By: Andrew Carlson

In a state celebrated for its retail sprawl and its appetite for commerce at all hours, Bergen County, New Jersey stands as an anomaly—a stubborn relic of a bygone era where Sunday shopping is still not merely discouraged but largely forbidden. Now, that peculiar legal vestige has erupted into a high-stakes courtroom confrontation pitting the borough of Paramus against the operators of the American Dream Mall, with the landlord of the colossal entertainment complex stepping squarely into the fray. As NJ.com has reported, the dispute has become far more than a technical skirmish over zoning ordinances; it is shaping up as a referendum on the very future of New Jersey’s last surviving “Blue Laws.”

The controversy revolves around American Dream, the sprawling, multibillion-dollar retail and entertainment mecca situated in East Rutherford beside MetLife Stadium. Since opening its doors in stages beginning in 2019, the mall has steadily grown into one of the most ambitious commercial projects in the country, housing more than 450 stores, indoor theme parks, an indoor ski slope, a water park, and luxury retailers. Yet one thing has been conspicuously restricted: Sunday retail sales.

Bergen County remains the only county in New Jersey that still enforces its Sunday “Blue Laws,” a set of regulations dating back decades that prohibit the sale of most consumer goods—clothing, furniture, appliances, electronics, and building materials—on Sundays. The laws were originally justified as a way to preserve a quiet day of rest, rooted in religious tradition and community values.

But as NJ.com reported, the American Dream Mall has quietly allowed more than 120 of its retail tenants to open on Sundays, setting the stage for the legal confrontation now playing out in Superior Court.

Earlier this year, Paramus filed suit against the mall, arguing that the Sunday openings flagrantly violate Bergen County’s Blue Laws and threaten the integrity of the regulatory scheme. Paramus, itself one of the nation’s most lucrative retail hubs, insists that enforcement is not optional. It contends that when a massive commercial complex in the same county flouts the rules, it undermines the entire system—inviting a domino effect that could render the law meaningless.

According to the information provided in the NJ.com report, Paramus officials are seeking court orders that could impose fines and penalties on the mall, a move that would not only restrict Sunday operations but also signal that the borough intends to act as a self-appointed guardian of the county’s retail Sabbath.

But the lawsuit has now drawn in an unexpected—and formidable—ally for the mall.

The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), the public agency that owns the land beneath the American Dream complex and leases it to the mall’s operator, has asked the court to dismiss most of Paramus’s claims.

The authority argues that Paramus lacks the legal standing to enforce a countywide law and that it failed to follow required statutory procedures before initiating the lawsuit.