Morris County, NJ Ordinances (2026)

Open burning of leaves, rubbish and garbage is banned statewide under N.J.A.C. 7:27-2. Limited exceptions require a permit from the NJ Forest Fire Service and are restricted to clean…

Small contained recreational fires are generally allowed, but any fire within or near a forested area needs a free NJ Forest Fire Service permit. During dangerous conditions…

Consumer aerial fireworks and firecrackers are illegal statewide. Since 2017, only hand-held or ground-based sparkling devices and novelties (sparklers, snakes, party poppers) are…

Morris County sets no fence-height rule. New Jersey zoning is a municipal power under the Municipal Land Use Law, so your township or borough (Parsippany, Randolph, Morristown, etc.)…

New Jersey's statewide Uniform Construction Code requires a construction permit for any retaining wall four feet or taller (measured footing to top). Morris County sets no separate…

Morris County does not set residential building setbacks. Front, side and rear yard setbacks are fixed by your municipality's zoning ordinance under the Municipal Land Use Law. The…

Morris County sets no building-height limit. Maximum building height and number of stories are fixed by your municipality's zoning ordinance under N.J.S.A. 40:55D-65, and vary by…

Morris County sets no lot-coverage limit. The maximum percentage of a lot that structures or impervious surface may cover is fixed by your municipality's zoning ordinance under the…

There is no Morris County short-term rental registry. Registration is set by each municipality. Separately, every town in New Jersey must report the names and addresses of transient…

New Jersey charges 6.625% Sales Tax plus a 5% State Occupancy Fee on taxable short-term rentals. Morris County towns may add a municipal occupancy tax up to 3% under N.J.S.A. 40:48F…

New Jersey's Noise Control Act sets the decibel limits used across Morris County: continuous sound at a residential property line may not exceed 65 dBA from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. or 50 dBA…

Morris County sets no quiet-hours rule. New Jersey's Noise Control Act caps residential-property-line sound at 65 dBA during the day (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) and 50 dBA at night (10 p.m.-7…

New Jersey state law governs abandoned vehicles. A vehicle left in the same public location for at least three consecutive days may be deemed abandoned. Report abandoned vehicles to…

There is no countywide overnight-parking ban. Rules are municipal. Some Morris towns restrict overnight on-street parking to residential permit holders; others allow it. Morris County…

In Morris County parks, dogs must be leashed on a lead no longer than 6 feet. Off-leash areas exist only at Lewis Morris and Central Park. Everyday leash rules on streets are set by…

New Jersey, not Morris County, regulates exotic pets. Potentially dangerous species cannot be kept as pets, and most other exotic or nongame animals require a permit from NJ Fish &…

In Morris County parks, feeding any animal is prohibited at all times. On private property, wildlife-feeding rules (deer, bears, geese) are set by your municipality; bear feeding is…

New Jersey licenses home food businesses statewide through the Cottage Food Operator Permit (N.J.A.C. 8:24-11). The permit costs $100, is valid two years, and allows only non-hazardous…

Dumping trash on public or private land is illegal statewide. New Jersey's Solid Waste Management Act carries fines up to $50,000, possible vehicle forfeiture, and arrest. Littering is…

Morris County sets no countywide rule for how residents store or place trash cans. Container type, screening, and set-out timing are governed by your municipality's ordinances and its…

Morris County's MCMUA plans the countywide solid-waste and recycling program, but curbside collection is arranged by each municipality and its hauler. Recycling is mandatory countywide…

Morris County residents can dispose of bulky household waste at the MCMUA transfer stations in Mount Olive and Parsippany, paying a flat per-load fee. Curbside bulk pickup, if offered…

Recycling is required across Morris County under New Jersey's Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act, N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. Residents, businesses, and institutions must…

Backyard composting is allowed and encouraged. The Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority (MCMUA) runs two vegetative-waste compost facilities and gives residents free compost and…

Morris County does not enforce a countywide blight or property-maintenance code. New Jersey delegates property upkeep to municipalities, which adopt their own housing and…

Morris County has no countywide vacant-lot maintenance ordinance. New Jersey towns regulate overgrowth, dumping, and nuisance conditions on vacant and unimproved lots through their own…

Morris County Park Commission parks close at sunset unless otherwise posted, and all visitors must leave by closing time. Pets must be leashed and are barred from certain facilities…