New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 5 - COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
Chapter 23 - UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE
Subchapter 3 - SUBCODES
Section 5:23-3.9 - Interpretations and opinions
Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) Whenever the Commissioner shall, in accordance with applicable provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, make any rule constituting an interpretation of any provision of the regulations, such shall be binding provided, however, that such interpretations shall be prospective in nature. Such interpretations shall not alter the ruling of a subcode official already rendered in a specific instance relating to a specific permit or structure. Requests for interpretations shall be in the form, and submitted in accordance with the procedure, set forth in N.J.A.C. 5:2-2.
(b) In response to a written inquiry or request setting forth a specific factual situation, or upon its own initiative, the Construction Code Element may issue a formal technical opinion to clarify provisions of the adopted subcodes. Such formal technical opinion shall be signed by the Assistant Director of the Element and shall be binding upon the Element and upon other code enforcement agencies and licensed officials. Formal technical opinions shall be prospective in nature, shall be based upon adopted subcodes or upon authoritative test results or standards incorporated by reference into an adopted subcode and shall not alter the ruling of a licensed official already rendered in a specific instance relating to a specific permit or structure, except that any such formal technical opinion may be considered in the context of an appeal from any such ruling.
(c) The Construction Code Element may issue bulletins to provide advice to code enforcing agencies, builders, and designers. Bulletins may be issued when the Element finds that an issue that is in need of clarification is adequately dealt with by existing rules and that rulemaking is therefore not appropriate or necessary. Consultation with the Code Advisory Board shall be required prior to the issuance of any bulletin.
(d) In response to a written or oral inquiry or request setting forth a specific factual situation, a staff member of the Construction Code Element may issue an informal opinion as to the proper application of the regulations if the issue is one with which he has authority to deal. Such informal opinion shall only be in writing if it is issued in response to a written inquiry or request and shall not be binding upon the Element or any other party.
