Surf City Borough

Ocean County

Certificate of Occupancy

Required

Certificate

Resale Certificate (continuing Certificate of Occupancy)

Issued by

Zoning Office

Requirements

General interior and exterior condition of the structure
Visible house numbers
Final permit approval for all improvements on the lot (sheds, decks, additions, etc.)
Use of the property matches the tax records
Smoke and CO detectors installed and working on each floor and within 10 feet of bedrooms
Living space below base flood elevation checked (whether permitted, flood vents, etc.)
Bedroom egress: no double-keyed locks on interior egress doors
Proper fire separation between garage and living areas (solid core full-thickness door, drywall on walls and ceilings)
Permanent curb in place (curb permit from the Zoning Official)
Fire extinguisher mounted within 10 feet of the kitchen and not more than 5 feet off the floor
Sealed Flood Elevation Certificate in the new owner's name (not needed to start, needed for the C.O. for closing)
Sealed survey in the new owner's name (not needed to start, needed for the C.O. for closing)
All property taxes, water and sewer charges paid before approval; disaster placard returned (checklist item on the form)

Fees

Resale certificate, single-family home	$75
Resale certificate, duplex	$150
Re-inspection, each occurrence	$25

Phone

(609)494-6448

Required

Requirements

Smoke detector on each level including basements (not attic or crawl space), and smoke detector and CO alarm outside each separate sleeping area within 10 feet of bedrooms, all working
10-year sealed battery smoke alarms (since January 1, 2019); A/C-powered alarms from original construction may not be replaced with battery alarms
CO alarms in the immediate vicinity of sleeping areas in homes with a fuel-burning device or attached garage (battery, hardwired or plug-in, UL 2034 listed)
Fire extinguisher still listed by the Borough (Zoning page for resales and the Borough's rental certification form): listed 2A-10B:C, no more than 10 pounds, within 10 feet of the kitchen in the path of egress, mounted on its bracket with the top no more than 5 feet above the floor, serviced and tagged within 12 months or a recent purchase receipt, manual left for the new occupant

Fees

Single-family home	$45
Duplex	$90

Timing

Before any change of occupancy

Phone

(609)494-3064

Last checked September 30, 2026

Sources