Moving to Ridgewood, NJ?

Ridgewood regulates commercial leaf blower and landscaping equipment use through Chapter 222, restricting hours of operation and banning commercial use entirely on Sundays and federal holidays Village-wide.

Ridgewood Village prohibits any unreasonable or unnecessary loud and disturbing noise that interferes with residents' peace, comfort, health, or safety, enforced under Chapter 201 of the Village Code at all hours.

Ridgewood requires a public assembly permit issued by the Chief of Police for any organized gathering using sound amplification or live music, with applications filed at least five business days in advance.

Ridgewood restricts commercial use of power tools, motorized construction equipment, and landscaping machinery to specific weekday and Saturday hours, with all such commercial use banned on Sundays and federal holidays under Chapter 222.

Ridgewood prohibits the keeping of any animal whose habitual barking, howling, or other noise disturbs neighbors or the peace, with enforcement under the Village's noise ordinance handled through police complaints.

Ridgewood Village bans rentals of dwelling units for periods of 30 days or less, making short-term rental permits unavailable for hosts seeking Airbnb-style operations within Village limits.

The Village of Ridgewood prohibits short-term rentals entirely under Code Chapter 117, Article IX, so there is no local STR registration fee, license, or hotel tax to pay — because operating a paid STR under 30 days is itself unlawful. If a property is rented for 30+ days (the only legal compensated rental in Ridgewood), no NJ transient-accommodation taxes apply. Bergen County does not impose a separate hotel/lodging tax. The only Ridgewood-specific charge an STR operator would face is the violation penalty: up to $1,000 per day under §117 Art. IX.

Because compensated short-term rentals are prohibited in Ridgewood under Code Chapter 117, Article IX, there is no STR-specific noise standard — but every occupant of a Ridgewood dwelling, including any 30+ day tenant, must comply with Code Chapter 201 (Noise). Chapter 201 prohibits any unreasonable and unnecessary loud or disturbing noise, and §201 specifically bars yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, or singing on public streets between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Chapter 222 separately restricts power tools and motorized landscaping equipment, including a full ban on commercial power-tool use Sundays and federal holidays.

Compensated short-term rentals are prohibited in Ridgewood under Code Chapter 117, Article IX, so there is no STR guest-parking program. For any lawful 30+ day rental, Ridgewood's Village-wide overnight parking ban applies: no vehicle may be parked on any public street or public parking lot in the Village between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. (Code §265-36). Overnight Parking Permits are sold only to Central Business District residents who lack landlord-provided parking; transient guests cannot obtain them. Tenants needing more than five nights of overnight parking must apply individually for a waiver from the Chief of Police.

Ridgewood Chapter 115 requires property owners to remove brush, grass, weeds, and noxious vegetation that exceeds permitted limits abutting public streets and on private premises.

Consumer fireworks in Ridgewood are governed primarily by New Jersey state law, not a local fireworks chapter. Aerial and explosive fireworks remain illegal under N.J.S.A. 21:3-1 et seq. P.L. 2017 c. 92 narrowly legalized non-aerial sparkling devices (sparklers, snakes, glow worms) and novelties (party poppers, snappers, drop pops) for persons 16 and over and preempts local regulation of those items. Ridgewood does, however, prohibit the discharge of toy 'Poppers' on public streets, sidewalks, parks, and public places, and bans the sale of Poppers from May 15 to July 15 and during December (Village Code Chapter 221A).

Ridgewood prohibits parking on any village street between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., with limited waivers available through the Police Department for residents.

Ridgewood prohibits parking commercial-plate vehicles on designated streets during specified hours, with restrictions detailed in Schedule XXVI of Chapter 265.

Ridgewood Chapter 258 governs towing of abandoned, disabled, illegally parked, or stolen vehicles, capping fees at amounts published in Chapter 145.

Ridgewood permits outdoor storage of camping trailers, boats, and boat trailers in residential side or rear yards only, subject to screening and height limits.

Ridgewood requires zoning permits for driveways and prohibits parking unregistered or uninspected vehicles ungaraged on residential property within the village.

Ridgewood regulates on-street parking through Chapter 265, controlling angle and parallel orientations, time limits, metered zones, and permit-required areas throughout the village.

Ridgewood reserves designated EV charging spaces for charging vehicles only and requires premium permits for Hudson Street Garage charging spaces until noon daily.

Ridgewood limits residential fences to four feet in height in most yards, with taller heights permitted only in specific situations such as rear yards abutting nonresidential uses or pool enclosures meeting code.

Ridgewood requires a zoning permit before constructing, replacing, or altering any fence or freestanding wall on residential property, with applications reviewed by the Zoning Officer for compliance.

Ridgewood requires that the finished, decorative side of any fence face neighboring properties or the street, with structural posts and rails facing inward, and prohibits barbed or dangerous materials in residential zones.

Ridgewood requires private swimming pools to be enclosed by code-compliant barriers under Chapter 251, with location restrictions setting pools at least ten feet from side and rear lot lines and prohibiting pools in front yards.

Ridgewood requires zoning permits for any retaining wall over two feet tall, with engineered drawings, soil reports, and grading plans signed by a licensed New Jersey professional engineer for review by the Village Engineer.

Ridgewood prohibits dogs from running at large; loose dogs are impounded, owners are notified, and unredeemed dogs may be disposed of after seven days.

Ridgewood prohibits keeping, harboring, or possessing wild animals on any premises within the Village to protect public health, welfare, and emergency safety.

Ridgewood prohibits feeding unconfined wildlife and restricts bird feeders on private property, requiring elevation, seed catchers, and a maximum of three feeders per lot.

Ridgewood permits backyard chickens and limited fowl by Health Division permit, but coops must meet strict setbacks and roosters or noisy fowl are prohibited.

Ridgewood prohibits residents from pruning or altering any tree within the public right-of-way in a manner that could reduce its viability or life span.

Ridgewood requires a permit to remove any non-invasive tree eight inches or larger in diameter at breast height, and replacement of every healthy tree taken down.

Ridgewood requires yard waste to be containerized except during scheduled leaf collection windows, and grass clippings cannot be mixed with brush or leaves.

Ridgewood Water enforces odd or even address watering days with strict timing rules for sprinklers, hoses, and automatic irrigation systems on all customers.

Ridgewood requires owners and tenants to keep grass and weeds cut on lands abutting public streets, removing overgrowth within three days after written notice.

Ridgewood defines weeds broadly and bans noxious species like poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and ragweed on private property abutting public ways.

Ridgewood permits home offices as accessory uses in residential zones, capped at 25% of dwelling floor area or 500 square feet, whichever is less.

Ridgewood prohibits all signs advertising a nonresidential or home occupation use on residential properties to preserve neighborhood character.

Ridgewood permits registered family day-care homes serving three to five children, restricted to the first floor and limited to 25% of habitable area.

Ridgewood's home office rules require the use to remain incidental and prohibit business activity visible from the exterior, effectively restricting customer or client traffic.

Ridgewood classifies hot tubs and spas with water over 24 inches deep as swimming pools, requiring zoning permits, rear-yard placement, and barrier compliance under Section 190-124T.

Ridgewood requires zoning approval for private swimming pools under Chapter 190-124T, including in-ground, above-ground, hot tubs, and spas with water over 24 inches deep.

Ridgewood treats above-ground pools as accessory structures requiring rear-yard placement, zoning permits, and compliance with setbacks under Section 190-124T of the Village Code.

Ridgewood requires pool enclosures with non-climbable fencing and openings sized to prevent access by children, applying to in-ground, above-ground, and on-ground pools throughout the Village.

Ridgewood permits accessory structures like sheds only on the same premises as the principal residential use under Chapter 190 zoning rules.

The Village of Ridgewood Zoning Code (Chapter 190, Article X, codified on eCode360) does not contain a stand-alone accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance. Accessory uses customarily incident to permitted principal residential uses are allowed under § 190-118.2E and § 190-124, but a separate dwelling unit is not listed as a permitted accessory use in any R District (R-125, R-110, R-1, R-2, or R-3). Authority is delegated to Ridgewood by the NJ Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq., P.L. 1975 c. 291).

Ridgewood requires soil erosion and sediment controls for construction projects under Chapter 190, supplementing New Jersey's statewide Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Act.

Ridgewood requires a Soil Movement Permit and a Site Grading and Stormwater Control Plan permit for projects altering elevations or moving more than 100 cubic yards of soil.

Ridgewood adopted Chapter 154 Floodplain Management Regulations by Ordinance 3865 in 2021, governing development inside designated flood hazard areas.

Ridgewood enforces a local Stormwater Management ordinance updated by Ordinance 4006 in 2024, regulating runoff, water quality, and major development projects.

Ridgewood prohibits all classes of cannabis establishments, including cultivation, manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, retail, and delivery operations within Village limits.

Ridgewood Village regulates campaign and political signs through its land use code, controlling where signs may be placed and requiring timely removal after elections to maintain neighborhood appearance.

Ridgewood Village restricts garage sale advertising signs to a maximum of two on the property hosting the sale, with each sign capped at four square feet, alongside required permits.

Ridgewood requires residential property owners to clear sidewalks within 24 hours of snowfall, with stricter same-day rules in business and parking zones under Chapter 249.

Ridgewood requires owners of vacant lots and structures to maintain them clean, safe, secure, and sanitary, preventing blight conditions under Chapter 223 Article XI.

Ridgewood requires a Village Clerk permit for any residential garage sale, limits sales to two consecutive days twice per year, and restricts on-site signage to two signs.

Ridgewood requires a permit to use refuse containers, sets curbside placement windows, and mandates covered watertight bins under Chapters 133 and 223 of the Village Code.

Ridgewood Chapter 223 prohibits blighting conditions on properties, requiring weed control, secure vacant structures, and clean, sanitary premises with escalating fines for repeat offenses.

Ridgewood Chapter 194 governs outdoor lighting, capping exposed light sources at one lumen per square foot and barring fixtures that create nuisance across property lines.

Ridgewood prohibits artificial lighting that creates a nuisance across residential lot lines or casts directly onto neighboring dwellings during nighttime use.

Ridgewood requires owners and managers of single-family, two-family, and multifamily rentals to register units and maintain compliance with housing standards including lead-based paint inspections.

Ridgewood requires all owners, lessees, and occupants to separate designated recyclables from trash with fines up to $1,000 for noncompliance.

Ridgewood collects household garbage at the rear or side yard twice weekly under Chapter 165, with strict container weight and capacity limits.

Ridgewood schedules bulk refuse pickup on certain Wednesdays and limits when oversized items may be placed at the curb for collection.

Ridgewood restricts when garbage and rubbish containers may be placed at the curb and requires removal by midnight on collection day.

Ridgewood Chapter 218 requires mobile food vendors, peddlers, solicitors, and canvassers to register with the Village Clerk and visibly display a Village-issued identification card.

Ridgewood prohibits any peddling, soliciting, or canvassing between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. and bars solicitors from approaching homes that post a clear no-solicitation notice.

Ridgewood Chapter 218 requires every peddler, solicitor, or canvasser to obtain a certificate of registration from the Village Clerk and visibly display a Village-issued identification card while working in the Village.

Ridgewood Chapter 212 sets specific hours for parks, the skate park, tennis, and pickleball courts, restricting after-hours use of village facilities.

Ridgewood limits principal residential buildings to thirty feet and two and one-half stories, allowing up to thirty-five feet only when steeper roof pitches and other Section 190-119D requirements are satisfied.

Ridgewood limits total above-grade structure coverage to twenty percent of the lot in residential zones, with an additional twenty percent cap on the area within two hundred feet of the front lot line.

Ridgewood Chapter 190 sets minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks that vary by residential zone district, with all yard setbacks measured perpendicular to the lot lines and front yards spanning the lot's full width.

Ridgewood requires every healthy qualified tree removed under permit to be replaced on site, or the property owner must pay $500 per missing replacement tree into the Village Tree Fund Escrow.

Ridgewood requires a permit from the Division of Engineering to remove any qualified tree of eight inches diameter at breast height or greater on private property under Chapter 260.

Ridgewood limits each person and each premises to no more than two garage sales per calendar year, each lasting up to two consecutive days.

Ridgewood requires a permit from the Village Clerk before conducting any garage, lawn, attic, rummage, flea market, or estate sale in residential zones.