Seaside Heights, long the post-prom destination for New Jersey’s teens, is sending a message that things are about to change.
A controversial local ordinance that blocks 18 to 20-year-olds from renting hotel rooms during prom season is now headed to court. The outcome could shape how Shore towns deal with the after-prom crowds.
In opposition to the ordinance, hotel and motel owners raise an important question: can the town legally ban young adults from booking hotel rooms based solely on age?
The rule at the center of the fight
Adopted by Seaside Heights in 2025, the ordinance bars anyone under 21 from renting rooms between April 15 and June 30. That’s prime season for prom and graduation. Violations carry fines up to $2,000—which could be handed down to both renters and hotel owners.
Seaside Heights officials say the move is necessary. Prom and graduation celebrations come with a unique bag of issues. Noise complaints, vandalism, fights, underage drinking, and public disorder, to name a few. The town argues it has spent ample resources on police to manage large groups of unsupervised teens at the Shore town—which ramped up even more when nearby towns imposed curfews and tighter restrictions.
Last year, mass arrests, fights, and stabbings shut the Seaside boardwalk down during Memorial Day Weekend.
A group of local hotel and motel owners filed a lawsuit arguing the ordinance goes too far. They claim the law discriminates against a group of people rather than target bad behavior.
18-year-olds are legal adults in New Jersey. The ordinance strips those adults of the right to rent a hotel room for more than two months each year, according to critics.
During appellate arguments, judges pressed both sides on the ordinance’s logic. Some people who are not the primary target of the ordinance could become victims of its restrictions. What if an adult couple is looking for a night away at the boardwalk?
The argument lies in how the law is tailored. Critics suggest it is too broad in its approach when it should be specifically tailored to better address the problem.
While age is not a protected class under civil rights law, courts still require local ordinances to have a rational connection to their stated goals. That means towns must show that their rules make sense, not just that they’re frustrated.
What Happens Next
The appellate court has not yet issued a decision. For now, the rule remains in effect, and 18 to 20-year-olds remain barred from renting during the allotted time period.
The question remains whether Seaside Heights strategy to temper post-prom calamity is a lawful one.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.