Environmental Rules in Cape May County, NJ (2026)

Flood Zones

Cape May County is a peninsula community at the southern tip of New Jersey with extensive Atlantic coast V/VE and AE Special Flood Hazard Areas, governed primarily by NFIP regulations adopted by each of the county's 16 municipalities (the county itself does not adopt building codes for incorporated areas). FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) effective October 5, 2017 apply countywide. New Jersey's Inland Flood Protection Rule (IFPR), adopted under NJDEP and effective July 17, 2023, plus the state's Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) coastal rule that took effect in early 2026, require new construction to be elevated to a Design Flood Elevation that includes additional freeboard beyond FEMA Base Flood Elevations. Coastal development is also subject to NJDEP CAFRA permitting.