Permits and Applications

For those seeking Temporary Persons With a Disability Placards please contact the Records Bureau.

Phone: 201-939-6000
Fax: 201-460-3046
NJMVC Website

For those seeking Permanent Wheelchair Symbol Plates or Persons With a Disability Placards please contact New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

Free Resident Parking Permits are required for on street parking for all residents who live east of Ridge Road and can be applied for through the Police Department

RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT INFORMATION
All current residential parking permits that expired will remain active indefinitely. No new issuance or alterations of a parking permit will be needed for valid permits previously issued.

Newly issued license plates, transfer of license plates, and the lease or purchase of a new vehicle require a new application.

Please e-mail all Residential Parking Program applications, including new and modifications for a transfer of license plates, and questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

An application received without all required documentation will not be processed.

An application received from a non-resident will be denied. Your driver’s license must reflect your Rutherford home address. The only exclusion is business issued permits.

CLICK HERE for more information and application.

The new online application is APPLICANT DRIVEN. If you as the applicant makes a mistake while applying, you can simply RE-APPLY. You applicant should understand that all application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. You MUST utilize the correct ORI for the correct Police Department (see below). Most of the ISSUES INCURRED/CREATED by the APPLICANT during the online application process are unable to be altered after submission and will be reviewed on a case by case basis. After determination that the error occurred on the applicant’s side, the Police Department has the discretion to instruct the applicant to re-apply.

For firearms applicants that have resided outside of New Jersey within the last ten years, please complete the Mental Health Release Authorization form and return a signed copy to the Rutherford Police Detective Bureau:

Mental Health Release Authorization

Applicants can apply here.

The required ORI for the Rutherford Police Department is: NJ0025600

Carry Permits
Before applying for an initial or renewal carry permit, applicants shall read the following documents from the State of New Jersey Office of the Attorney General:

Memo to LE
CCARE Protocol

Carry permits can be applied for here.

Important note: Applicants for carry permits must apply for an Firearms ID card (if not in possession of one already) before they apply for a carry permit and then wait for a detective to contact them with further directions after they submit that application.

LOST PETS
Report missing pets to the Borough’s Animal Control Officer at 201-652-4554.

Don’t forget to register your dog and/or cat annually through the Police Department Records Bureau, which can be reached weekdays at 201-939-6000.

ANIMAL CONTROL SERVICES
The Borough of Rutherford contracts with Tyco Professional Animal Control Services for animal control services, which can be reached at 201-652-4554. Emergencies such as a sick or injured animal or wildlife that has invaded a habitable area of a home should be directed to the Rutherford Police Department at 201-939-6000. tycoanimalcontrol.com

PET LICENSING

Dog License
Records Bureau – $7.00 fee. Must have proof of valid Rabies Shot. Expires yearly in January.

Cat License
Records Bureau – $7.00 fee. Must have proof of valid Rabies Shot. Expires when Rabies expires.

The Rutherford Health Department and Police Department reminds residents that under Borough Ordinance all dogs and cats harbored in the Borough of Rutherford are required to be licensed through the Police Department Records Bureau. Dogs are licensed on a calendar year beginning at 7 months of age with renewals taking place in January and cat licenses are valid for the length of time the rabies vaccination for the cat is valid.

Licensing of dogs and cats has many benefits for the pet owner as well as for the citizens of the community, including the following benefits:

Licensed dogs and cats insures that they are vaccinated against rabies and are generally considered protected from the deadly rabies virus.

Licensed dogs and cats that wander off the owner’s property or get lost can be traced and quickly returned to its owner by police or animal control officers.

When a person is bitten by a licensed dog or cat, the owner is usually found and the dog or cat is placed under 10 day confinement and observation that will prevent the bite victim from needing to begin rabies post exposure treatment.

While dogs and cats are required to be licensed, the $7.00 fee is far less than the fines and penalties for having an unlicensed dog or cat.

Fees from dog and cat licensing help support rabies control activities in the community, such as the free annual rabies vaccination clinic held in the spring.

While dog licensing is required throughout the state, cat licensing is regulated by each municipality. Currently in New Jersey, cats are the leading domestic rabid animal for rabies, accounting for 90% of the domestic animals cases (447). During the same time period, only 8 dogs in New Jersey have tested positive for rabies, highlighting the effectiveness of dog licensing, which insures that dogs are vaccinated against rabies in order to obtain a dog license.

In addition, unvaccinated dogs and cats that have an encounter with a suspected rabid animal (bat, raccoon, skunk, fox, groundhog) can be subject to euthanasia or ordered placed in strict quarantine with no human or animal contact, for 4 months in a kennel, or cage in a veterinary hospital, animal control facility, commercial boarding establishment, or an escape proof pen at the owner’s home.

Protect your dog, cat, and your family from the deadly rabies vaccine! Obtain a dog and cat license from the police department records bureau weekdays between 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Additional information on dog and cat licensing can be obtained by calling the police department records bureau at 201-939-6000.