Bayonne, NJ Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Side/rear limit, residential
- 6 feet, § 35-4.14.a.1
- Front limit, residential
- 4 feet, § 35-4.14.a.3
- Corner-lot reduced height
- 36 inches beyond half lot depth
- Visibility triangle cap
- 36 inches, § 35-4.13
- Visibility exception
- Intersections over 135 degrees
Summary
Bayonne caps residential fences at six feet on side and rear lines and four feet on the front line, drops corner-lot fencing to 36 inches near the intersection, and separately bans anything over 36 inches at a corner if it blocks traffic sight lines.
On any corner lot, no fence, structure, or shrubbery over 36 inches in height, nor any tree whose crown is lower than 10 feet in height above grade shall be erected or maintained which shall interfere with traffic visibility around a corner. This shall not apply to intersections whose angle exceeds 135°. ... In all districts, only one border fence is permissible per parcel. ... Residential Districts. In residential districts, fences and walls other than retaining walls shall be permitted in accordance with the following requirements: ... Fences and walls on any side or rear property line shall not exceed six feet in height. ... Fences and walls on any front property line shall not exceed four feet in height, nor impede safe sight distance around the corner. ... Fences and walls on corner lots may be a maximum of six feet for 1/2 the lot depth constituting the side property line relating to the principal entrance to the building and further provided that the remainder of fencing along such lot line or front lot line shall not exceed 36 inches in height.
Full Breakdown
City Code § 35-4.14, adopted under Ord. No. O-95-12 and last amended September 18, 2024 by Ord. No. O-24-48, allows only one border fence per parcel, and any existing border fence must come down before a new one goes up. In residential districts, § 35-4.14.a.1 caps fences and walls other than retaining walls at six feet on any side or rear property line, while § 35-4.14.a.3 caps front-property-line fencing at four feet and bars it from impeding safe sight distance around a corner. Corner lots get a special rule under § 35-4.14.a.4: fencing can run up to six feet for half the lot depth along the side line tied to the principal entrance, but the remaining fencing on that line or the front line drops to a 36-inch maximum.
That height limit dovetails with the separate visibility-triangle rule in § 35-4.13: on any corner lot, no fence, structure, or shrubbery over 36 inches, and no tree with a crown lower than 10 feet above grade, may interfere with traffic visibility around the corner, unless the intersection's angle exceeds 135 degrees. Commercial and industrial districts get their own scale under § 35-4.14.b and .c, up to 10 feet and 12 feet respectively, but those apply only outside residential zones.
Violations & Fines
Building or maintaining a fence over these height limits, or one that blocks the corner visibility triangle, is a Code violation. The general penalty in § 1-5.1 applies where no specific fine is stated: up to $1,250, 90 days in the county jail, or 90 days of community service, with § 1-5.5 making each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a backyard fence be in Bayonne?
How tall can a front-yard fence be in Bayonne?
Are corner-lot fences shorter in Bayonne?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bayonne
How Bayonne compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Bayonne to another location·View the New Jersey fence regulations overview
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Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle height limits.