Linden, NJ Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 31-20.9c
- Barbed wire
- Prohibited citywide
- Electrified fencing
- Prohibited citywide
- Metal spikes on top
- Prohibited citywide
- Industrial-zone exception
- None for these materials
Summary
Linden prohibits barbed wire, electrified fencing and metal-spike-topped fences on any property. City Code Section 31-20.9c bars any fence material or construction method that may be dangerous to persons or animals, without exempting industrial zones.
c. No fence around any property shall be erected of barbed wire, electrified, topped with metal spikes, constructed of any material or in any manner which may be dangerous to persons or animals.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4586096; v16 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
9c, part of the Fences and Walls provision in Chapter 31 Zoning, states flatly that no fence around any property shall be erected of barbed wire, electrified, topped with metal spikes, or constructed of any material or in any manner which may be dangerous to persons or animals. 9 raise the allowed height for privacy fencing on industrial lots to eight feet, but they do not create any exception to the barbed-wire, electrified-fence or spike ban. A property owner who wants added security has to use height, not banned materials, and stay within the six-foot residential or eight-foot industrial limits set elsewhere in the same section.
Because the standard is phrased in terms of danger to persons or animals rather than a fixed list, it also reaches materials not named specifically, such as broken glass embedded in a fence top, if the construction method poses the same kind of hazard the section is written to prevent.
Violations & Fines
Installing a barbed wire, electrified or spike-topped fence is a zoning violation of Section 31-20.9c, enforced by the Zoning Officer. Under Section 1-5.1's general penalty, violations carry a fine of $100 to $2,000, up to 90 days in the county jail, or up to 90 days of community service, with a 30-day cure period required before a zoning fine above $1,250 can be imposed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put barbed wire on top of my fence in Linden?
Are electric fences allowed anywhere in Linden?
Can an industrial property in Linden use a taller fence with spikes for security?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Linden
Compare Linden to another location·View the New Jersey fence regulations overview
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Material Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Union County handle material restrictions.