4:22-55 Payment, disposition of fines, penalties, moneys, imposed and collected.

4:22-55. a. Except as provided pursuant to subsection b. of this section, all fines, penalties and moneys imposed and collected under the provisions of article 2 of chapter 22 of Title 4 of the Revised Statutes, shall be paid by the court or by the clerk or court officer receiving the fines, penalties or moneys, within 30 days and without demand, to the county to be used for the purpose of protecting animals in the county.

b. If an enforcement action for a violation of article 2 of chapter 22 of Title 4 of the Revised Statutes is brought:

(1) in Superior Court primarily as a result of the reporting of the violation to the county prosecutor by a certified animal control officer or a municipal humane law enforcement officer, the fines, penalties, or moneys collected shall be paid as follows: one half to the municipality in which the violation occurred; and one half to the county to be used for the purpose of protecting animals in the county.

(2) in a municipal court of a municipality in which a municipal humane law enforcement officer has been designated pursuant to section 25 of P.L.2017, c.331 (C.4:22-14.1), the fines, penalties, or moneys collected shall be paid without demand, to the municipality in which the violation occurred.

(3) in a municipal court of a municipality in which a municipal humane law enforcement officer has not been designated pursuant to section 25 of P.L.2017, c.331 (C.4:22-14.1), the fines, penalties, or moneys collected shall be paid as follows: one half to the municipality in which the violation occurred; and one half to the county to be used for the purpose of protecting animals in the county.

c. Any fines, penalties, or moneys paid to a municipality pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall be allocated by the municipality to defray the cost of:

(1) enforcement of animal control, animal welfare, and animal cruelty laws and ordinances within the municipality; and

(2) the training therefor required of certified animal control officers and municipal humane law enforcement officers pursuant to law or other animal enforcement related training authorized by law for municipal employees.

amended 1953, c.5, s.86; 1997, c.247, s.7; 2005, c.372, s.19; 2017, c.331, s.22.