Hoboken, NJ Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

City Code § 168-38 sets the construction specifications for gates and fences erected on public thoroughfares under Chapter 168's fence-licensing article: they must be built of cast iron or similar material and stand not less than three feet nor higher than four feet. The section states plainly that chain-link fences are not permitted in this location. It also bars enclosing, sealing or otherwise encumbering or building upon the space between the lot line and the licensed fence, gate or stoop, and prohibits using that strip for storage or placement of personal property, unless the City Council expressly approves.

This construction standard applies to the same fences, gates and stairways licensed under § 168-36 and pairs with § 168-37's projection limit, which caps how far a fence, gate or stoop may extend into a street, sidewalk or public easement at the greater of the maximum projection of a comparable fixture already completed on the same block before January 1, 1981, or three feet. Section 168-43 adds that any such fence proposed for a premises located in an historic district or on a designated historic site cannot be permitted without the Hoboken Historic Preservation Commission's approval, referencing Chapter 42 of the City Code.

These material and height rules apply specifically to fences built into the public right-of-way; fences kept entirely on private property fall instead under Hoboken's zoning provisions in Chapter 196.