, with the application describing the premises and accompanied by the Health Officer's written approval showing compliance with local and state sanitation and location rules. Licenses expire every January 31 and can be revoked for noncompliance with state or city health department rules, but only after the owner gets a hearing.
A kennel housing 10 or fewer dogs pays a $10 annual license fee; more than 10 dogs costs $25; a pet shop license is a flat $10 per year; shelters and pounds pay nothing. Licensed kennel, pet shop and shelter operators do not need to separately license each individual dog on the premises, and that facility license cannot be transferred to a new owner or a different address. Subsection D separately requires a $35 annual license for any biological research laboratory that houses dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits or rodents for experimentation, a category the code expressly distinguishes from ordinary pet shop or veterinary hospital operations.
Nowhere in § 21-14 does Trenton restrict where a licensed pet shop may source its animals or bar the retail sale of dogs and cats; the ordinance is a licensing and sanitation regime, not a source-of-sale restriction.
Violations & Fines
Operating a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound without the City Clerk's license, or after revocation for a sanitation or health-rule violation, is punishable under Article I's § 21-16, which applies Chapter 1's General Penalty: up to a $2,000 fine, up to 90 days in county jail, or up to 90 days of community service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Trenton pet shop need a special license to sell dogs and cats?
Is there a puppy-mill or retail sale ban on pet stores in Trenton?
How much does a Trenton kennel license cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Trenton
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