Middletown Township

Monmouth County

TextClient checklist

Certificate of Occupancy

Required
Certificate
Residential Certificate of Occupancy (CO) for sale
Issued by
Middletown Township Building & Inspection Department (Housing)
Requirements
  • Housing inspection under the International Property Maintenance Code (4 inch address numbers, no double cylinder locks, working heat, water heater relief line, combustion air louvers, solid core or steel garage fire door, roof, range, plumbing, no extension cords, GFCI outlets, handrails and guards, neat yard, metal dryer hose, pool barriers)
  • All open permits must have a final inspection, and permits and approvals are needed for recent construction
  • Smoke detector and carbon monoxide compliance certificate from the Fire Prevention Office, sent to the Building Department as part of the CO
  • If the home is occupied, an adult must be present at the inspection
  • A 60-day conditional CO is available if the buyer signs and notarizes an agreement to close open permits and fix violations and not move in until the Township allows it
Fees
Certificate of Occupancy, each sale of a house$150
Filing fee (separate check)$15
Reinspection (3rd inspection)$75
Timing
Inspection timing depends on the inspector's daily workload. The CO must be issued before transfer of title or occupancy.
Phone
732-615-2106
ApplicationOfficial page

Smoke and CO alarm certificate

Required
Requirements
  • Ten-year sealed battery or hardwired smoke alarms in each bedroom and on each level within ten feet of the bedrooms (crawl spaces and unfinished attics excluded); UL listed with a test button; hardwired alarms from original construction may not be replaced with battery units
  • Carbon monoxide alarm on each level and within ten feet of the bedrooms (battery, plug-in or part of a central station system)
  • Central station alarm systems need a letter from the monitoring company that the system works
  • An adult (18 or older) must be present; pets secured
  • No fire extinguisher needed (the Township FAQ says the February 2025 law removed it)

Middletown Township Bureau of Fire Prevention (Fire Prevention Office)

Fees
Smoke detector and CO certificate, received more than 10 business days before closing$100
Received 4 to 10 business days before closing$125
Received less than 4 business days before closing$150
Timing
Fee depends on business days between receipt of the application and the closing/change of occupancy date: more than 10 business days for the lowest fee. Inspections are done between 8:30 am and 2:30 pm Monday to Friday on the same day as the CO inspection (not at the same time); no call ahead.
Phone
732-615-2270
ApplicationOfficial page
Last checked October 4, 2026
Sources
  1. https://middletownnj.org/150/Certificate-of-Occupancy
  2. https://middletownnj.org/DocumentCenter/View/7789/Application-for-Inspection-and-Assurance-of-a-Certificate-of-Occupancy-PDF
  3. https://middletownnj.org/DocumentCenter/View/7851/Residential-Certificate-of-Occupancy-Check-List-PDF
  4. https://www.middletownnj.org/DocumentCenter/View/5205/Sixty-Day-Conditional-CO

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