Building permits and zoning in Borough of Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey

At a glance

Building permits

Required for UCC-regulated construction; apply to the borough¹

Zoning approval

Required before building permits¹

Septic approval

Health-board certification required for a realty improvement needing septic facilities³

Owner-builder

Personal-use builder-registration exception; building permits still apply⁴

Occupancy

Certificate of occupancy required for dwellings and commercial buildings⁵

Private wells

NJDEP drilling permit plus local health approvals⁶

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Borough of Atlantic Highlands, NJ?

Atlantic Highlands requires a construction permit before work regulated by the Uniform Construction Code begins, including construction, enlargement, alteration and demolition.¹ New Jersey’s statewide building-code rules exempt ordinary maintenance, including routine repair, from the general construction-permit requirement.⁷ Ask the borough Building Department to classify the exact work before hiring a contractor.

An Atlantic Highlands owner building a new home for personal use can qualify for the builder-registration exception, but that exception does not remove construction permits, inspections or code compliance.⁴ An owner-built new home also requires the prescribed owner affidavit before a certificate of occupancy can issue.⁸

Who issues building permits in Borough of Atlantic Highlands?

The Atlantic Highlands Building Department enforces the State Uniform Construction Code for borough construction.¹ Contact the department at (732) 291-1444 Ext 3106 or [email protected]; the office is at 100 First Ave., Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716.¹ Building, electrical, plumbing and fire permit forms are available at Borough Hall.¹

Atlantic Highlands requires a property survey showing existing and proposed work for new construction and additions.¹ Ask the department for the application package and current fee schedule for your project. Construction-permit and plan-review fees follow municipal fee ordinances under New Jersey’s UCC rules.⁹

Does Borough of Atlantic Highlands have zoning and setback rules?

Atlantic Highlands requires zoning approval before building permits are obtained; contact the Building Department if you do not know the property’s zone.¹ Ask for the parcel’s district, permitted residential use and applicable dimensional schedule before deciding whether a proposed home fits. New Jersey allows municipal zoning ordinances to regulate building height and lot coverage, while exact setbacks depend on the applicable municipal regulations and district.¹⁰¹¹¹²

Atlantic Highlands’ development regulations contain minor- and major-subdivision and site-plan procedures and Planning Board review provisions.¹³ Planning Board applications are accepted at Borough Hall and are not processed until all required documents have been submitted.¹⁴

How do septic permits and wells work inside Borough of Atlantic Highlands?

For an Atlantic Highlands realty improvement needing septic facilities, New Jersey requires the board of health having jurisdiction to certify the proposed water supply and sewerage facilities before a building permit issues or construction begins.³ Septic facilities must be inspected and receive permission to be covered before they are concealed.¹⁵

Monmouth County’s Office of Public Health oversees septic and well approvals for its member municipalities; that statement does not establish coverage for every borough.¹⁶ We could not confirm Atlantic Highlands’ specific septic permitting authority; ask the Building Department and county health office to identify the responsible board of health. A proposed private well requires a NJDEP drilling permit and municipal or county health construction approvals.⁶

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Borough of Atlantic Highlands?

We could not confirm whether Atlantic Highlands permits an RV as a dwelling on private land, a tiny home, a manufactured home or an accessory dwelling. Before buying a lot for any of those uses, ask the borough Building Department to identify the zoning official who can give a parcel-specific answer. Atlantic Highlands requires zoning approval before building permits, so construction-code compliance alone does not resolve permission for the proposed use.¹

Atlantic Highlands requires certificates of occupancy for dwellings and commercial buildings.⁵ New Jersey also requires a construction official’s certificate of occupancy before a new building or structure is used or occupied.¹⁷ Ask about both the permanent dwelling and any proposed temporary living arrangement during construction.

Building a home in Borough of Atlantic Highlands: what comes first?

1. Identify the lot’s zoning district with the Building Department and obtain zoning approval before building permits.¹
2. Resolve water and sewage service; when an improvement needs septic facilities, obtain the required health-board certification before the building permit or construction.³
3. Prepare the survey and proposed drawings for new construction, and ask the Planning Board about any subdivision or site-plan application.¹¹³
4. Secure all required state, county and local approvals before the construction permit issues.¹⁸
5. Obtain the construction permit before starting regulated work, arrange construction inspections and complete final inspections and occupancy approval.¹¹⁹

What stays with Monmouth County when building in Atlantic Highlands?

Monmouth County’s Development Review Section reviews development applications for county Planning Board action on subdivisions and site plans affecting county roads, drainage facilities or county-owned or maintained property.²⁰ County development review is a separate question from Atlantic Highlands’ zoning approval and construction permits.²⁰¹ Ask the county review office whether the proposed development needs county approval.

The county review office announces new procedural regulations, application forms and a fee schedule effective August 1, 2026; request the current package before applying.²⁰ For land outside the borough, consult the Monmouth County guide; the type and intensity of land use remain controlled by municipal zoning.²¹

Watch-outs

• An Atlantic Highlands owner-builder’s registration exception does not waive building permits or inspections.⁴
• Do not cover a new septic system before the responsible health board’s inspection and permission.¹⁵
• Monmouth County development-review procedures and fees changed effective August 1, 2026.²⁰

Sources

1. Atlantic Highlands Building Department (ahnj.com)
2. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
3. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
4. Construction Code FAQs for New Home Buyers (Borough of Atlantic Highlands), quoted and re-checked
5. Chapter 128 Certificates of Occupancy and Inspections (Borough of Atlantic Highlands), quoted and re-checked
6. Bulletin 88-10: Private On-Site Water Supply Systems (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Chapter 150 Development Regulations (Borough of Atlantic Highlands), quoted and re-checked
14. Atlantic Highlands Planning Board (ahnj.com)
15. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Monmouth County Office of Public Health (co.monmouth.nj.us)
17. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Construction Code FAQs for New Home Buyers (Borough of Atlantic Highlands), quoted and re-checked
20. Monmouth County Division of Planning — Development Review Section (co.monmouth.nj.us)
21. Monmouth County Development Regulations, Volume I, quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.