Allowed
Cape May Beaches
New Jersey, Cape May·Metal detecting
The City of Cape May's own beaches have no ordinance against metal detecting beyond the standard seasonal beach badge. Two miles away, Cape May Point State Park requires a permit that's unlikely to be granted — one town, two very different answers.
- No City of Cape May ordinance prohibiting recreational metal detecting on the city's own ocean beaches was found; a seasonal beach badge is required for anyone 12 and older, Memorial Day through Labor Day, under City Code Ch. 158 — the same badge every other beachgoer needs, not a detecting-specific permit
- Cape May Point State Park, a separate NJDEP unit about two miles from the city's beaches, requires a Special Use Permit from the Park Superintendent for metal detecting under N.J.A.C. 7:2-2.16 — since most of the park is designated the Cape May Point Natural Area, a permit here is genuinely unlikely to be issued