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WatchdogResale CO checklist

Stone Harbor Borough

Cape May County, New Jersey · Checked September 30, 2026

Certificate of Occupancy Required

Certificate of Title Transfer (zoning and flood conformance inspection) · Office of Code Enforcement (Construction Office), Zoning Official / Flood Plain Administrator

  • Zoning conformance inspection
  • Flood conformance inspection against the required design flood elevation (DFE + 2 or 11 feet), with the assessed value of the structure recorded
  • Inspector enters with the realtor's key; if no realtor or manager is listed, the owner must set an appointment during the inspection week
Zoning fee$50.00
Flood inspection fee$50.00
Total due$100.00

Smoke and CO alarm certificate Required

  • On-site inspection by the Stone Harbor Bureau of Fire Prevention; closing or leasing before the certificate is issued carries a $500.00 penalty
  • Smoke alarms over ten years old must be replaced; battery alarms must be 10-year sealed battery type; wired alarms may not be replaced with battery alarms
  • Smoke alarm type and number depend on the year built or renovated (for example, homes from March 1991 on need wired, interconnected alarms on all levels and inside each sleeping room)
  • CO alarms on sleeping levels within 10 feet of every bedroom door when there is an attached garage, fuel-burning appliance or fireplace; CO alarms not more than 10 years old; homes built 2015 or later need hard-wired CO alarms
  • Low-voltage fire alarm systems must be tested by a NJ licensed alarm contractor with an NFPA 72 report sent to the Bureau
  • Form (October 2022) still requires a fire extinguisher: minimum 2A:40BC, not over 10 pounds, in or within 10 feet of the kitchen on its bracket, top no more than 5 feet up, serviced within the past year or bought within 6 months with receipt, manual left for the buyer
  • All open construction permits must be closed before settlement

Stone Harbor Fire Prevention Bureau (Stone Harbor Bureau of Fire Prevention)

1 unit, request more than 10 business days before change of occupant$50.00
2 units in one structure, more than 10 business days before$65.00
1 unit, request 5 to 9 business days before change of occupant$100.00
2 units in one structure, 5 to 9 business days before$115.00
1 unit, request 4 or fewer business days before change of occupant$155.00
2 units in one structure, 4 or fewer business days before$170.00
Re-inspection after a failed inspection$25.00
Penalty for closing or leasing before the certificate is issued$500.00