Controversy Surrounds Sunday Sales at American Dream Mall Over Blue Law Allegations

Tracing its origins to the Act to Suppress Vice and Immorality enacted in 1798 by the New Jersey Legislature, the law explicitly states:

"It is unlawful on Sundays for any individual, whether retail, wholesale, or auctioneer, to sell clothing or wearing apparel, building and lumber supplies, furniture, or household and business furnishings and appliances."

Violations of this statute categorize offenders as disorderly persons, punishable by fines ranging from $250 to $5,000, and potential imprisonment up to six months.

While many blue laws—originally designed to prohibit Sunday alcohol sales across the U.S.—have been repealed, certain counties in New Jersey maintain these restrictions. Recently, the borough of Paramus initiated legal action against one of North America's largest malls, accusing it of deliberately breaching the Sunday sales ban.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Bergen County Superior Court, alleges that the American Dream mall in East Rutherford permits its retailers to sell lumber, furniture, and apparel on Sundays without restriction. Notably, a prominent billboard facing the New Jersey Turnpike and State Route 3 advertises, "ALL STORES OPEN SUNDAYS."

Responding on Tuesday, the mall's management stated that the law does not apply to their operations because American Dream is situated on state-owned land, placing it beyond the county's legal jurisdiction.