Hackensack, NJ Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 3 feet for brush/hedges near sidewalks, roadways
- Trigger zone
- Within 10 ft of sidewalk/roadway
- Intersection zone
- Within 25 ft of a road intersection
- Notice period
- 7 to 14 days to comply
- Nonpayment
- Becomes a lien on the property
- Issuing officer
- Superintendent of Public Works
Summary
Hackensack requires owners and tenants to keep brush, hedges and other plant life trimmed to no more than three feet tall within 10 feet of a sidewalk or roadway and within 25 feet of a street intersection, under Chapter 68. Owners must also remove brush, weeds, dead trees and other obnoxious growth or debris once the Superintendent of Public Works issues a written notice.
All owners or tenants of land lying within the limits of the city are hereby required to remove or cause to be removed from such lands and from abutting sidewalks and gutters any brush, grass, weeds, dead or dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious filth, growth, garbage and debris or other such impediments when notified as provided in § 68-3 below. ... All owners or tenants of land lying within the limits of the city wherein or whereupon brush, hedges and other plant life are growing within 10 feet of any sidewalk or roadway and within 25 feet of the intersection of two roadways are hereby required to keep the same cut and trimmed to a height of not more than three feet. ... Such notices shall contain a brief statement of the removal required to be effected or of the violation to be corrected and shall specify a time period of not less than seven nor more than 14 days within which such work shall be completed. ... Unless such charges are paid within said thirty-day period, the cost aforesaid shall become a lien upon the lands involved and shall be collected as provided by N.J.R.S. 40:48-2.14.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4592721; v20 updated 2026-01-06; through 01-06-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 68 of the City Code, first adopted in 1948, splits landscaping enforcement into a general clean-up duty and a specific height limit. Section 68-1 requires owners or tenants of land in the city to remove brush, grass, weeds, dead or dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious filth, growth, garbage and debris from their land and abutting sidewalks and gutters once notified under § 68-3. Section 68-2 sets the height standard for growing plant life: brush, hedges and other plant life within 10 feet of any sidewalk or roadway, and within 25 feet of an intersection of two roadways, must be kept cut and trimmed to no more than three feet tall.
Section 68-3 requires the Superintendent of Public Works to issue a written notice describing the required removal or violation, giving the owner or tenant between 7 and 14 days to complete the work. S. 14.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 68 enforces compliance through cost recovery rather than a court fine: if an owner or tenant ignores a § 68-3 notice, the city performs the brush, weed or hedge-trimming work itself under § 68-4 and bills the owner or tenant, due within 30 days of the charge. An unpaid bill becomes a lien on the property under N.J.R.S. 40:48-2.14, certified by the Superintendent of Public Works to the Tax Collector and City Council for collection with the next tax levy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my hedge be near a Hackensack sidewalk?
What happens if I don't clear weeds after a Hackensack notice?
Who enforces Hackensack's brush and weed rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hackensack
How Hackensack compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Hackensack to another location·View the New Jersey landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.