Pet vaccination rules for boarding & grooming in New Jersey

New Jersey rules we’ve verified

Vaccination mandate. New Jersey ties dog licensing to rabies vaccination: a municipal dog license may not be granted without evidence the dog has been inoculated against rabies. [N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.2a — verified August 31, 2026]

What facilities must do. Anyone operating a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound in New Jersey must hold a municipal licence, granted only with the written approval of the local municipal and health authorities. Because the state rules define “boarding” as providing food and shelter to dogs “regardless of whether it involves an overnight stay”, the Department of Health treats doggie day-care centres as kennels needing that licence. [N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.8(a); “boarding” defined at N.J.A.C. 8:23A-1.1 — verified August 31, 2026]

Record keeping. Licensed facilities must keep a record of all animals received or disposed of on the premises for 12 months after the animal is removed from the establishment. [N.J.A.C. 8:23A-1.13 — verified August 31, 2026]

State kennel rules do not require facilities to check or keep rabies proof at intake — many require it as their own policy. They do require a veterinarian-supervised disease control programme, with a form the vet signs annually that the facility must post visibly to the public (N.J.A.C. 8:23A-1.9).

Citations checked against primary sources on August 31, 2026. Laws change — verify anything you rely on with the authority itself.

What facilities in New Jersey commonly require

Separately from any law, most grooming salons, daycares and boarding kennels set their own admission policy — and it is usually stricter than the legal minimum, because one sick dog can close a playroom for a week. Typical policies ask for:

Dogs: current rabies, DHPP (distemper–parvo combination), and bordetella (kennel cough) — with bordetella most strictly enforced by boarding and daycare, where dogs share air. Some facilities also ask for leptospirosis or canine influenza in areas that have seen outbreaks. Cats: current rabies and FVRCP.

Bring the certificate your veterinarian issued — the facility needs the expiry date printed on it, not just proof a shot happened. Some owners carry titer (antibody test) results instead of a booster; whether a facility accepts titers is that facility’s call, and many don’t for rabies.

Running a pet-care business in New Jersey?

Whatever your policy is, the hard part is keeping proof of it current for every pet without chasing paper. VaxCheck gives you a QR code for the counter: owners type their own dates and photograph the certificate, your staff verifies once, owners get automatic reminders before anything expires, and check-in becomes a red / amber / green list. You can set the exact vaccines your policy requires, and it flags any pet missing one.

Pet owner in New Jersey?

Keep every certificate in one place, get told before anything expires, and hand a copy to any groomer, daycare, kennel or sitter who asks — including one that has never heard of VaxCheck. They open a link, print what they need, and create nothing. Free, and there is no password to lose.

What a shop will ask you for, and how to have it ready · See your pet’s records