Dear Mr. Roat:

Your letter to the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services inquiring about laws or regulations that requre "shoes or other footwear" in public places has been referred to the Public Health Sanitation and Safety Program for a reply.

In response to your inquiry, there exists no law or regulation within the Department of Health and Senior Services that addresses your inquiry. However, my staff also contacted the New Jersey State Law Library and requested a legal search of laws and/or regulations be conducted with regards to requiring individuals in the State of New Jersey to wear "shoes or other footwear" in public places. We were informed that although no law governs your specific inquiry, N.J.S.A. 40:48-2 (copy enclosed) empowers local municipalities to regulate isseus relating to health as long as they are not unreasonable. To that end, you may wish to check with your local municipality.

I hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,

(signed)

Ronald S. Ulinsky
Program Manager
Public Health Sanitation
and Safety Program