Paterson, NJ Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

The rule sits in Section 500-7.2, Supplementary Requirements for Off-Street Parking, part of Article V (Zoning) of the City of Paterson Land Development Ordinance. That article is the part of the April 2016 book certified as a true copy of the amendments the City Council adopted on February 9, 2016. It is a 2016 rule, so confirm with the City Clerk that it has not been amended since.

For one- and two-family dwellings, the text is flat: no off-street parking areas shall be placed in any required front yard. A driveway pad or gravel strip in the required front setback does not count as a parking area you are allowed to build there. Parking belongs beside or behind the house.

The side and rear yards carry their own standard. In all districts, a surface parking area can be located in a required side or rear yard, but it must be set back at least 3 feet from the property line. For townhouses, garden apartments, and low-rise and high-rise apartment buildings, all parking lots must be at least 8 feet from building lines.

The same section sets stall sizes. Minimum stalls are 9 feet wide, with a depth of 18 feet at 90 degrees and 22 feet for parallel parking. Angled parking at 30 and 45 degrees is allowed only with one-way drive areas.

The next section, 500-7.3, sets how many spaces a home needs. That count is set under N.J.A.C. 5:21 and the city's schedule: 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit for a two-bedroom one- or two-family home, 2.0 for three bedrooms, 2.5 for four and 3.0 for five. An applicant can ask the reviewing board to accept an alternative standard by showing it better reflects local conditions.

The section applies to off-street parking areas. The Land Development Ordinance is separate from the general code, which is why the City Clerk is named as the office of record for Chapter 483. A redevelopment plan adopted under New Jersey's Local Redevelopment and Housing Law can override these standards for the land it covers.