Hoboken, NJ Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Section 136-2A(15) of the Nuisances chapter makes it the responsibility of the property owner, or the adjacent owner for sidewalk growth, to keep weeds and other vegetation from accumulating on private premises or in any public place. The six-inch cap in Subsection (a) exempts healthy specimen trees, ornamental grasses, shrubs or plants grown in a tended and cultivated garden, but growth of any height still violates the chapter if it harbors refuse, trash or animal waste, harbors rodents, insects or vermin, gives off noxious odors, creates a fire or traffic hazard, or has grown to tree height under Subsections (b) through (f).

Ragweed gets its own separate ban under Subsection (17) regardless of height. In October 2024, Ordinance B-708 added Subsection (40), prohibiting the use of glyphosate, the broad-spectrum herbicide N-(Phosphonomethyl)glycine, on private property citywide, so a property owner cannot simply spray overgrown lots to stay under the six-inch line. The Health Department and Environmental Services Sanitation Inspectors enforce both provisions. Beyond fines, Section 136-9 lets the City itself remove brush, weeds and obnoxious growths from a private lot after 10 days' written notice, then bill the owner and place a lien on the property if the owner does not pay, so an uncut lot can end up costing more than the fine alone.