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Hackensack, NJ Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section: § 117-6(O), added Ord. 37-2015
Rule: Grilling limited to designated park grill areas
Scope: City parks only, not private property
Residential smoker rule: None found citywide
Default penalty: Up to $2,000 fine or 90 days

Summary

Hackensack confines outdoor grilling on City parkland to designated grill areas under § 117-6(O), added in 2015. Bringing a grill or grilling device anywhere else in a park, or cooking food outside a marked grill area, is a park-conduct violation. The code has no separate citywide rule for residential backyard smokers or grills.

§ 117-6. Miscellaneous prohibited activities. In public parks and public areas, no person shall: ... ... O. Bring a grill or grilling device into a park, or grill or cook food in any location except where designated grills are located.

View official code

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

Section 117-6, "Miscellaneous prohibited activities," subsection O, added by Ord. No. 37-2015 on September 28, 2015, prohibits bringing a grill or grilling device into a City park, or grilling or cooking food anywhere in a park except where the City has placed designated grills. It sits within a broader list of park conduct rules in § 117-6 covering gambling, indecent language, alcohol possession, littering and posting signs, all enforced the same way. The provision addresses only City-owned parkland; it does not reach private residential property, so a homeowner grilling or smoking meat in a backyard is not covered by this section or by any other citywide grilling ordinance found in the code. Anyone using a grill outside a designated park grill area can be directed to stop and removed from the park facility under § 117-1(A), which authorizes removal and legal action for any violation of a Chapter 117 rule.

Violations & Fines

Violating the grill-location rule is enforced under § 117-1(A), which allows removal from the park facility, and the offense carries the citywide penalty in § 1-15: a fine of up to $2,000, imprisonment of up to 90 days, or both, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my own grill to a Hackensack park?

No. Section 117-6(O) prohibits bringing a grill or grilling device into a City park, or cooking food anywhere in a park, except at the designated grill areas the City has installed there.

Does this rule apply to my backyard smoker at home?

No. Section 117-6(O) only regulates grilling and cooking on City parkland; Hackensack's code does not contain a separate citywide ordinance restricting residential outdoor grills or smokers on private property.

What happens if I'm caught grilling outside a designated park area?

You can be ordered to stop and removed from the park under § 117-1(A), and the violation carries the Code's general penalty under § 1-15: up to a $2,000 fine, up to 90 days' imprisonment, or both.

Sources & Official References

[1]eCode360 - Code of the City of Hackensack

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