North Hempstead, NY Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Clearing deadline
- 4 hours after snow stops falling
- Overnight exclusion
- 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. not counted
- Who must clear it
- Owner, lessee, tenant or occupant
- First-offense fine
- Up to $250
- Repeat offense fine
- $500 to $1,000
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
Summary
North Hempstead property owners, tenants and occupants must clear snow, ice, dirt or debris from the sidewalk fronting their property within four hours after snow stops falling, with overnight hours between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. excluded from that clock.
Every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant, or other person in charge of any property within the Town shall remove snow, ice, dirt or any other object or material from any sidewalk between such property line and the curbline of all adjacent streets within four hours after snow has ceased to fall or after the deposit of any dirt, object or other material upon such sidewalks. The period between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. shall not be included in computing such requirements.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4892187; v82 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
L. No. 2-2004, requires "every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant, or other person in charge of any property within the Town" to remove snow, ice, dirt or any other object or material from the sidewalk between the property line and the curbline within four hours after snow has ceased to fall, or after the dirt or material was deposited. to clear the walk. Subsection D makes clear this duty stacks with, and does not replace, the separate cleanliness requirement in § 28-22 of the Code. The obligation runs to whoever is "in charge of" the property, so a tenant or property manager can be cited along with or instead of the record owner.
This sits in Chapter 48, Article IV, "Cleaning and Obstruction," alongside the general year-round duty in § 48-10(B) to keep the sidewalk clean and in good repair, and the litter-dumping prohibition in § 48-10(C). The rule applies only within the unincorporated Town; the incorporated villages inside North Hempstead's boundaries, such as Great Neck Plaza or Manorhaven, set their own snow-clearing deadlines under their own codes.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the four-hour snow-clearing deadline is punishable under § 48-12: up to $250 for a first offense, $250 to $500 for a second offense within one year of a prior conviction, and $500 to $1,000 for a third or later offense within one year of a second conviction. Each day the uncleared condition continues is treated as a separate, additional offense, so an unshoveled walk left for several days can generate multiple citations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to shovel my sidewalk after it snows in North Hempstead?
Who is on the hook if I rent out my North Hempstead property?
What's the fine for not clearing snow from a sidewalk?
Does the four-hour rule apply inside villages within the Town?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Hempstead
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