Sussex Borough
Certificate of Occupancy
Required- Certificate
- Certificate of Habitability for Resale (certificate of occupancy for a new owner)
- Issued by
- Hardyston Township Fire Prevention Bureau (Hardyston Fire Marshal) under a shared service agreement; the Borough Code assigns the certificate of occupancy to the Sussex Borough Zoning Officer
- Requirements
- Resale inspection through the Hardyston Fire Marshal before the new owner occupies
- Smoke alarms on each level and outside each sleeping area; 10-year sealed battery units unless hardwired
- Carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas where there is a fuel-burning device or attached garage
- Warning label within 18 inches of the main electrical panel and meter if the home has a generator, solar panels or battery storage
- All construction permits must be closed with the Construction Department
- Fees
Certificate of habitability (COH) resale, each dwelling unit, request at least 10 business days before change of occupancy (Borough Code 24-1.5i3) $50 COH resale, request 4 to 10 business days before change of occupancy (Borough Code) $85 COH resale, request less than 4 business days before change of occupancy (Borough Code) $150 Residential smoke/CO certificate (CSACMAPFEC), more than 10 business days before closing $100.00 4 to 10 business days before closing $150.00 Less than 4 business days before closing $200.00 Re-inspection after a failed inspection $50.00 - Timing
- Hardyston contacts the applicant within a few business days to schedule. Sussex non-rushed inspections are Wednesdays 8 to 9 am and Thursdays 1 to 3 pm; rushed inspections can be outside those windows. The Borough Code says a certificate of occupancy is granted or denied within 15 days of a written application.
- Valid for
- Inspections are good for 6 months (Hardyston application page)
- Phone
- 973-875-4831
Smoke and CO alarm certificate
Required- Requirements
- Smoke alarms on each level and outside each separate sleeping area (NFPA 72); not required to be interconnected, but hardwired interconnected alarms from construction must stay that way
- 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms (ANSI/UL 217); A/C powered alarms from original construction may not be replaced with battery alarms
- Carbon monoxide alarms (UL 2034) in the immediate vicinity of sleeping areas where there is a fuel-burning device or attached garage
- Secondary power source warning label (for example "CAUTION: MULTIPLE SOURCES OF POWER.") within 18 inches of the main electrical panel and meter if the home has a permanent generator, solar panels or battery storage
- All construction permits must be closed with the Construction Department
- No portable fire extinguisher is required
Last checked October 4, 2026