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Jersey City, NJ Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
§ 182-35
Applies to
State-licensed Day Care Centers (N.J.S.A. 30:5B-3)
Notice 1
Free state lead testing for uninsured children
Notice 2
Insured families told pediatricians must screen
Filing deadline
October 1st each year
Audited by
Jersey City Department of Health

Summary

Jersey City requires every state-licensed Day Care Center to notify parents about free state lead testing for uninsured children and to remind insured families that pediatricians must screen for lead. Code § 182-35 requires the notice be filed in each child's record by October 1 each year for the Health Department's annual audit.

A Lead Testing Notification Program for all Day Care Centers licensed by the State of New Jersey pursuant to N.J.S.A. 30:5B-3 is hereby established. The owner or operator of a Day Care Center shall be required to notify the parents or guardians of all children enrolled at the Child Care Center that the State of New Jersey will provide free lead testing to children who are uninsured or underinsured. The owner or operator of a Day Care Center shall be required to notify the parents or guardians of children enrolled at the Child Care Center with health insurance that all primary care physicians are required to screen children for lead. The owner or operator of a Day Care Center shall have the Notice filed in the child's record on or before October 1st of each year, and made readily available to the Jersey City Department of Health auditors during their annual audit.

Source: Jersey City Construction Code OfficeView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).

Full Breakdown

Article VI of Chapter 182, added by Ord. No. A. ' Section 182-35(A) doesn't set a physical lead-paint or building-safety standard for the day care premises itself; instead it imposes a parent-notification duty on the owner or operator. A. 30:5B-3 rather than creating a separate City license.

Violations & Fines

Article VI states no fine schedule of its own for a missed notice: the compliance mechanism described in § 182-35 is the annual Department of Health audit checking that the October 1 filing is in each child's record, not a summons. Because it's still part of the Municipal Code, a documented failure to comply would fall back on the general penalty in § 1-25, up to a $2,000 fine, at a court's discretion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What must a Jersey City day care tell parents about lead testing?
Under § 182-35, operators must tell parents of uninsured or underinsured children that the State of New Jersey provides free lead testing, and tell parents of insured children that their primary care physician is required to screen for lead: two distinct notices covering the same lead-testing obligation from different funding angles.
When does the lead testing notice have to be on file?
By October 1st of each year. Section 182-35(A)(4) requires the owner or operator to have the notice filed in the child's record by that date and made readily available to Jersey City Department of Health auditors when they conduct the center's annual audit.
Does this rule apply to all Jersey City day cares or just some?
It applies to every Day Care Center licensed by the State of New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 30:5B-3, since § 182-35(A)(1) establishes the notification program for 'all Day Care Centers' meeting that licensing status, it isn't limited by size, age group served, or number of children enrolled.

Sources & Official References

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