Parking Rules in Paterson, NJ

Paterson maintains 121 local ordinances across all categories, and 8 of those deal specifically with parking rules. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Paterson falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

RV & Boat Parking

Paterson bars boats, boat trailers, campers, and travel trailers from sitting in residential yards or driveways unless housed in a carport or garage or tucked behind the house line, with only a 24-hour exception for active loading.

Key details: Equipment covered: boats, trailers, campers, motorhomes. Storage location: carport, garage, or behind house line. Loading exception: 24 hours maximum. Right-of-way parking: prohibited.

Zoning Officer enforcement under the 2016-codified ordinance; violations were then punishable by up to $500 and 10 days in the Passaic County Jail per offense, each day separate: confirm current penalties with the City Clerk.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Paterson actively enforces its rv & boat parking requirements.

Abandoned Vehicles

Paterson police tow abandoned vehicles from streets and other public rights-of-way at no charge and store them up to 90 days. On private lots, the city instead mails owners a 10-day notice to clear a junked or dismantled vehicle before removing it themselves.

Key details: Public ROW storage limit: 90 days before junk title. Private-lot notice period: 10 days to remove. Enforcing agencies: Police Dept. and Public Works. Cost recovery: Tax lien on property.

Ignoring a Public Works removal notice for 10 days lets the city remove the vehicle itself and place a tax lien on the property for the cost, plus interest at the statutory tax rate.

Driveway Rules

Paterson's zoning ordinance, as codified in April 2016, bars off-street parking areas in any required front yard for one- and two-family dwellings. Surface parking elsewhere on a lot must sit at least 3 feet from the property line, and apartment lots must keep 8 feet from buildings.

Key details: Front yard, 1-2 family: No off-street parking areas in any required front yard. Side or rear yard setback: At least 3 feet from the property line. Apartment lots: Parking lots at least 8 feet from building lines. Minimum stall: 9 feet wide; 18 feet deep at 90 degrees. Two-bedroom house: 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit (Section 500-7.3).

Section 500-7.2 prints no penalty of its own. A front-yard parking area at a one- or two-family home is a zoning violation of the Land Development Ordinance, and the fix is to relocate the parking to a side or rear yard set back 3 feet. Ask the Paterson Division of Planning and Zoning before paving anything.

Street Parking Limits

Paterson lets the Director of Public Works permit vehicles to park in front of a private driveway. Each driveway owner can apply for up to three permits, owners cannot charge for the space, and cars must sit parallel to the curb without blocking the sidewalk.

Key details: Issuing official: Director of Public Works. Permits per driveway owner: Up to three. Added: April 15, 2025, Ord. No. 25-013. Fee for parking in front of driveway: Owner cannot charge anyone. Parking position: Parallel to the curb, sidewalk access not blocked.

Section 435-97.1 prints no penalty of its own. The general penalty for Article IV, § 435-98, applies unless another penalty is expressly provided: on conviction, a fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment up to 90 days, community service for not more than 90 days, or any combination. A separate offense is committed on each day a violation occurs or continues. Parking in front of a driveway without the permit defense is a separate state-law matter under N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(d).

Snow Removal Parking Rules

Paterson removes any unoccupied vehicle standing on a street during that street's designated street cleaning or snow removal days and hours. The owner pays removal and storage costs before getting the car back, plus a $50 fine and $30 court costs if convicted.

Key details: Trigger: Unoccupied vehicle on street during its designated cleaning or snow removal hours. Who removes the vehicle: Any police officer, Director of Public Works, or designee. Owner pays before release: Reasonable removal and storage costs. Fine (§ 435-132): $50, payable at the Violations Bureau. Court costs: $30 under Court Rule 7:11-4.

Under § 435-132, an owner of a motor vehicle convicted under Article X pays a fine of $50. The fine for violating § 435-131 is payable at the Violations Bureau without a court appearance, and $30 in court costs is added under New Jersey Court Rule 7:11-4. Separately, the owner must pay the reasonable costs of removal and storage before gaining possession of a vehicle removed from the street.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Paterson bans overnight parking of any commercial vehicle over 4,000 pounds gross weight in R-1 and R-2 residential districts, a straightforward truck-in-the-driveway restriction under the city's 2016-codified zoning ordinance.

Key details: Weight threshold: over 4,000 lbs gross. Districts covered: R-1 and R-2 only. Restriction: overnight parking banned. Source date: 2016 codification (Article V).

Zoning Officer enforcement under the 2016-codified ordinance; violations were then punishable by up to $500 and 10 days in the Passaic County Jail per offense: confirm current penalties with the City Clerk.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Paterson actively enforces its commercial & oversized vehicles requirements.

Loading Zones

Paterson requires any building used for trade or business to provide its own on-site loading space, with berths at least 12 feet wide and 50 feet long and 14 feet of vertical clearance, under the city's 2016-codified zoning ordinance.

Key details: Minimum berth width: 12 feet. Minimum berth length: 50 feet. Vertical clearance: 14 feet minimum. Ratio (most districts): 1 berth per 30,000 sq ft.

Towing & Impound Rights

Paterson prices every police rotation tow in a city fee schedule rather than leaving it to the operator. A light-duty hookup is $150, daily storage on a car is $45 outdoors and double that indoors, an after-hours release is $75, and a driver whose own tow truck reaches the scene before the city tower pulls away may take the vehicle at no charge.

Key details: Light-duty hookup fee: $150 for a vehicle up to 10,000 pounds (§ 453-13A(1)). Daily storage, car or light truck: $45 per calendar day outdoors; indoor storage is twice the outdoor rate (§ 453-13G(1)). Decoupling fee: Half the basic rate if the tow is not performed (§ 453-13A(4)). After-hours release: $75 (§ 453-13H(6)). Release counter hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., holidays excluded (§ 453-7B(1)).

Complaints about overcharging, theft of parts, damage to a towed or stored vehicle or discourteous treatment are referred to the Chief of Police for investigation under § 453-6A, and the City must notify the tower in writing. If the violation is not corrected within 48 hours of receipt of that notice, § 453-6B directs the Chief to suspend or revoke the contract and remove the tower from the rotation immediately. Grounds for revocation include violating the terms of the chapter, submitting fraudulent or inaccurate application information, unsatisfactory service, or violating the New Jersey Department of Insurance rules and regulations. The tower may appeal to the Municipal Council within 10 days of the written decision and receives a hearing within 30 days, and a tower whose license is revoked cannot reapply for three additional years. Section 453-11 sets the penalty for violating the chapter at imprisonment for not more than 90 days, a fine not exceeding $2,000, community service for not more than 90 days, or any combination of those. Towers also face a $150-per-day penalty under § 453-7A(1)(b) for each abandoned vehicle not removed within a reasonable time after police notification, which can itself be grounds for terminating the contract. Failure to file the monthly towed-vehicle report by the 10th of the month suspends the tower from the tow list until the report is received.

Compared to other cities, Paterson takes a harder line on towing & impound rights. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

Paterson is tougher than many cities when it comes to parking rules. Out of the 8 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Paterson, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Paterson's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.