Stafford Township, NJ Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 68-2B of the Stafford Township Code, adopted pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.26, is the Township's roadside clearance rule. Every owner or tenant of lands lying within the Township must keep all brush, hedges, fences and other obstructions that are within 10 feet of any roadway and within 20 feet of any intersection of two roadways cut to a height of not more than 2 1/2 feet, measured from the grade at the curbline or as delineated in § 130-71, entitled "Sight triangles." An owner or tenant notified by the designated official of the Township that he or she is in violation has 10 days after the notice to cut the growth. The section speaks of brush, hedges, fences and obstructions, so it is a sight-line height rule rather than an overhead pruning standard.

If the notice is ignored, § 68-3 gives the Township the right to provide for removal of the brush, hedges, shrubs or other obstructions under the direction of an officer of the municipality once the 10 days run out. Under § 68-4 the officer certifies the cost to the governing body, which charges it against the property; the amount becomes a lien added to the next taxes, bearing interest at the same rate as other taxes and collected by the Tax Collector.

Two other chapters touch tree limbs. Section 158-1.2 revises Section 702.1 of the International Property Maintenance Code to require "appropriate fire access," defined as an area 23 feet wide by 15 feet high, on the exterior premises of all properties, taking into account potential obstructions including tree limbs, utility wires and lighting fixtures. Chapter 194 defines a nuisance tree as one that obstructs the view of traffic signs or the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles, among other conditions, and § 194-7F allows nuisance trees to be removed with no fee or replacement requirement. Section 194-8 assigns enforcement to the Zoning Officer, Code Enforcement Officer, Township Engineer, Township Planner and Police Department.