Ocean City, NJ Adding More Rules for Boardwalk Performers

The Ocean City Council moved Thursday to regulate better the increasing amount of summer Boardwalk performers playing for tips by adding several new rules to the city ordinance governing them.

According to The Press of Atlantic City, a public hearing and the final vote on the changes is set for Thursday, Jan 25th at 10 am.

The price of a Permit Would Quadruple

The cost of a seasonal pass to entertain on the Ocean City Boardwalk would increase from $50 to $200.

Performers With a Criminal Record Would Be Excluded

No entertainer convicted of a 4th degree crime would be considered for a permit.  4th-degree offenses are felonies and result in a criminal record in the event of a conviction. They include shoplifting, lewdness, or criminal mischief.

Buskers Would Play in Designated Performance Areas

The pending ordinance calls for two entertainment zones: 5th to 8th Street and 12th to 14th Street, along the ocean side of the Boardwalk. Ocean City community services would determine the entertainers' spots. Performers would be required to check in before each performance.

Performers Breaking the Rules Could Be Fined

Entertainers violating any of the provisions in the ordinance could be fined $2000.

Existing Rules Include Restrictions on Nudity

The existing regulations concerning Boardwalk buskers included a ban on nudity, a rule against passing the hat for donations, limits on the size and volume of the entertainer's equipment, and a ban on "any sharp or dangerous weapons, with the exception of sword swallowers."