Cape May County, NJ: flood zone, zoning and property lines by address
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Towns in Cape May County: Ocean City, Villas, Cape May Court House.
Flood zone by address
ParcelSheet reads FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer at the lot: the zone, whether it is a high risk area where lenders ask for flood insurance, and the base flood elevation where FEMA lists one. FEMA's countywide study for Cape May County has 111 FIRM panels, the newest effective October 2017; coastal V zones, where waves add to the flood, are mapped along its shore.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for a Cape May house comes from a licensed surveyor and is often on file with the county or city building office.
Property lines
The parcel outline, parcel number and mapped size come from the New Jersey statewide parcel map (NJ Office of GIS cadastral layer with the MOD-IV tax list), so a Cape May lot shows the same lines the municipal tax maps draw. Cape May County covers about 160,968 acres of land and 236,028 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Cape May County Board of Taxation keeps the parcel record (Cape May County website); every county's office is on the state's county boards of taxation list; a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
In New Jersey zoning is set by each municipality, not by the county: in Cape May County, Ocean City zones the land inside its limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code on the lot's parcel record and the municipality it sits in; the municipal zoning office has the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs. The Cape May County website lists the county's municipalities.
ADU and guest houses
The New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D) lets each municipality allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether a Cape May lot can add one depends on its district; the municipal zoning office has the rule. ParcelSheet shows the mapped lot size and the ground's slope, the first two things the question turns on.
Septic and soil
ParcelSheet reads the USDA soil survey at the lot: the soil's name, its septic absorption rating and whether it is prime farmland. Cape May County is soil survey area NJ009, Cape May County, New Jersey, last updated August 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Cape May County needs a permit from the Cape May County health department under the NJDEP septic rules (N.J.A.C. 7:9A), which tests the soil on the lot itself.
Setbacks
Setbacks in Cape May County come from the zoning district: the front, side and rear distances a house must keep. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines; the municipal zoning office gives them for the lot's district, and Ocean City for land inside its limits.
Hazards that apply
- Storm surge. Cape May County has coastal V zones on its FEMA map, so storm surge reaches its shore. The county's evacuation zones are on its emergency management site; ParcelSheet shows the FEMA zone and the 3 ft sea level rise map at the lot.
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a Cape May lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Cape May County?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA's countywide flood map for Cape May County has 111 panels, the newest effective October 2017. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Cape May County?
Open the New Jersey map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the county Board of Taxation shows on the map with its parcel number and mapped size. Mapped lines are approximate; only a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
What is my property zoned in Cape May County?
Zoning in Cape May County is set by each municipality (such as Ocean City), not by the county. ParcelSheet shows the use code on the parcel record and names the municipality; the municipal zoning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Cape May County?
The New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D) lets each municipality allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Cape May County ask the municipal zoning office for the lot's district first; ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped so you can see the room you have.
Do I need a septic permit in Cape May County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Cape May County needs a permit from the Cape May County health department under the NJDEP septic rules (N.J.A.C. 7:9A). ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area NJ009 (Cape May County, New Jersey).
Next to Cape May County: Atlantic County, Cumberland County.
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