Lawrence Township

Certificate of Occupancy Required

Certificate of Inspection (Property Transfer Application, Division of Housing) · Township of Lawrence Division of Housing (Housing Bureau)

• Smoke alarms as required for the year the home was built (hard-wired, interconnected alarms for newer homes); battery-only alarms must be 10-year sealed units
• Smoke alarms older than 10 years must be replaced
• Carbon monoxide alarm within 10 feet of the bedroom doors (or one in each bedroom)
• Secondary power source label (generators, solar, batteries) within 18 inches of the main electrical panel and meter, not handwritten
• Fire extinguisher is checked during the housing inspection (per the Housing FAQ; the February 2026 checklist no longer lists it)
• Dryer vents must be aluminum flex, not plastic
• Sump pumps must discharge outdoors, not into the sewer
• Private well: well test report under the NJ Private Well Testing Act sent to the Division of Housing
• Septic system: NJDEP-protocol septic inspection reviewed and approved by the Health Department before the certificate is issued
• A failed septic system or outstanding permits must be addressed by the current owner before closing
• Life safety violations must be corrected and reinspected before anyone moves in; a buyer may assume most other violations in writing

• Phone: 609-844-7032
• Timing: Apply as soon as possible after listing; the Township says the current wait for an inspection is about 3-4 weeks (its FAQ says generally within two weeks). No expediting.
• Good for: One year from the original inspection date
• Application: https://www.lawrencetwp.com/media/Departments/Housing/Housing%20Forms/Property%20Transfer%20Application

Smoke and CO alarm certificate Required

• No separate smoke/CO certificate for a sale: smoke alarms, CO alarms and the fire extinguisher are inspected during the Division of Housing inspection and included in the Certificate of Inspection
• Battery-only smoke alarms must be 10-year sealed units; alarms over 10 years old must be replaced
• Secondary power source warning label within 18 inches of the main panel and meter (homes with generators, solar or batteries)
• Low-voltage monitored systems are supplemental; originally required alarms must be put back if removed