Hamilton, NJ Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)

Article I of Chapter 228, Fire Prevention, lets the Fire Marshal, working with the Township Engineer and Fire Chief, designate fire emergency access lanes up to 35 feet wide across a building's frontage to guarantee unobstructed access for fire, police and other emergency apparatus. Section 228-3 spells out exactly how those lanes must be marked. All pavement markings must be yellow and made of reflectorized highway marking material. The curb itself is painted yellow, unless it is Belgium block, and the lane is striped to a minimum width of 18 feet where feasible, or 12 feet, or another width the Township Engineer sets.

Diagonal stripes within the lane must each be four inches wide and spaced five feet apart around the lane's perimeter. The words "No Parking Fire Lane" must appear within the striped boundary at intervals of no more than 100 feet, in eighteen-inch-high lettering when required, and matching signs, 12 inches by 18 inches with two-inch lettering on reflectorized white-and-red sheeting, must be posted at the lane's beginning and end at intervals no greater than 100 feet, mounted seven feet above grade. The property owner installs and maintains both the signs and the paint under the Township Engineer's direction.

No one may park, stand, or otherwise obstruct a properly marked fire lane, and the Police Division shares enforcement authority with the Fire Marshal. A property owner seeking relief can request a variance, decided at a meeting chaired by the Fire Marshal with the Township Engineer and Fire Chief or a designee.