Clifton, NJ Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Clifton Code Section 383-1, last amended in March 2024, requires the owner or tenant in possession of land abutting or bordering a public street's sidewalks and gutters to remove all snow and ice within 24 hours after it falls or forms. If that deadline is missed, Section 383-2 lets the City Manager or a designee remove the snow and certify the cost to the Municipal Council; once the Council confirms the amount, it becomes a lien and tax on the land, added to the property's next tax bill and bearing interest, collected the same way as ordinary taxes.

Section 383-3 separately bans shoveling, throwing or depositing snow or ice onto any street the City or a utility has already plowed or cleaned, and holds an owner responsible if they allow someone else to do it on their behalf. A second article covers high-rise apartments, garden apartment developments and other multifamily structures: Section 383-5 gives owners or operators of shared pathways, roads, sidewalks and parking lots only 12 hours to clear snow and ice after it falls, half the single-family deadline, reflecting the higher foot traffic those common areas see.

Enforcement for both articles runs through the Clifton Police Department, the City Engineer, the Director of Public Works, Code Enforcement Officers or the City Manager under Sections 383-4 and 383-6.