Why You Should Never Take Sand from a Beach in New Jersey

• Is taking sand from a beach in New Jersey illegal?
• Both the State and local towns have a lot to say about it
• How much is the fine?

Can You Legally Take Sand from a New Jersey Beach?

Here's a question that maybe you've never thought about: Can you legally take sand from a beach in New Jersey?

That query is a lot like the time I wondered if you could eat a Jersey Shore seagull. Sorry if I just made you throw up a little bit.

Anyway, back to the sand question... with all of that sand just sitting there, can you take some?

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I mean, kids might load up a bucket of sand after a day at the beach and take it home, or maybe you've taken some for whatever reason.

Or, maybe the thought has crossed your mind about making a little beach in your own backyard and you want to take a few very large containers of sand.

Turns out, like many other things here in New Jersey, that's illegal. And yes, there's a law about it.

State Law on Removing Sand

Under the statute of "Removal of sand and other material without license; penalty; exception," we find this:

No person or corporation shall dig, dredge or remove any deposits of sand or other material from the lands of the State lying under tidal waters without a license so to do...

And, not only is it illegal on a state level, but several towns have laws in place, too.

Local Ordinances Also Apply

Surf City, for example, has this on its books:

It shall be unlawful for any person to remove or cause to be removed, sand deposited by natural causes from any property within the Borough, whether public or private, and transport or move the same, or cause the same to be transported or moved, to any location other than the Surf City beachfront.

Long Branch is a little more direct. Their law just says, "No person shall take or haul any beach sand or soil from the beachfront."

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Consequences and Fines

Now, is your 5-year-old going to get thrown in the slammer for taking a bucket of sand home? Of course not. But if you had dreams of backing a dump truck up to a beach and scooping up a couple of tons, that'll get you in trouble.

Best we can tell by going through all of the legal mumbo-jumbo, the State will fine you $100 for taking sand from a public beach. However, we can only imagine what other red tape and hassles you will endure should you accidentally disturb a dune...

...or cause harm to a piping plover that got displaced due to your dreams of taking a bunch of sand.

Long story short: don't even think about it. Just go to The Home Depot and buy some.