Essex County, NJ Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Essex County does not adopt zoning ordinances for residential properties. The New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.) delegates all zoning - fence heights, accessory structures, setbacks, and lot coverage - to the municipal level through the local planning board and zoning ordinance. New Jersey has no statewide fence height limit. Essex County's 22 municipalities (Newark, East Orange, Irvington, Bloomfield, Montclair, West Orange, Belleville, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Nutley, North Caldwell, Caldwell, Roseland, South Orange, Verona, West Caldwell, Orange) each set their own rules. Most Essex towns follow the common New Jersey suburban pattern: front yard fences limited to 4 feet (often required to be at least 50% open if higher than 3 feet), side and rear yard fences limited to 6 feet. Newark Zoning Ordinance Section 41:9 generally limits fences to 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side/rear yards, with required permits issued by the Department of Engineering. Most municipalities require a zoning permit (and sometimes a building permit under N.J.A.C. 5:23 if the fence exceeds 6 feet) and require the finished side to face the neighboring property. Pool barriers must comply with N.J.A.C. 5:23 (the NJ Uniform Construction Code), which requires a minimum 4-foot fence with self-closing, self-latching gates. Spite-fence and adverse-possession claims are civil matters under New Jersey common law (e.g., Mannillo v. Gorski) and are not enforced by the County.