Newark, NJ Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Removal deadline
- 12 hours after daylight following snowfall
- Multi-family duty
- First-floor tenant is responsible
- City removal cost
- Becomes a tax lien on the property
- Max fine (default penalty)
- Up to $1,250, § 1:1-9
- Snow pile limit
- No more than 6 feet from curbline
Summary
Newark property owners and tenants must clear snow and ice from abutting sidewalks and gutters within 12 hours of daylight after it falls. Multi-family buildings put the duty on the first-floor tenant, and the Department of Engineering can do the work itself and lien the property for the cost.
The owners or tenants of lands abutting or bordering upon the sidewalks and gutters of public streets, or public places in the City, are hereby required to remove all snow and ice from the travelled portion of the sidewalks and from the gutters within 12 hours of daylight after the same shall be formed or fall thereon. In cases where the building is occupied by more than one family, then the tenant or tenants of the first floor or story thereof are hereby required to remove all snow and ice from such portion of the sidewalks and gutters within 12 hours of daylight after the same shall be formed or fall thereon.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5019615; v61 updated 2026-06-17; through 06-17-2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 29:17-1 puts the removal duty on "owners or tenants of lands abutting or bordering upon the sidewalks and gutters of public streets, or public places," and sets a 12-hour clock measured "of daylight after the same shall be formed or fall thereon" rather than from the moment snow stops. Where a building holds more than one family, the ordinance shifts the job specifically to "the tenant or tenants of the first floor or story," so upper-floor tenants are not on the hook.
If an owner or tenant ignores the duty, § 29:17-2 lets the Director of Engineering remove the snow and ice directly, then certify the cost to the City Council; once verified, that cost becomes a lien against the abutting land, is added to the property's tax bill, and draws interest at the same rate as delinquent taxes. § 29:17-4 makes it unlawful to shovel snow or ice from private property onto the public sidewalk or roadway. The lien remedy in § 29:17-2 is stated to operate "in addition to the penalties provided in the chapter," meaning the City can both bill the cost to the property and separately prosecute the underlying violation.
Violations & Fines
Failing to clear the sidewalk within 12 hours of daylight, or obstructing the gutter, is punishable under the chapter's general penalty clause, § 29:17-6, which applies the citywide default fine schedule of § 1:1-9: a fine of up to $1,250, up to 90 days imprisonment, or up to 90 days of community service, and each day of continued violation is charged as a separate offense. Independent of any court fine, the City can remove the snow itself under § 29:17-2 and place a tax lien on the property for the full cost of that removal, which then accrues interest at the tax rate until paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to shovel snow in Newark?
Who is responsible in a multi-family building?
What happens if I never shovel?
Can I pile shoveled snow in the street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newark
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