What Lakewood Regulates: A Complete Ordinance Overview

Lakewood is a mid-sized city in Ocean County, New Jersey, with about 135000 residents. Like most cities its size, it has a set of local rules that may differ significantly from neighboring municipalities. Here is an overview of 110 ordinances across 35 categories that affect daily life in Lakewood.

Parking Rules

Overnight Parking: Lakewood Township's Unified Development Ordinance bars larger commercially-registered vehicles and lawn-equipment utility trailers from parking outdoors in any residential zone between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m., covering driveways, lots and streets alike.

Also covered: Street Parking Limits (moderate), Loading Zones (moderate), Snow Removal Parking Rules (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Lakewood for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Lakewood Township, Ocean County, New Jersey, requires every hawker, peddler, canvasser, solicitor or mobile food vendor to get a Township Clerk license before operating, with a sworn application, fingerprinting, a $1,000 bond and fees up to $215..

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

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Lakewood Township, Ocean County, New Jersey, bars parents and guardians from letting a child under 17 be out on public streets or other public places between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

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

Special Events & Permits

Park Event Permits: Anyone hosting a special event in a Lakewood Township park must apply in person at the Department of Public Works, present identification, and meet standards set by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Code § 8-13.1 also sets fees, a $250,000 minimum liability policy for groups over 25, and a 72-hour cancellation window for refunds..

Also covered: Block Party Permits (moderate), Parade Permits (restrictive). See the full special events & permits guide for Lakewood for details.

Public Conduct

Public Urination: Lakewood Township Code § 3-24 makes it unlawful to urinate in any public place, defined broadly to include streets, sidewalks, parks, parking lots, shopping areas and public transportation. A conviction carries the general penalty in Chapter 1, § 1-5: up to a $1,000 fine, 90 days in the Ocean County jail, or 90 days of community service..

Also covered: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (moderate), Loitering Rules (moderate), Public Alcohol Use (strict). See the full public conduct guide for Lakewood for details.

Tree Protection

Protected Tree Species: Lakewood Township names dozens of specific tree species as protected 'specimen trees' once they exceed a listed trunk diameter, from a 12-inch American holly to a 40-inch tulip tree, under UDO § 18-803H2i. A Township permit is required before any specimen tree comes down, and removed ones must be replaced..

Also covered: Parkway Planting (moderate), Heritage & Protected Trees (restrictive). See the full tree protection guide for Lakewood for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Lakewood Township can order the repair, vacating or demolition of any building declared dangerous, unsafe or a nuisance, following a Township Committee hearing, and can place a municipal lien on the property for the cost if the owner does not comply..

Also covered: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Lakewood for details.

Trash & Recycling

Bin Placement Rules: Lakewood Township tells residents exactly where and when their township-supplied garbage and recycling carts can sit at the curb: roughly four feet from obstructions, out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before pickup, and back off the curb the same day the truck comes..

Also covered: Collection Schedule (moderate), Recycling Rules (moderate), Bulk Item Disposal (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Lakewood for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Lakewood Township, Ocean County, New Jersey imposes a 3% Hotel and Motel Room Occupancy Tax on room rent, on top of the state sales tax and any other fee. Operators collect it from guests and remit it to the Township; absorbing or advertising the tax as waived is a separate offense under the Township Code..

Environmental Rules

Flood Elevation Requirements: Lakewood Township, Ocean County, New Jersey requires new and substantially improved buildings in flood hazard areas to be built to a Local Design Flood Elevation that adds at least one foot of freeboard above the mapped base flood elevation, with stricter margins for AO zones and critical facilities..

Also covered: Flood Zones (restrictive), Erosion Control (moderate), Stormwater Management (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Lakewood for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Opening, tunneling under, or otherwise disturbing any Lakewood Township street requires a permit from the Township Engineer under Code § 20-1.2. Fees run $100 to $300 by opening length plus a $25 administrative fee, and no permit issues between December 1 and March 1 except for emergencies..

Also covered: Obstruction Rules (moderate), Sidewalk Repair (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Lakewood for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Lakewood Township allows mobile food vending only from a motor vehicle. Code § 4-3.22 bars stacking or placing food items on any sidewalk, street or the ground, and § 4-3.1's vendor definitions state outright that the use of carts is not permitted..

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

Animal Ordinances

Wildlife Feeding: Lakewood Township bans feeding unconfined wildlife in any public park or on Township-owned property. Code § 8-12.3, adopted by Ordinance No.

Also covered: Pet Store Rules (moderate), Dog Leash Laws (moderate), Breed Restrictions (restrictive). See the full animal ordinances guide for Lakewood for details.

Building Safety

Lead Paint: Adopted December 5, 2024 by Ordinance No. 2024-044, § 15-4 requires every Lakewood Township single-family, two-family, and multiple rental dwelling to be inspected for lead-based paint hazards at tenant turnover or by a set deadline, then reinspected every three years or at turnover, implementing New Jersey's statewide lead-safe law, P.L.

Also covered: Building Permits (moderate), Elevator Maintenance (moderate), Electrical Permits (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Lakewood for details.

Noise Ordinances

Barking Dogs: Lakewood Township bans keeping any dog or animal that disturbs the peace with excessive, loud or continuous barking, crying or similar noise between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.

Also covered: Vehicle Noise (moderate), Decibel Limits (moderate), Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Lakewood for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Secondhand Dealers: Anyone buying secondhand goods, jewelry or precious metals for resale in Lakewood Township needs a Municipal Clerk license under Code § 4-9. Dealers must print their license number on every ad, in at least 8-point type, and photograph each seller and item..

Also covered: Towing Companies (restrictive), Massage Establishments (restrictive), Pawnbrokers (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Lakewood for details.

Accessory Structures

Shed & Carport Rules: Lakewood Township, Ocean County, New Jersey caps accessory sheds at 200 square feet and 12 feet in height. Sheds may sit as close as 5 feet to side and rear lot lines but are barred from the front yard setback entirely, and a zoning and/or building permit is required before one goes up..

Landscaping Rules

Weed Ordinances: Every owner, tenant, or person in possession of land in Lakewood Township, whether built on or not, must keep it free of brush, weeds, dead trees, and debris that threaten public health, safety, or fire safety, and must clear grass and weeds from the street frontage abutting their land, under § 16-1.2 of the Code..

Also covered: Tree Trimming (moderate), Water Restrictions (moderate), Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Lakewood for details.

Rental Property Rules

Rent Control: Lakewood Township, in Ocean County, caps most annual rent increases at 6.5% where the landlord supplies heat and 5% where it does not, under Chapter 14 of the Township Code. The Rent Control Board reviews hardship, capital-improvement and utility-cost increases beyond that cap, and landlords who charge excess rent face Municipal Court penalties..

Also covered: Repairs & Habitability (moderate), Rental Registration (restrictive), Rent Increase Notice (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Lakewood for details.

Fire Regulations

Outdoor Burning: Township Code § 3-27 bans open burning on any public property in Lakewood at any time, citing air-quality and public-health risk. Narrow exceptions exist for permitted holiday, religious or festive fires lasting no more than two days and only with a permit from the Ocean County Fire Marshal, plus designated campfires, grills and fireplaces in Township parks..

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Lakewood for details.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Every time a tenant moves out of a Lakewood Township rental with two or more units, the owner must notify the Department of Code Enforcement and Zoning within 10 days and pass a Township inspection before re-renting, under § 15-3.6 of the Code. The inspection and Certificate of Occupancy cost $65, with a $30 reinspection fee if problems are found..

Also covered: Tenant Complaint Process (moderate). See the full rental inspections guide for Lakewood for details.

Water Use Rules

Recycled Water Rules: Reclaimed and gray water are carved out of Lakewood Township's outdoor watering restrictions, but Code § 16-6.6a only lifts the odd-even schedule for water that already carries an approved NJPDES permit through the state DEP. Untreated gray water without that state permit gets no relief from the Township's emergency watering rules..

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Township Code § 3-26 makes it unlawful to camp, with a tent, tarp, sleeping bag or similar shelter, on private property without the owner's written consent or on public property outside a park area where camping has been expressly authorized. Before citing anyone, officers must warn them and try to connect them with an Ocean County human-services outreach worker..

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Lakewood Township's Board of Health Code makes every dwelling owner responsible for keeping the building 'reasonably vermin and rodent proof' and for exterminating infestations under § BH13-2.1j. Owners must also keep crawl spaces and the area under a dwelling free of trash and debris that could draw rodents, under § BH13-2.1o..

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Lakewood Township's business license fee schedule, Code § 4-2.6, limits garage sales and yard sales to no more than three days per year, running from June 1 through May 31, and confines them to disposing of unwanted household items like bicycles, furniture and bedding. A $5 license fee applies, and repeat sales beyond the limit are treated as an unlicensed commercial operation..

Outdoor Cooking

Smoker Rules: Lakewood Township's open-burning ordinance, Code § 3-27, treats outdoor grills, campfires and fireplaces as regulated "open burning" and confines them to Township parks, where § 8-7.7 further limits fires to areas designated by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Township Committee, or the Environmental Commission..

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Lakewood Township caps digital billboards at five townwide, requires a public-bid permit process with a $200 application fee and a $500 annual fee per sign, and limits placement to the B-1, B-3, B-4, HD-6, HD-7 and M-1 zones under UDO § 18-1019..

Also covered: Window Signs (moderate), Garage Sale Signs (moderate), Political Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Lakewood for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Billboard Lighting: Lakewood Township caps digital billboard brightness at 0.2 foot-candles above ambient light measured within 150 feet of the sign, and requires an automatic photocell that dims the display and freezes it to a static message on malfunction, under UDO § 18-1019..

Also covered: Light Trespass & Shielding (moderate), Dark Sky Rules (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Lakewood for details.

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Lakewood Township, Ocean County, sets aside a dedicated Agricultural (A-1) zoning district under UDO § 18-902A that permits farmhouses, single-family homes, and customary farming, including on-site sale of what is grown or raised. Hogs and goats are barred, and the district carries its own two-acre lot and setback standards..

Home Business

Signage Rules: A home-based business in a Lakewood Township residential district is limited to a nameplate sign no larger than one and one-half square feet and no taller than four feet, and only one sign total may go on the lot..

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

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: A pool fence in Lakewood Township follows the same 8-foot general cap as any other residential fence, but UDO § 18-803F21 lets the Zoning Officer approve a taller privacy fence, up to 14 feet, around a pool if every contiguous neighbor signs off in writing and a licensed engineer certifies the design is safe..

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

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Lot Coverage Limits: In Lakewood Township's R-40 Residential zoning district, the Unified Development Ordinance caps building coverage at 25% of the lot alongside a 2-acre minimum lot area, under UDO Section 18-902B4. The UDO defines building coverage as the building area covered by all permanent buildings on a lot expressed as a percentage of total lot area, with impervious coverage adding paved surfaces on top of that..

Also covered: Setback Rules (moderate), Structure Height Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Lakewood for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Lakewood Township, Ocean County, opted out of the state's cannabis licensing program entirely: its zoning code prohibits every class of cannabis establishment, distributor, and delivery-licensed business in all zoning districts township-wide, so no zone in Lakewood allows a marijuana dispensary or grower to locate..

Noise from Specific Sources

Delivery Truck Noise: Lakewood Township's noise code specifically outlaws loud and excessive noise from loading or unloading trucks and from opening or breaking down bales, boxes, crates and containers. The prohibition sits in Code Section BH16-5.6, one of a dozen named noise sources the Township Committee declared to be loud, disturbing and unnecessary regardless of the general decibel limits in Section BH16-3..

Also covered: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Lakewood for details.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Barbed wire, razor wire, and electric fences are banned outright in every residential district in Lakewood Township under UDO § 18-803F19. Tarp fences and similar temporary cloth fencing are prohibited township-wide in every zoning district under § 18-803F20, with a narrow exception for approved temporary construction dust-control fencing..

Also covered: Retaining Walls (moderate), Height Limits (moderate), Fence Permit Requirements (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Lakewood for details.

What to Do With This Information

Think of this as a map of the regulatory landscape in Lakewood. For any rule that directly affects a decision you are making, click through to the full ordinance page for penalty details and exceptions, and confirm with the city if the stakes are high.