Passed: Seaside Heights Sets New Boardwalk Hours, Raises Fines for Rogue Rentals

Seaside Heights police car. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

A suite of ordinances that will see the Seaside Heights boardwalk close nightly at set hours, prohibit backpacks on the boards, and raise fines for illegal or out-of-control rental properties passed unanimously Wednesday with support from both residents and the borough’s business community.

The ease at which the ordinances passed on second reading, following public hearings, represents a telling departure from years past, in which rental property owners and nightclub operators threatened to sue officials over proposed restrictions. With many of the borough’s troubled motels and small bungalows having been demolished in favor of higher-end townhomes and condominiums, the lack of opposition signaled a shift toward a preference for a more traditional Jersey Shore resort on the part of Seaside Heights residents and businesses. Following the vote, the package of ordinances will go into effect immediately once published in a legacy print newspaper, in accordance with state law.

Borough council members said the new policies will be in force in time for the upcoming July 4 holiday, though officials said they do not expect a repeat of the raucous behavior exhibited over Memorial Day weekend, when about 90 arrests were made by police, largely due to violent behavior exhibited by visitors between the ages of 18 and 25. The prime summer season, with schools being closed, has historically led to most rental properties being occupied by families and more responsible clientele, reducing the potential for a flood of guests attracted by sometimes-fraudulent social media posts designed to create chaos. Still, New Jersey State Police will augment local authorities – an offer made by Gov. Phil Murphy to borough officials – and the boardwalk will close early on the holiday to ensure trouble does not spark late at night.

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What Does It Mean for the Boardwalk?

The boardwalk will close to visitors between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and federal holidays, including this coming July 4. The rest of the year, the boardwalk will close nightly at midnight on weekdays (Sunday through Thursday).

Officials had previously considered closing the boardwalk at 10 p.m. on summer holidays, however this measure was not included in the ordinance adopted Wednesday.

Mayor Anthony Vaz said the borough council intends on revising the ordinance to fine-tune the dates and times, but the gravity of the situation following clashes between groups of visitors and police over Memorial Day weekend forced the governing body to act quickly to enact an ordinance that fits within legal parameters for the remainder of the season.

Seaside Heights Police vehicle on the boardwalk. (File Photo)

A revision, which is expected to be codified at the council’s July 2 meeting, would set the early closing hours for the period of time between April 1 and June 30, as well as the Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day holidays.

Backpacks and similar bags will also be banned from the boardwalk in the evening, with exceptions included for medical devices and other personal necessities as required by law. Specifically, the ordinance reads:

No bag larger than eight inches by six inches by eight inches in depth (8″x 6″ x 8″) inches in depth, such as but not limited to, bookbags, satchels, fanny packs, cinch bags, coolers, briefcases, luggage of any kind, computer bags and camera bags or any bag larger than the permissible size as set forth in this section is permitted to be carried on the Boardwalk between the hours of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following day from April 1st to September 30th of each year.

Exceptions include:

• Medical devices necessary for the immediate assistance of the patient utilizing such device.
• Essential equipment for any reporter for broadcast, electronic or printed media operating in a professional capacity for communication to the public.
• Diaper bags or bags containing essential supplies for the care of an infant or toddler.
• Seaside Heights Police Officers, Code Enforcement Officers and all other Borough Officials when engaged in the conduct of official duties.
• Persons (e.g., photographers and filmmakers) issued a filming permit by the Borough Administrator.

After the ordinances were introduced two weeks ago, some business owners did voice concern over how customers may be able to access their establishments in the case that the only entrance was from the boardwalk.

Thomas Jannarone, owner of the Ocean View restaurant, located on a pier over the beach near Dupont Avenue, asked if the ordinance would force his business to close early since it can only be accessed by crossing the boardwalk.

“We don’t have access to the street, and you have to traverse the boardwalk to get in or out of our restaurant – does that mean we have to close Fourth of July at midnight?” he asked.

Vaz said the restaurant will not have to close early, as its hours will be governed by the terms of its liquor license.

“We just have to figure the logistics out,” he said. “The logistics of your place concern us because we want you to make a living.”

“It really has to do with crossing the boardwalk rather than traversing the boardwalk,” said Borough Attorney Jean Cipriani, indicating that customers would be able to cross from the boardwalk ramp to the restaurant.

Jannarone said, overall, he welcomed the changes in the name of safety.

“We really appreciate all of the hard work that everyone has put into resolving this problem by doing things other than shutting everything down,” he said. “We all appreciate it, and we’ll get through this too.”

No members of the public spoke in opposition to the ordinances, leading to its unanimous passage by council members.

Fines Increase for Rowdy Rentals, Guests

Likewise, without opposition, council members adopted several ordinances that raise the fines for various rental and building code violations emanating from complaints over rowdiness or violence. Previously, Seaside Heights’ ordinance set a range that began with a $100 fine for violations, escalating to the state’s statutory maximum of $2,000. With the new ordinances in place, the borough’s municipal court judge will have less leeway to impose small or token fines for such violations, upping the minimum fine to $1,500 per violation, with the maximum remaining at $2,000.

Police arrest a suspect in Seaside Heights, Memorial Day Weekend 2025. (Photo: Assemblyman Paul Kanitra)

The fines were increased for violations of several specific ordinances. The first covers those who fail to obtain a rental certificate of occupancy before renting out their properties. The second covers those who fail to comply with the borough’s mercantile license ordinance, which is required when renting a property, and the third imposes the fines on property owners who rent to parties larger than those authorized by their certificate of occupancy. In the latter case, separate fines would be levied upon property owners for each person over the occupancy limit.

Officials clarified that violations would be issued to property owners. In order to streamline enforcement, parties will be able to enter a guilty plea to the offenses without having to appear in court. Historically, court appearances were mandatory for such matters.

One of the ordinance revisions specifically applies to Section 154-6 of the borough code, which is known as the “disturbance” law. The ordinance states that, “No person or persons shall, within the limits of this borough, create any disturbance by violence.” The ordinance remained unchanged except for the fines which may be levied upon violators of that specific section. Like the rental ordinances, the minimum fine will be set at $1,500 and the maximum at $2,000.

Reaction

Vaz said he was pleased with the reaction of the business community as well as residents, and will work to address any remaining concerns.

“If we speak out strongly, if the word gets our that we’re enforcing it, if we tell the media we’re enforcing it, we’re going to be back to where we were before Memorial Day,” said Vaz. “As a community, we’ve worked hard these last ten years to change the image, and I’m not going to let this and last Memorial Day destroy our movement to make this a quality community.”

Councilman Richard Tompkins said the council was “open-minded” and solicited opinions of business owners on how to maintain order on the boardwalk during its most busy periods. The support of the business community, he said, is a major factor in the success of the ordinances.

“I think we’ve done a lot of great things tonight with the ordinance and the other changes we’ve made,” he said. “I’ve lived in this town my whole life, and as the chief said, we’ve had problems on those weekends forever. We are committed, this mayor and council, to make sure our visitors and our residents our safe. Whatever we have to do, we will do.”

“What we did here tonight was really important,” said Councilman Robert Triano. “I think it’s going to protect our business people, protect our residents, and the visitors who come here to Seaside Heights. It was really nice to hear tonight that there are so many people behind us and what we’re doing.”