Trenton, NJ Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Where banned
- Public parks and other City-owned property
- Maximum fine
- $2,000 (§ 21-37)
- Enforcer
- Trenton Police Department
- Exemptions
- Education centers; TNR feral-cat colonies
- Adopted
- 2006, amended 2024 (Ord. 24-31, 24-32)
Summary
Trenton prohibits feeding any wildlife in public parks or on other City-owned property. Adopted to protect public health and the environment, City Code § 21-34 makes it unlawful to feed unconfined animals such as deer, geese, or strays on municipal land. The Police Department enforces the ban, and violators face a fine of up to $2,000 under § 21-37.
§ 21-32. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to prohibit the feeding of unconfined wildlife in any public park or on any other property owned or operated by the City of Trenton, so as to protect the environment, public health, safety and welfare, and to prescribe penalties for failure to comply. ... § 21-34. Regulated activities. No person shall feed, in any public park or on any other property owned or operated by the City of Trenton, any wildlife. § 21-35. Exemptions. Exemptions include unconfined wildlife at environmental education centers and feral cats as part of an approved Trap-Neuter-Release program. ... § 21-37. Violations and penalties. Any person who is found to be in violation of the provisions of this article shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $2,000, as stated in Chapter 1, Article III, General Penalty, § 1-17.
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
Article IV of Chapter 21, adopted in 2006 and amended twice in 2024, states its purpose in § 21-32: to prohibit the feeding of unconfined wildlife in any public park or on any other City-owned or City-operated property, protecting public health, safety, and the environment. Section 21-33 defines 'feed' broadly as to give, place, expose, deposit, distribute, or scatter any edible material with the intention of feeding, attracting, or enticing wildlife, though it carves out baiting done for legal hunting or fishing. 'Wildlife' covers all animals that are neither human nor domesticated, reaching deer, geese, and other unconfined species alike.
The operative rule, § 21-34, bars any person from feeding wildlife in a public park or on any other City-owned or City-operated property; it does not reach feeding on private property. Section 21-35 carves out two exemptions: unconfined wildlife at environmental education centers, and feral cats fed as part of an approved Trap-Neuter-Release program, recognizing managed cat colonies without exposing volunteers to citation. The Trenton Police Department enforces the article under § 21-36 and can order a violator to stop the feeding immediately. Because the article addresses only City-owned land, private-property feeding of deer or geese is not regulated by this chapter.
Violations & Fines
Violating the feeding ban carries a fine of up to $2,000 under § 21-37, tied to the General Penalty provisions in Chapter 1, § 1-17. Before any fine, § 21-36 lets police order the violator to cease the prohibited feeding on the spot, so a first contact functions as an order to stop rather than an automatic citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed geese or deer in a Trenton park?
Does the wildlife-feeding ban apply to my own backyard?
Are feral cat colonies exempt from the feeding ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Trenton
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