Animal Ordinances in Irvington, NJ (2026)
9 verified animal ordinances for Irvington, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Irvington Township Code Section 167-2A and B ban keeping backyard chickens, roosters, turkeys, ducks, pigeons, quail or any other live fowl, and separately ban keeping cows, goats, sheep, bulls, bison or any other livestock, anywhere in Irvington. Both bans cover housing, selling, offering for sale, giving away, disposing of or purchasing the animals, not just raising them for meat or eggs.
Irvington Bans Backyard Chickens and Livestock
Heavy RestrictionsIrvington Township Code § 167-2A, B
A. Fowl are subject to Escherichia Coli (E-coli) infection which can spread in poultry/fowl/birds through fecal contamination and through contaminated eggs. No person shall house, sell, offer for sale, give away or otherwise dispose of or purchase any live fowl (aka chickens, roosters, turkeys, ducks, pigeons, quail, etc.) within the jurisdiction of Irvington Township. B. Livestock includes any...
Dog Leash Laws
Irvington Township Code Section 167-11 bars any dog or cat, leashed or not, from Township parks and public playgrounds; Section 167-12 makes any dog or cat found at large in the streets or public places, licensed or not, subject to seizure. Together the two sections operate as Irvington's leash law: a leash is not a defense inside a park, and being off-leash off a private owner's property anywhere else exposes the animal to seizure.
Irvington Leash Rules for Dogs and Cats
Some RestrictionsIrvington Township Code §§ 167-11, 167-12
No dog or cat, licensed, unlicensed, under control of the owner or guardian or held by a leash, shall be allowed in any of the parks or public playgrounds of the Township. ... All dogs or cats found at large any time in the streets or public places of the Township, whether unlicensed or unmuzzled, shall be subject to seizure.
Beekeeping
Keeping bees anywhere in Irvington requires a $75 Township permit, and colony numbers are capped by lot size: three hives on a quarter acre, scaling up to 40 hives on tracts over an acre. Hives must sit 25 feet from any sidewalk or street and 10 feet from a property line without a flyway barrier.
Irvington Beekeeping Permit and Hive Rules
Significant RestrictionsIrvington Township Code § 167-43, § 167-45
§ 167-43. Colony density. Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 2:24-7.2, the colony density shall be as follows: Tract of Land Size Number of Colonies Allowed Up to 1/4 acre 3 1/2 acre 6 3/4 acre 9 1 acre 12 Over 1 acre 3 per 1/4 acre not to exceed 40 hives § 167-4 ... 5. Permit. A. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep bees within the Township of Irvington without first obtaining a permit. B. Permit. Th...
Exotic Pets
Irvington Township Code Section 167-2C bans possessing, selling, feeding or purchasing any potentially dangerous indigenous or exotic animal within Township limits, naming foxes, bats, snakes, raccoons, squirrels, bears, reptiles and primates such as apes. The only way around the ban is a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection or authorization from the Fish and Game Council. Violators face escalating fines recommended by the Animal Control Officer.
Irvington Bans Keeping Wild or Exotic Animals
Heavy RestrictionsIrvington Township Code § 167-2C
C. No person may possess, sell, feed or purchase any live potentially dangerous indigenous/wild animal such as but not limited to fox, bat, snake, raccoon, squirrel, bear etc., or live potentially dangerous exotic animal such as but not limited to snakes or other reptiles, primates such as apes or other species of animal uncommon to the habitat of New Jersey; except as authorized pursuant to a ...
Wildlife Feeding
Irvington Township Code Article IV of Chapter 167, Sections 167-25 through 167-29, bans feeding unconfined wildlife anywhere on Township-owned or Township-operated property, including every public park. The ban excludes confined wildlife at zoos or rehabilitation centers, environmental education center animals, and feral cats fed through an approved trap-neuter-return colony. Enforced by Public Safety and Public Works, violators must stop feeding immediately.
Irvington Bans Feeding Wildlife in Parks
Significant RestrictionsIrvington Township Code §§ 167-25, 167-27
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 Township of Irvington, so as to protect public health, safety and welfare, and to prescribe penalties for failure to comply. ... No person shall feed, in any public park or on any other property owned or operated by the Township of Irvington, any wil...
Pet Limits
Irvington Township Code Section 167-6 caps every household at four dogs or cats combined. Anyone keeping more than four is subject to the penalties in Chapter 1, Article III, Penalties, of the Township Code, and the cap applies regardless of whether the animals are licensed.
Irvington Caps Households at Four Dogs or Cats
Some RestrictionsIrvington Township Code § 167-6
No household of any kind shall possess any more than four dogs or cats. Any number present in a household greater than the above shall subject the owner or occupier to the penalties set forth in Chapter 1, Article III, Penalties.
Cat Rules
Irvington Township Code Section 167-5 requires every cat owner to obtain a license from the Township's Division of Licensing, requires all cats and dogs to be vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian, and requires anyone walking a dog on a public street or park to carry waste pickup materials. A separate program under Article V lets residents maintain registered feral cat colonies through trap-neuter-return.
Irvington Cat Licensing and Feral Colony Rules
Some RestrictionsIrvington Township Code §§ 167-5, 167-33
All owners of cats must obtain a license from the Township of Irvington's Division of Licensing. All cats and dogs shall be vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian. Any person who walks a dog upon the public streets or in any park in the Township or other public property must carry with him/her appropriate materials to pick up and dispose of any waste caused by said animal. ... A TNR Program shal...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Irvington's Feral Cat Trap-Neuter-Return Program requires registered caretakers to have every cat in a colony neutered or spayed, vaccinated for rabies and ear-tipped by a licensed veterinarian. Feeding an unsterilized feral cat outside the trapping process risks a fine up to $100 per cat per offense.
Irvington Feral Cat Colony Spay-Neuter Rule
Some RestrictionsIrvington Township Code § 167-33, § 167-34
§ 167-33. Feral cat colonies. A TNR Program shall be permitted, and caretakers shall be entitled to maintain feral cat colonies in accordance with the terms and conditions of this article. § 167-34. Caretaker requirements. It shall be the responsibility of a caretaker to: A. Make reasonable efforts to trap all cats in a registered colony and have all trapped cats neutered or spayed, vaccinated ...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Irvington Township Code Section 167-20 bans operating, in any residential zone in the Township, an establishment where dogs, cats or other animals are received or kept for diagnostic, medical, surgical or other treatment. A veterinary clinic or animal hospital is a use the zoning code confines to non-residential zones, regardless of what any individual property's zoning district otherwise permits.
Irvington Bars Vet Clinics From Residential Zones
Significant RestrictionsIrvington Township Code § 167-20
No person shall operate in a residential zone in the Town an establishment wherein or whereon dogs, cats or other animals are received or kept for diagnostic, medical, surgical or other treatment.
Looking for Essex County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Irvington city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Essex County →