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

Article II, Section 22 of the Passaic County Park Property Ordinance opens with the general fire rule, "No person shall start or maintain a fire, except in the places provided for such a purpose", then sets out specific grilling rules: "The use of a grill is allowed on park premises. Grills are not allowed on park tables or benches. If using charcoal, it must be taken with you when you leave. Deep fryers, torches, open fire pits, and bonfires are not allowed whatsoever. " The section draws a clear line between what is permitted and what is not: a portable grill is fine, but it cannot sit on a picnic table or bench, and any charcoal used must be packed out rather than dumped or left behind.

Deep fryers, torches, open fire pits and bonfires are banned without qualification, the ordinance uses the phrase "not allowed whatsoever," the strongest prohibition language in the section. The fire-ban clause overrides the general permission to grill: once the County posts an active fire ban, grilling stops entirely regardless of whether the fuel is charcoal, propane or another source. Because Article I, Section 1(b) applies the ordinance to "all the Park Property, golf course, facilities, parks, parkways, and playgrounds which are owned, leased, maintained or otherwise under the control of the County of Passaic," these grill rules govern every county park with picnic or cookout areas, not a single site.

A violation, a grill left on a table, an open fire pit, or grilling during a posted ban, is enforced through Article I, Section 1(c)'s Municipal Court process and the ordinance's closing penalty clause.