Atlantic County, NJ Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

§ 97-19, in Chapter 97's Article III on Rules of General Conduct, flatly bars any person from feeding wildlife on County property; the section carries no exception for deer, geese or other species. The Board of Chosen Freeholders, now the Board of County Commissioners, added the ban on January 24, 2006 by Ordinance No. 1-2006, the same amendment that added the companion pet-waste rule at § 97-13. The section defines 'County property' broadly to include any land, water or building the County owns, controls, leases or occupies for any purpose, including land or water used for recreation or conservation, and any street, road, highway, alley, sidewalk or other right-of-way, so the feeding ban follows County ownership rather than stopping at park boundaries.

Park Rangers, who operate under the Atlantic County Department of Public Safety's Office of Emergency Preparedness and are designated the parks system's enforcing agency under § 97-1, are responsible for enforcing the ban alongside the related § 97-15 prohibition on injuring or possessing County wildlife without a valid hunting or fishing license. A court finding a violation can also revoke any permit the person holds under § 97-5 and support a twelve-month removal from the County park system under § 97-6.