A Resident's Guide to Brick's Local Ordinances

Brick, New Jersey may not be the biggest city in the state, but it has its own set of local rules that residents need to follow. With 123 tracked ordinances across 37 categories, there is more here than you might expect.

Parking Rules

Towing & Impound Rights: Brick Township fixes what a police-called tower may bill a vehicle owner, from $150 for a Class I tow and $450 per hour for a beach or water recovery to $40 a day for outside storage, and § 437-7B bars any fee that is not printed in the schedule unless the owner agreed to it in advance..

Also covered: Preferential Parking Districts (moderate), Snow Removal Parking Rules (restrictive), Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (restrictive). See the full parking rules guide for Brick for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Structure Height Limits: Brick Township defines building height by a 35-foot mean-roof-height cap above grade (or elevation 41 feet NAVD 1988), plus a 26-foot eaves-height limit, the objective ceiling zoning officials use to measure every residential structure townshipwide..

Also covered: Setback Rules (moderate), Lot Coverage Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Brick for details.

Noise Ordinances

Vehicle Noise: Brick Township caps motor vehicle noise on public roads at 82 dB(A) where the speed limit is 35 mph or less, rising to 88 dB(A) above that, measured 50 feet from the travel lane under the Township noise ordinance..

Also covered: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate), Decibel Limits (moderate), Construction Hours (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Brick for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Dumping household or commercial waste, tires, appliances, furniture, or junk along any Brick Township street, right-of-way, or private property not designated for disposal is unlawful; violators face fines up to $2,000 and up to 90 days in jail..

Also covered: Bin Placement Rules (moderate), Yard Waste Collection (moderate), Dumpster Rules (restrictive). See the full trash & recycling guide for Brick for details.

Animal Ordinances

Pet Store Rules: Brick Township bans pet stores, kennels and their operators from selling, bartering or auctioning dogs and cats. Only shelters, pounds or similar establishments may sell or transfer animals that were seized, rescued or donated: a puppy-mill-style sourcing ban rather than an adoption-only display rule..

Also covered: Wildlife Feeding (restrictive), Exotic Pets (strict), Mandatory Spay/Neuter (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Brick for details.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Brick Township charges tiered construction permit fees for rooftop solar under its electrical subcode: $100 for 1-50 panels, $250 for 51-100 panels, and $750 for over 100, plus separate inverter and disconnect fees..

Home Business

Signage Rules: Brick Township's zoning code flatly bars home offices from putting up any signage. A home office accessory use must leave the dwelling's exterior completely unchanged, so no sign of any kind is allowed..

Also covered: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate). See the full home business guide for Brick for details.

Building Safety

Electrical Permits: Brick Township charges an electrical subcode permit fee under the state Uniform Construction Code, with a $150 minimum plus $100 for the first block of up to 50 fixtures or receptacles and $40 per additional block of 25..

Also covered: Building Permits (moderate), Plumbing Permits (moderate), Building Inspections (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Brick for details.

Environmental Rules

Boat Dock Permits: Brick Township requires a Township Engineer permit before building any dock, pier, boat lift, or bulkhead, plus a separate zoning use permit and NJDEP waterfront approval..

Also covered: Erosion Control (moderate), Stormwater Management (moderate), Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Brick for details.

Special Events & Permits

Park Event Permits: Brick Township requires a $150 facility use permit from the Department of Parks and Recreation for seasonal and special events in township parks, limited to groups of 25 to 200 people..

Also covered: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (moderate), Street Fair Rules (restrictive), Block Party Permits (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Brick for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Pawnbrokers: Pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers in Brick Township must obtain a license from the Township Clerk, pass a Chief of Police background investigation, and post a $10,000 bond before buying, selling, or pawning precious metals or secondhand goods..

Also covered: Massage Establishments (restrictive), Tobacco Retail License (moderate), Tattoo & Body Modification (moderate). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Brick for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Obstruction Rules: Placing an obstacle or obstruction on any Brick Township street or right-of-way, other than a parked motor vehicle, requires a permit from the Township Engineer under the Streets and Sidewalks ordinance..

Also covered: Sidewalk Repair (moderate), Encroachment Permits (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Brick for details.

Public Conduct

Aggressive Panhandling: Brick Township bans begging or gathering alms on any public street, road, beach, parkway or other public place, with an exception only for those holding a solicitor's license under Chapter 324..

Also covered: Skateboarding Rules (moderate), Loitering Rules (restrictive), Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for Brick for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Brick Township charges a 3% hotel and motel room occupancy tax on top of state sales tax, paid by the guest and collected by the operator under Township Code Chapter 223..

Fence Regulations

Fence Permit Requirements: Brick Township requires a permit before erecting any fence, capping front-yard fences at four feet and side or rear fences at six feet, with stricter four-foot limits within 200 feet of the water..

Also covered: Height Limits (moderate), Material Restrictions (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Brick for details.

HOA Rules

Architectural Review: In Brick Township's R-M Multifamily Zone, deck and patio fences must be white, vinyl or another maintenance-free material, and the condominium association or management entity must approve the color, material and style before an owner applies for a permit..

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Brick Township bans possessing, igniting or throwing firecrackers, rockets or other fireworks in any township park, though the Parks and Recreation Department can permit supervised displays in designated areas..

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate), Outdoor Burning (restrictive), Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Brick for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Bar & Nightclub Noise: Brick Township caps sound inside bars and nightclubs at 90 dB(A) and requires a hearing-impairment warning sign at the entrance whenever a venue operates above that level..

Also covered: Car Alarm Limits (moderate), Delivery Truck Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Brick for details.

Rental Inspections

Tenant Complaint Process: Brick Township's Construction Official, Code Enforcement Officer, or police can inspect a rental unit and issue the landlord or tenants a summons whenever they have reason to believe the unit violates the Township's rental housing standards..

Also covered: Inspection Programs (moderate). See the full rental inspections guide for Brick for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Brick Township prohibits construction or relocation of any new billboard, digital or static, anywhere in the township, and separately bans animated, flashing, or moving signs except time-and-temperature displays..

Also covered: Holiday Displays (limited), Garage Sale Signs (moderate), Window Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Brick for details.

Outdoor Cooking

BBQ & Propane Rules: Grilling or cooking food in a Brick Township park requires a permit, and only factory-built grills are allowed: tabletop grills and tabletop cooking elements are banned outright everywhere in the township's parks and recreation areas..

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Brick Township can order repair, vacating, or demolition of any dilapidated, unsafe, or unfit building, and unpaid abatement costs become a municipal lien on the property..

Also covered: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (moderate), Vacant Lot Maintenance (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Brick for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Brick Township charges a flat construction permit fee to install a hot tub or spa, plus a $65 annual electrical inspection fee, before the equipment can be used legally at a residence..

Also covered: Pool Permits (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Brick for details.

Rental Property Rules

Repairs & Habitability: Brick Township adopts the 1980 New Jersey State Housing Code as its habitability standard and requires owners to obtain a rental certificate of occupancy, with inspection, before every new tenancy or reoccupancy..

Also covered: Rental Registration (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Brick for details.

Invasive Plant Rules

Prohibited Species: Brick Township prohibits all new in-ground plantings of invasive species like bamboo, kudzu and multiflora rose; existing plantings must stay contained behind physical barriers or the owner faces removal and a lien..

Also covered: Bamboo Restrictions (restrictive). See the full invasive plant rules guide for Brick for details.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Brick Township bars anyone under 17 from public streets and places between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., with a tighter 8 p.m.

Also covered: Park Curfew (moderate). See the full curfew laws guide for Brick for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: Brick Township requires a Shade Tree Commission or Engineering Department permit before cutting, removing, or killing any protected tree in the township..

Also covered: Artificial Turf (permissive), Weed Ordinances (moderate), Water Restrictions (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Brick for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Brick Township's site plan approval standard requires that outdoor lighting's location, power, direction and hours of operation not adversely affect adjoining residential districts, reviewed by the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment..

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Vending Zones: Brick Township limits stationary mobile food vending to business, commercial, industrial, and office-professional zones. Residential zones and residentially used lots are off-limits, and a vendor also needs the property owner's written permission before setting up there..

Also covered: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (restrictive), Food Truck Permits (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Brick for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Brick Township caps garage, yard and flea market sales at four per person or per tax lot each calendar year, with each sale capped at three consecutive days, under a permit from the Township Clerk..

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Brick Township requires hawkers, peddlers, canvassers and solicitors to obtain a Township Clerk license before going door to door, with narrow exemptions for charities and wholesale sales..

Also covered: No-Knock Registry (restrictive). See the full soliciting & door-to-door guide for Brick for details.

Tree Protection

Heritage & Protected Trees: Brick Township requires a Shade Tree Commission or Engineering Department permit before removing, cutting, or damaging any protected tree, generally over 3 inches in trunk diameter, anywhere in the township, with exceptions for small single-family lots..

Also covered: Parkway Planting (moderate). See the full tree protection guide for Brick for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Brick Township prohibits every class of cannabis establishment, cultivators, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors and delivery services, from operating anywhere in the township..

Mobility & Curb Rules

E-Bike Classes: Brick Township adopts New Jersey's two-class e-bike system: Class 1 and Class 2 low-speed electric bicycles can use roadways and bike lanes, but riders over 14 are barred from every township sidewalk under § 288-77..

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Brick Township declares woodpiles that harbor, are infested, or are inhabited by rats or other vermin public nuisances subject to abatement under the Property Maintenance Code's firewood-storage article..

Accessory Structures

Shed & Carport Rules: Brick Township caps single-family storage sheds at 12 feet in height under Code § 245-30, with side and rear setbacks tied to shed size: half the building's height for sheds under 100 square feet, full accessory-building yard depths above that..

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: Brick Township requires Planning Board Architectural Review Committee approval for new nonresidential and mixed-use development in the Village Zone, applying design guidelines that call for a timeless shore-town look echoing Asbury Park and Spring Lake..

Also covered: Density Bonus Law (moderate). See the full zoning overlays & bonuses guide for Brick for details.

What to Do With This Information

If you are moving to Brick, buying a home, or starting a project, use this as a starting point. Each category links to detailed pages with the full text, penalties, and FAQs. Verify anything time-sensitive with Brick's city hall or code enforcement office.