Ridgewood, NJ Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Village of Ridgewood Code § 105-52 makes it unlawful to purposely or knowingly feed unconfined wildlife, including but not limited to birds, deer, wildfowl, raccoons or any other animal not kept as a domestic pet, on land either publicly or privately owned within the Village. The ordinance, added by Ord. No. 2965 in 2005 and amended by Ord. No. 4042 on April 9, 2025, creates a rebuttable presumption: a person is presumed to be purposely or knowingly feeding wildlife unless the feed sits in a birdfeeder whose lowest point is at least six feet off the ground and whose opening is restricted enough to prevent wildlife access, including any attached seed-catching tray.

No more than three such feeders are permitted on a single property. Section 105-50 explains the Village Council's rationale: unconfined feeding is a public-health nuisance tied to the spread of bird flu (H5N1), ticks carried by deer and rodents that transmit Lyme disease, and an elevated risk of rabies exposure to humans and pets from wildlife drawn onto a property. Definitions in § 105-51 cover FEED broadly (to give, place, expose, deposit, distribute or scatter edible material with intent to feed, attract or entice wildlife), while exempting lawful baiting for fishing or hunting. Enforcement under § 105-53 is assigned to the Ridgewood Police Department, Health Department, Building Department, or any other Village department the Village Manager designates.