Bayonne, NJ Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

Bayonne City Code § 19-9.b(1) amends Uniform Fire Code section F-402.4 (Portable LP Gas Cooking Equipment) to bar portable charcoal and LP gas cooking equipment such as barbecue grills from five specific locations: on any porch, balcony, or other portion of a building; within any room or space of a building; within 10 feet of any combustible exterior wall; within 10 feet, vertically or horizontally, of any opening in a wall; and under any building overhang. This reaches the balcony and porch use common in Bayonne's multifamily rental stock along the peninsula, effectively pushing charcoal and LP gas grilling to open ground away from structures.

The same amendment separately bans using flammable liquids such as gasoline or lighter fluid substitutes to light or sustain a charcoal fire. The Uniform Fire Code is locally enforced by the Bayonne Bureau of Fire Prevention within the Bayonne Fire Department under § 19-2, covering all buildings and premises except owner-occupied one- and two-family dwellings used exclusively for residential purposes. A property owner seeking relief from the 10-foot clearance or overhang restriction may apply to the Fire Official for a variance under § 19-10, consistent with N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.14.