New Jersey statute

N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2 — Disorderly conduct

Current through P.L.2025, c.346, and J.R.22

Part of Chapter 33, New Jersey Statutes.

Criminal charges under this statute

Disorderly conduct

Full text of N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2

Statutory text current through the P.L.2025, c.346, and J.R.22. This publication reproduces the official text of the New Jersey Statutes from the statute files published by the New Jersey Legislature; it is not the official statutes of the State of New Jersey.

N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2Primary source, current through the P.L.2025, c.346, and J.R.22

2C:33-2. Disorderly Conduct. a. Improper behavior. Except as otherwise provided in subsection c. of this section, a person is guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense, if with purpose to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, the person: (1) Engages in fighting or threatening, or in violent or tumultuous behavior; or (2) Creates a hazardous or physically dangerous condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose of the actor. b. Offensive language. A person is guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense if, in a public place, and with purpose to offend the sensibilities of a hearer or in reckless disregard of the probability of so doing, he addresses unreasonably loud and offensively coarse or abusive language, given the circumstances of the person present and the setting of the utterance, to any person present. c. Concealing identity. A person who attempts to conceal or conceals the person's identity by wearing a mask or disguise while engaging in a course of disorderly conduct, as defined in subsection a. of this section, with purpose to instill fear, hinder prosecution, or avoid apprehension is guilty of a disorderly persons offense. d Disturbance at a public gathering. A person who acts with purpose to disrupt or cause a disturbance at a public gathering or event or who engages in behavior knowing that it will disrupt or cause a disturbance at a public gathering or event is guilty of a disorderly persons offense. For purposes of this subsection, a person who wears a mask or disguise solely for medical, religious, or expressive purposes shall not be deemed to have acted with purpose to instill fear, hinder prosecution, or avoid apprehension. "Public" means affecting or likely to affect persons in a place to which the public or a substantial group has access; among the places included are highways, transport facilities, schools, prisons, apartment houses, places of business or amusement, or any neighborhood. L.1978, c. 95, s. 2C:33-2, eff. Sept. 1, 1979; amended 2025, c.59, s.2.

Official sources

justia: N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is disorderly conduct a crime in New Jersey?

It depends on the circumstances: disorderly conduct ranges from a petty disorderly persons offense to a disorderly persons offense in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2.

Improper behavior: petty disorderly persons offense (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2) · Offensive language: petty disorderly persons offense (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2) · Disturbance at a public gathering: disorderly persons offense (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2)

Which New Jersey statute covers disorderly conduct?

Disorderly conduct is governed by N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2 (Disorderly conduct).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.