101 local rules on file · Pop. 3,033 · Passaic County
Showing ordinances that apply to Pines Lake, NJ
Pines Lake is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 3,033 in Passaic County, New Jersey. Because Pines Lake is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Passaic County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Passaic County may have different rules.
Residential pool barriers in NJ must be at least 48 inches high with a self-closing, self-latching gate under the NJ Swimming Pool and Spa Code (Section 305). Public bathing pools follow N.J.A.C. 8:26-3.12, which requires a four-foot barrier with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
Passaic County sets no hot tub rule. Under the NJ Swimming Pool and Spa Code, a spa or hot tub with a lockable safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 is exempt from the barrier requirements. Otherwise the standard 48-inch pool barrier applies. Permits come from your municipality.
Passaic County does not issue residential pool permits. A private in-ground or above-ground pool needs a construction permit from your municipality's local UCC construction office under the NJ Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23). Public pools are regulated under N.J.A.C. 8:26.
Passaic County sets no residential pool safety rule; New Jersey's statewide Swimming Pool and Spa Code governs barriers, gate alarms, and covers, enforced by your municipality. Public bathing facilities follow N.J.A.C. 8:26 for supervision, water quality, and safety equipment.
Passaic County has no above-ground pool rule. In NJ, above-ground pools need a municipal construction permit and must meet the state Swimming Pool and Spa Code barrier rules. A pool wall at least 48 inches high can serve as the barrier if the ladder is removable or lockable.
Passaic County does not regulate fence height. Under New Jersey's home-rule system, each municipality (borough, township or city) sets fence height limits in its zoning ordinance. Typical NJ towns cap front-yard fences near 4 feet and rear/side fences near 6 feet. Check your municipal code.
Passaic County issues no fence permits for homes. Whether a fence permit is required, and its cost, is set by your municipality. Many NJ towns require a zoning permit before you build a fence; some also require a construction permit for tall or masonry fences. Ask your local building/zoning office.
Passaic County does not regulate residential retaining walls. Your municipality's zoning code sets height and placement, and the NJ Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23) can require an engineered design and construction permit for taller walls. Where a wall affects county-road drainage, the County Planning Board may review it as part
Passaic County has no boundary-fence law. Shared-fence and "good-neighbor" issues are governed by your municipality's zoning ordinance and by New Jersey property/common law. Disputes over cost-sharing, encroachment or a fence on the property line are typically private civil matters resolved by the towns and the courts.
Passaic County sets no general fence requirements. Design, placement, setbacks, corner sight-triangles and pool-barrier fencing are all governed by your municipality's zoning ordinance and the NJ Uniform Construction Code. Pool enclosures specifically must meet statewide barrier standards. Check your town code for everything else.
Passaic County places no restrictions on fence materials. If your town limits materials — for example barring barbed wire, electrified, or chain-link fences in front yards — that comes from the municipal zoning ordinance, not the county. Historic districts may add extra material rules. Check your local code.
There is no countywide list of allowed fence materials in Passaic County. Wood, vinyl, aluminum, PVC and chain-link are commonly used across NJ, but which are permitted where — and any front-yard or aesthetic limits — is decided by your municipality's zoning ordinance. Verify with your town before buying.
Passaic County does not set parking requirements for short-term rentals. Off-street parking minimums and on-street restrictions are municipal zoning matters under the Municipal Land Use Law. Check your borough or township code for guest-parking rules tied to the rental.
There is no Passaic County short-term rental registry. Registration, where required, is done at the municipal level. West Milford (Passaic County) requires owners to register and obtain a permit before operating a short-term rental under Township Code § 285-13.
Passaic County does not license short-term rentals. New Jersey vests land use in municipalities under the Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1), so any STR permit is issued by your borough, township, or city (e.g., West Milford requires a permit under Township Code § 285-13).
Passaic County levies no county hotel tax. Short-term rentals booked through a marketplace or professionally managed owe New Jersey's 6.625% Sales Tax plus a 5% State Occupancy Fee, and each Passaic County town may add a Municipal Occupancy Tax of up to 3%.
Passaic County does not require an STR host to be present. New Jersey towns decide this. Where required, ordinances usually mandate a local responsible party or contact rather than the owner living on site. West Milford requires a New Jersey-resident responsible party who can accept legal process.
Passaic County sets no maximum-guest rule for short-term rentals. Occupancy caps come from municipal ordinances and the state building/property-maintenance code. Where a town has an STR ordinance (e.g., West Milford § 285-13), guest limits are tied to bedrooms and code-safe capacity.
Short-term rental guests must obey the same noise limits as any resident. New Jersey's Noise Control Act model (N.J.A.C. 7:29) caps residential noise at 65 dBA daytime and 50 dBA at night at the property line; municipalities adopt and enforce it. West Milford ties STR permits to noise compliance.
Passaic County sets no limit on how many nights a home may be rented short-term. New Jersey leaves night caps to municipalities. West Milford (Passaic County) limits short-term rentals to a maximum number of rental days per year under its ordinance; confirm the current figure with the township.
Passaic County imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals. New Jersey leaves this to municipalities under home rule. Some towns limit STRs to owner-occupied or primary residences; others do not. West Milford permits rentals of dwellings without a statewide owner-occupancy mandate.
Passaic County does not mandate short-term rental insurance. Some municipalities do. West Milford Township requires owners to carry general liability coverage of at least $1,000,000 and name the township as an additional insured before operating a short-term rental under Code § 285-13.
Passaic County does not regulate vehicle noise. Loud exhaust and modified mufflers are governed by New Jersey state motor-vehicle law and enforced by local and county police; stationary commercial vehicle sound also falls under the statewide Noise Control Act.
Passaic County does not regulate barking dogs. Habitual-barking and dog-noise nuisances are handled by your municipality's ordinance and animal-control officer, backed by New Jersey's Noise Control Act sound limits at residential property lines.
Passaic County sets no general amplified-music rule. Loudspeakers and amplified sound are regulated by your municipality, backed by New Jersey's Noise Control Act, which caps continuous sound at 65 dBA (day) and 50 dBA (night) at residential property lines.
Passaic County itself sets no general quiet-hours ordinance. Quiet hours are set by your municipality (Paterson, Clifton, Passaic, Wayne, etc.), which enforces New Jersey's Noise Control Act limiting continuous sound to 50 dBA at residential property lines from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Passaic County does not set construction-hour limits. Permitted hours for construction and power tools are set by your municipality (borough, township, or city) under its local noise ordinance, guided by New Jersey's statewide Noise Control Act.
Passaic County has no leaf-blower ordinance. Any hour restrictions or decibel limits on leaf blowers and lawn equipment are set by your municipality, which enforces New Jersey's 65 dBA daytime / 50 dBA nighttime property-line limits.
Passaic County has no general outdoor-music ordinance, but its county parks require permits and set hours. Elsewhere, outdoor music is regulated by your municipality under New Jersey's Noise Control Act (65 dBA day / 50 dBA night at residential property lines).
Passaic County sets no separate decibel standard. New Jersey's statewide Noise Control Act (N.J.A.C. 7:29) caps continuous sound at any residential property line at 65 dBA from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., enforced by municipalities and the NJDEP.
Industrial noise in Passaic County is governed by New Jersey's statewide Noise Control Act, not a county ordinance. N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.2 caps continuous sound from any industrial facility at 65 dBA (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) and 50 dBA (10 p.m.-7 a.m.) at residential property lines.
Neither Passaic County nor New Jersey regulates aircraft noise. Aircraft operations and noise are governed by the FAA under federal law, which preempts local curfews and noise limits. County and municipal power is limited to compatible land-use planning near airports.
Passaic County does not regulate backyard fire pits; each municipality and its fire official enforce the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code. Recreational fires in an approved container must be kept at least 15 feet from any structure.
Recreational backyard fires are allowed under the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code, enforced by your town, not the county. Fires must be in an approved container, kept clear of structures, attended, and never used to burn trash.
New Jersey does not use California-style wildfire hazard zones, but the state Forest Fire Service manages wildfire risk in Passaic County's forested north, and can impose stage restrictions banning open and ground fires during high danger.
Open burning of rubbish, garbage, leaves, and plant waste is prohibited statewide by NJDEP rules that apply throughout Passaic County. Only permitted recreational fires and specific permitted burns are allowed.
New Jersey bans consumer fireworks countywide, but since 2017 hand-held and ground-based sparkling devices and novelties (like sparklers and snakes) are legal for anyone 16 or older. Aerials, firecrackers, and Roman candles stay illegal.
Passaic County sets no defensible-space brush-clearance mandate; New Jersey handles overgrowth through municipal property-maintenance codes and the state Forest Fire Service in wildfire-prone areas like West Milford and Ringwood.
Passaic County does not set propane-storage limits; the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code adopts NFPA 58 statewide. Residential grill cylinders are limited in size, and larger tanks trigger permit and clearance requirements.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements are set statewide by the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code (N.J.A.C. 5:70-4.19), not by Passaic County. A compliance certificate is required before any home is sold or re-rented.
Passaic County does not set on-street parking rules for local streets. Under New Jersey's traffic law, each municipality regulates parking, standing, and stopping on its own streets. County-road parking is limited and handled by the County only through its road and access permit process.
How you use your residential driveway is set by your municipality. But if your driveway connects to a Passaic County road, you need a County road-access permit from the County Engineering Department before building or altering the driveway apron.
Passaic County does not regulate residential commercial-vehicle parking. Each municipality does. Many Passaic County towns, including Paterson, bar overnight street parking of commercial vehicles in residential zones, and towns like Wayne restrict commercial trailers in yards.
Passaic County has no ordinance on parking oversized vehicles at homes or on streets. Municipalities regulate this through their zoning and parking codes, often barring large RVs, box trucks, and trailers from front yards and overnight street parking.
Passaic County does not create curbside loading zones. Municipalities designate and enforce loading zones on their streets under New Jersey traffic law. On a county road, changes to the curb or a new loading area require a County road permit.
Passaic County has no countywide overnight-parking ban. Whether you can park on the street overnight depends entirely on your municipality. Several Passaic County towns, including Paterson, prohibit overnight on-street parking of commercial vehicles in residential areas.
Passaic County does not regulate where you park an RV, boat, or trailer at a home. That is municipal home-rule zoning. Most Passaic County towns bar recreational vehicles and boats from front yards and driveways, allowing them only in a side or rear yard.
Abandoned vehicles are governed by New Jersey state law, not a Passaic County ordinance. Under N.J.S.A. 39:4-56.5, a vehicle left on a highway, public property, or private property without consent for more than 48 hours, or with no current plates, is presumed abandoned.
Passaic County does not set curb-painting or curb-color parking rules. Curb markings (such as no-parking or fire-zone colors) and any restriction on painting the curb are set and enforced by your municipality. Curb work on a county road needs a County permit.
Passaic County has no EV-charging parking ordinance. New Jersey's statewide EV law requires new or reconstructed multifamily developments of five or more units to make 15% of off-street parking EV make-ready, and it standardizes how towns must permit chargers.
New Jersey law prohibits breed-specific bans. No municipality may declare a dog dangerous based on breed alone; instead, courts declare individual dogs potentially dangerous or vicious under N.J.S.A. 4:19-23 based on their conduct.
Passaic County sets no exotic-pet rule. New Jersey regulates exotic and wild animals statewide: a state permit from the Division of Fish and Wildlife is required to keep 'potentially dangerous species' under N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.
Passaic County sets no limit on the number of pets per household. Pet-count limits and kennel-license thresholds are set by each municipality, and New Jersey requires a kennel license once a certain number of dogs is reached.
Passaic County sets no beekeeping rule. New Jersey registers beekeepers at the state level through the Department of Agriculture, and local hive placement and setbacks are governed by your municipal zoning ordinance.
New Jersey bans intentionally feeding black bears statewide, with a civil penalty up to $1,000. This applies across Passaic County, including bear-active western townships like West Milford and Ringwood. Municipalities may add rules for other wildlife.
New Jersey's animal-cruelty law makes it unlawful to fail to provide necessary care to animals. Under 2022 amendments, animal hoarding is a fourth-degree crime carrying a $1,000-$3,000 civil penalty. This applies across Passaic County.
New Jersey requires every dog of licensing age to be licensed annually by its municipality. Leash-at-large control is set by your borough, township, or city ordinance. Passaic County parks require dogs to be leashed at all times.
Passaic County sets no rule on backyard chickens or livestock. New Jersey is strong home-rule: your municipality zones and regulates whether hens, roosters, or livestock are permitted under the Municipal Land Use Law.
Passaic County does not regulate livestock. New Jersey's Right to Farm Act protects commercial farms, but whether you may keep goats, horses, pigs, or cattle on a residential lot is decided by your municipality's zoning ordinance.
Passaic County sets no cat rule. Many New Jersey municipalities require cats to be licensed and vaccinated against rabies. Check your borough, township, or city for cat licensing and free-roaming or TNR provisions.
Passaic County sets no weed ordinance. New Jersey's N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.13 authorizes each municipality to order removal of weeds, ragweed, brush and obnoxious growths after notice. Enforcement is local — Paterson, Passaic City, Clifton and other towns each set their own rules.
Under New Jersey's MS4 stormwater mandate, every Passaic County municipality had to adopt a tree removal/replacement ordinance by May 1, 2024. Removing trees over the local size threshold typically requires a permit and replacement of the tree — the exact rules are municipal.
Passaic County has no ordinance governing how residents trim trees on private land. Routine trimming of your own trees is generally allowed. Street trees in the public right-of-way and shade-tree matters are handled by your municipality or its shade-tree commission.
Passaic County does not require or restrict native-plant landscaping on private property. New Jersey promotes native plants for stormwater and pollinator benefits, but any landscaping standards are set by your municipality's ordinances and site-plan rules.
Passaic County does not set a grass-height limit. New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.13) empowers each municipality — Paterson, Clifton, Wayne, West Milford and others — to require owners to cut overgrown grass and weeds. Typical local limits are 8–10 inches.
Passaic County does not set watering rules. New Jersey (NJDEP) issued a statewide Drought Warning on December 5, 2025, urging voluntary conservation. Mandatory watering limits, when they apply, are imposed by NJDEP or your local water supplier — not the county.
Rain barrels and rooftop rainwater harvesting are legal statewide in New Jersey, and Passaic County places no limits on them. State law bars state and local governments from charging a fee to install or operate a residential non-potable capture system.
Passaic County does not regulate artificial turf on residential yards. Whether you can install synthetic grass — and any drainage, coverage or permit conditions — depends on your municipality's zoning and stormwater ordinances.
Passaic County does not regulate backyard composting. New Jersey encourages home composting to divert yard and food waste, but any placement, container or nuisance rules come from your municipality's property-maintenance or zoning code.
Cottage food is regulated by the State of New Jersey, not Passaic County. Since 2021, home producers of non-perishable foods must get a Cottage Food Operator Permit ($100, valid two years) under N.J.A.C. 8:24-11, with sales capped at $50,000 per year.
Home daycare is regulated by the State of New Jersey, not Passaic County. A family child care home caring for three to five children must register under N.J.A.C. 3A:54 (Family Day Care Provider Registration Act). Registration is processed through the county Child Care Resource and Referral agency.
Passaic County does not issue home-occupation permits. Whether a permit or zoning approval is needed is set by your municipality under the Municipal Land Use Law. Most NJ towns require a zoning permit and compliance with home-occupation conditions.
Passaic County does not regulate home-business signs. Sign rules for home occupations are set by each municipality under the Municipal Land Use Law. Many NJ towns prohibit or strictly limit home-occupation signage to preserve residential character.
Passaic County does not zone home businesses. Land use is set by each municipality under New Jersey's Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.). Whether a home occupation is allowed, and its conditions, depends on your borough, township, or city zoning ordinance.
Passaic County does not regulate sheds. Maximum shed size, setbacks from property lines, and whether a permit is required are all set by your borough, township, or city zoning ordinance under New Jersey's Municipal Land Use Law.
Passaic County does not zone land, so it has no accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules. Whether you can build an in-law suite or backyard unit is decided by your borough, township, or city under New Jersey's Municipal Land Use Law. Check your municipal zoning ordinance.
Passaic County has no rules on converting a garage into living space. Whether it is allowed, and any parking-replacement requirements, are decided by your municipality's zoning ordinance and enforced under the NJ Uniform Construction Code.
Passaic County has no tiny-home ordinance. Whether a tiny house on a foundation or on wheels is allowed depends on your municipality's zoning and on the NJ Uniform Construction Code minimums. The county does not zone residential land.
Passaic County does not regulate carports. Whether you can build one, and its size and setbacks, are set by your borough, township, or city zoning ordinance under New Jersey's Municipal Land Use Law.
Passaic County has no ordinance on backyard smokers. Wood and charcoal smokers follow the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code's grill and open-flame provisions, and persistent smoke can be addressed as a municipal nuisance.
Passaic County sets no residential grilling rule. New Jersey's Uniform Fire Code restricts where LP-gas and charcoal grills may be used, especially near multifamily buildings, while single-family home grilling is largely unrestricted.
Passaic County does not set building setbacks. Front, side and rear yard setbacks are established by your municipality's zoning ordinance for each zone. The county reviews subdivisions and non-residential site plans only where they affect county roads or drainage — single-family development is excluded from that county review.
Passaic County does not set lot-coverage limits. The maximum percentage of your lot that buildings and impervious surfaces may cover is fixed by your municipality's zoning ordinance for each district. The county does not review single-family residential coverage. Check your town's zoning schedule.
Passaic County does not set building height limits. Maximum building height and number of stories are fixed by your municipality's zoning ordinance for each zone under the NJ Municipal Land Use Law. The county does not review single-family residential height. Check your town's zoning schedule.
Passaic County does not regulate garage-sale signs. Whether you can post them, where, and for how long is set by your borough, township, or city ordinance. Many towns ban signs in the public right-of-way and require prompt removal after the sale.
Passaic County does not regulate yard signs. Political-sign rules come from your municipality, but the First Amendment sharply limits how towns can restrict them. Courts have struck down bans and durational limits on political and other noncommercial yard signs.
Container placement and set-out times are set by your municipality, not the county. Passaic County's district recycling plan requires each town to adopt collection rules; NJDEP's model ordinance sets recyclables between curb and sidewalk on collection days.
There is no countywide grass-height or weed limit in Passaic County. New Jersey grants municipalities authority under N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.13 to require removal of brush, weeds, and tall grass, and each town sets its own height limit.
Passaic County sets no countywide property-maintenance or blight code. New Jersey delegates land-use and nuisance-abatement power to each municipality under the Municipal Land Use Law, so your borough, township, or city defines and enforces blight standards.
Passaic County does not regulate garage or yard sales. New Jersey municipalities license and limit them, often capping the number of sales per year and requiring a permit, so check your borough, township, or city clerk.
Passaic County sets no vacant-lot maintenance code. New Jersey municipalities regulate weeds, debris, and overgrowth on vacant lots under their local property-maintenance ordinances and the state Abandoned Properties Rehabilitation Act.
Bin placement is set by municipal ordinance under Passaic County's district plan. NJDEP's model recycling ordinance, adopted by towns, requires containers between the curb and sidewalk within set set-out hours.
Passaic County plans solid waste district-wide but does not collect curbside trash. Under the county district recycling plan, each of the 16 municipalities runs collection and mandatory source separation of designated recyclables.
Bulky-item pickup is arranged by your municipality, not Passaic County. The county coordinates the district solid-waste plan and operates recycling drop-off programs, but curbside bulk collection and appliance rules are municipal.
Illegal dumping is a state offense enforced across Passaic County. New Jersey littering fines run $100-$500 for a first offense, and illegal dumping under the Solid Waste Management Act can bring fines up to $50,000 and vehicle forfeiture.
Recycling is mandatory. New Jersey's Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act requires all residents and businesses in Passaic County to separate designated recyclables from trash, as set in the county district recycling plan.
Passaic County has no county-wide dark-sky or outdoor-lighting ordinance for homes. Lighting standards such as shielding and glare limits are adopted by individual municipalities under New Jersey's Municipal Land Use Law, often within site-plan and zoning rules.
Passaic County does not enforce light-trespass rules. Whether a neighbor's floodlight shining onto your property violates any standard depends on your municipality's lighting ordinance. Absent a local rule, persistent glare may be pursued as a private nuisance.
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Passaic County ordinances.