Appeals court revives Seaside Heights motel rental lawsuit

⚖️ A state appeals court revived a lawsuit challenging Seaside Heights' age-based motel rental ban during prom and graduation season.
🏖️ The ordinance was designed to curb rowdy after-prom crowds, but critics argue it unfairly discriminates against adults under 21.
👨‍⚖️ The case now heads back to a lower court to determine whether the ordinance violates New Jersey's constitutional protections.

Seaside Heights age restriction heads back to court after appeals ruling

Jersey Shore towns continue to struggle with ways to keep a party atmosphere from turning into chaos during prom and graduation season.

Seaside Heights thought it had found an answer. Now, that solution is back in court.

A New Jersey appeals court has revived a lawsuit challenging the borough's ordinance that prohibits anyone under 21 from renting a hotel or motel room between April 15 and June 30. The restriction was adopted in 2023 as part of a broader effort to reduce the after-prom parties that local officials say have long brought vandalism, underage drinking, disorderly conduct and other disruptive behavior to the popular shore destination.

This Google Street View photo shows the Hershey Motel on Central Ave. in Seaside Heights in September 2025 (Google Maps)

Appeals court says constitutional questions deserve another look

A lower court had dismissed the lawsuit brought by several hotel and motel owners, along with legal challenges supported by the ACLU of New Jersey.

But a three-judge appellate panel ruled Monday that the trial court should take a closer look at whether the ordinance violates the New Jersey Constitution's guarantees of equal protection and due process.

The judges wrote that the ordinance places "constitutionally significant burdens on the rights of would-be motel guests" and said additional fact-finding is needed before those constitutional claims can be resolved.

The appellate court largely agreed with the lower court's dismissal of other claims but concluded that the equal protection and due process issues require further review.

Balancing public safety with individual rights

Supporters of the ordinance argue it targets a recurring public safety problem, not young adults themselves. Borough officials have said Seaside Heights has dealt with decades of unsupervised prom-season celebrations that overwhelm police resources and disrupt residents and businesses.

The outside of the Sunrise Motel in Seaside Heights as seen in this September 2025 Google Street View photo (Google Maps)

Opponents see it differently.

Ezra Rosenberg, director of appellate advocacy for the ACLU of New Jersey, told New Jersey Monitor, "We're pleased that the Appellate Division agreed with our argument that the trial court should consider whether the ordinance violates the state constitution's equal protection guarantees."

He added that, "Instead of discriminating based on age, the better solution is to enforce existing laws specifically designed to deal with those committing unlawful acts."

What happens next?

The appeals court sent the case back to the trial court, directing the judge to allow reasonable discovery into both the impact the ordinance has on law-abiding hotel guests and whether the restriction is justified by the borough's public safety concerns.

The ruling does not strike down Seaside Heights' ordinance. Instead, it ensures the constitutional questions surrounding one of the Shore's most aggressive efforts to curb rowdy behavior will receive a much closer examination before a final decision is made.