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Borough of Ridgefield, NJ
Bergen County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 11-6-1974 by Ord. No. 992 as Ch. 4, Art. I of the 1967 Code]
[Amended 4-13-1992 by Ord. No. 1463; 12-23-1996 by Ord. No. 1576; 5-26-1998 by Ord. No. 1625; 10-12-2004 by Ord. No. 1895; 3-26-2007 by Ord. No. 2010]
License fees are fixed as follows:
A. 
Plenary retail consumption licenses:
(1) 
Effective July 1, 2007, $1,330.
(2) 
Effective July 1, 2008, $1,596.
(3) 
Effective July 1, 2009, $1,915.
(4) 
Effective July 1, 2010, $2,298.
(5) 
Effective July 1, 2011, $2,500.
B. 
Plenary retail distribution license:
(1) 
Effective July 1, 2007, $1,915.
(2) 
Effective July 1, 2008, $2,298.
(3) 
Effective July 1, 2009, $2,500.
C. 
Club license: $188.
No more than 15 plenary retail consumption licenses and not more than two plenary retail distribution licenses shall be issued and outstanding in the Borough of Ridgefield at the same time.
[Amended 2-28-2022 by Ord. No. 2428]
The hours of operation for licensees to serve, deliver, allow, permit or suffer the sale, service or delivery of any alcoholic beverage or permit the consumption of any alcoholic beverages upon the licensed premises may take place only between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., Eastern standard time, with the following exceptions:
A. 
On Sundays, no licensee shall serve, deliver, allow, permit or suffer the sale, service or delivery of any alcoholic beverage or permit the consumption of any alcoholic beverages upon the licensed premises before 12:00 noon.
B. 
On New Year's Day, a licensee may serve, deliver, allow, permit or suffer the sale, service or delivery of any alcoholic beverage and permit the consumption of any alcoholic beverages upon the licensed premises all day, except if New Year's Day is a Sunday wherein no licensee shall serve, deliver, allow, permit or suffer the sale, service or delivery of any alcoholic beverage or permit the consumption of any alcoholic beverages upon the licensed premises between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.
No license shall be issued hereunder for premises which do not comply with the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance of the Borough or any amendments and supplements thereto.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 390, Part 1.
No alcoholic beverages shall be sold in any place which shall be concealed by screens or otherwise from public view nor in any place to which the public is not admitted, but this section shall not apply to club licensed premises.
No alcoholic beverages shall be sold for consumption on premises which shall not be sufficiently lighted at all times to give a full view of the interior thereof.
All premises upon which alcoholic beverages are sold under a plenary retail consumption license or a seasonal retail consumption license shall be furnished, supplied or equipped with separate toilets for men and women which shall meet with the approval of the Health Inspector of the Borough. Any licensee now holding a plenary retail consumption license or a seasonal retail consumption license for premises which are not now equipped with separate toilets for men and women shall cause the same to be installed within 90 days after the passage hereof.
[Amended 12-1-1980 by Ord. No. 1168; 3-26-2007 by Ord. No. 2010]
No licensee shall sell, serve, deliver or allow, permit or suffer the service or delivery of any alcoholic beverage, directly or indirectly, to any person under the age of 21 years or allow, permit or suffer the consumption of alcoholic beverages by any such person upon the licensed premises.
No licensee shall allow, permit or suffer in or upon the licensed premises any known criminals, gangsters, racketeers, pickpockets, swindlers, confidence men, prostitutes, female impersonators or other persons of ill repute; nor shall any licensee allow, permit or suffer the licensed premises or the licensed business to be used in furtherance or aid of, or in connection with, any illegal activity or enterprise.
[Amended 12-1-1980 by Ord. No. 1168]
A. 
No licensee shall allow, permit or suffer in or upon licensed premises any disturbances, lewdness, immoral activities, brawls or unnecessary noises or allow, permit or suffer on the licensed premises any disturbances conducted in such manner as to become a nuisance.
B. 
No licensee shall engage in or shall allow, permit or suffer any person to appear on the premises of any establishment licensed for the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages in any act, scene, sketch or other form of entertainment, including dancing for the benefit of patrons, with breasts or the lower part of the torso uncovered or so thinly covered or draped as to appear uncovered.
C. 
No licensee shall employ, allow, permit or suffer any employee or any other person who comes in contact with or is likely to come in contact with the patrons of any establishment licensed for the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages to appear in the presence of such patrons with breasts or the lower part of the torso uncovered or so thinly covered or draped as to appear uncovered.
No licensee shall allow, permit or suffer any lottery to be conducted, or any ticket or participation right in any lottery to be sold or offered for sale, on or about the licensed premises.
No licensee shall engage in or allow, permit or suffer any pool-selling, bookmaking or any playing for money at faro, roulette, rouge et noir or any unlawful game or gambling of any kind or any device or apparatus designed for any such purpose or any machine or device commonly known as "bagatelle" or "pinball machine" on or about the licensed premises.
No licensee shall possess, allow, permit or suffer on or about the licensed premises any slot machine or device in the nature of a slot machine which may be used for the purpose of playing for money or other valuable thing.
No retail distribution licensee shall permit any alcoholic beverages sold by him to be consumed on the licensed premises, nor shall he permit their containers to be opened on the licensed premises.
No licensee shall allow, permit or suffer on or about the licensed premises or have in his possession or distribute or cause to be distributed any matter containing any obscene, indecent, filthy, lewd, lascivious or disgusting printing, writing, picture or other such representation.
No licensee shall allow, permit or suffer himself or any other person to work in any capacity on the licensed premises while actually or apparently intoxicated.
[Amended 12-1-1980 by Ord. No. 1168]
Any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $500 or be imprisoned for not more than 90 days, or both.
[Adopted 6-17-1975 by Ord. No. 1013]
No person shall consume any alcoholic beverage within the limits of the Borough of Ridgefield or have in his possession any open alcoholic beverage container with unconsumed alcoholic beverage while:
A. 
In or on a public street, lane, roadway, avenue, sidewalk, public parking place, park, playground, recreation area, school building or grounds or any other public or quasi-public place or in any public conveyance.
B. 
In a private motor vehicle while the same is in motion or parked in any public street, lane or parking area, parking lot or any other public or quasi-public place.
C. 
Upon any private property not his own without the permission of the owner or other person having authority to grant such permission.
D. 
No person shall offer or serve any alcoholic beverage to a person under legal age on private property within the Borough of Ridgefield. No person who has ownership or control of any premises, or supervision of any event, shall permit, suffer or allow the consumption of an alcoholic beverage by a person under the legal age in or upon any such premises or at any such event on private property within the Borough of Ridgefield.
[Added 4-28-2008 by Ord. No. 2050]
E. 
It shall be unlawful for a person under the legal age to knowingly possess or consume alcoholic beverages on private property in the Borough of Ridgefield.
[Added 4-28-2008 by Ord. No. 2050]
No person shall discard any alcoholic beverage container upon any public street, lane, sidewalk, public parking lot or upon any private property not his own without permission of the owner.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 121-20, Intoxication in public, was repealed 10-27-2008 by Ord. No. 2067.
A. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 121-18, 121-19 and 121-20 of this article, the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield may, by resolution, permit the possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages in a designated park at a designated time or times in connection with a specific event, series of events or observances which have been authorized by the governing body.
B. 
Section 121-18D shall not prohibit an underage person from consuming or possessing an alcoholic beverage in connection with a religious observance, ceremony or rite or consuming or possessing an alcoholic beverage in the presence of and with the permission of a parent, guardian or relative who has attained the legal age to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages. Nor shall it prohibit the possession of alcoholic beverages by any underage person while actually engaged in the performance of employment by a person who was licensed under Title 33 of the Revised Statutes or while actively engaged in the preparation of food while enrolled in the culinary arts or hotel management program at a county vocational school or postsecondary institution; however, this article shall not be construed to preclude the imposition of a penalty under this section, N.J.S.A. 33:1-81 or any other section of the law against a person who is convicted of unlawful alcoholic beverage activity on or at premises licensed for the sale of alcoholic beverages.
[Added 4-28-2008 by Ord. No. 2050]
[Amended 3-25-1985 by Ord. No. 1281]
A. 
If this article of the Code of the Borough of Ridgefield provides for the licensing or permitting of the violator, the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield reserve the right to revoke such permit or license.
B. 
Any person found guilty of violating this article of the Code of the Borough of Ridgefield shall be subject to a penalty consisting of a fine or imprisonment, or both, subject to the discretion of the Judge, the maximum of which shall be the maximum fine or term of imprisonment permitted to be imposed by the court having jurisdiction over the violation of this article of the Code of the Borough of Ridgefield.
C. 
In the event of a continuing violation, each day shall constitute a separate offense.
D. 
Any person found guilty of violating the terms of § 121-18D shall be subject to a fine of $250 for the first offense and a fine of $350 for any subsequent offense. In addition to the fine authorized for the offense, the court may, upon the finding of guilty, suspend or postpone for six months the driving privileges of the defendant. Upon the conviction of any person and the suspension or postponement of that person’s driver’s license, the court shall forward a report to the Division of Motor Vehicles stating the first and last day of suspension or postponement period imposed by the court pursuant to this section. If a person at the time of imposition of a sentence is less than 17 years of age, the period of license postponement, including a suspension of the privileges of operating a motorized bicycle, shall commence on the day the sentence is imposed and shall run for a period of six months after the person reaches the age of 17 years. If the defendant at the time of the imposition of the sentence has a valid driver’s license issued by this state, the court shall immediately collect the license and forward it to the Division of Motor Vehicles along with the report. If for any reason the license cannot be collected, the court shall include in the report the complete name, address, date of birth, eye color and sex of the person, as well as the first and last date of the license suspension period imposed by the court.
[Added 4-28-2008 by Ord. No. 2050]