Hackensack, NJ Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Section 148-24, in Chapter 148's Article III (Obstructions and Encroachments), is Hackensack's mechanism for temporarily and lawfully placing material in the public right-of-way. The default rule is a flat prohibition: no one may obstruct a street or public place with stored building material, other material or merchandise, or let it sit there longer than needed to move it onto private property, unless a permit has first been issued under the general permitting procedure in Section 148-6. Once granted, the permit is time-limited: it expires 30 days after issuance unless the applicant obtains an extension, so a contractor staging materials for a renovation cannot treat an initial permit as open-ended.

The ordinance also caps how much of the street the permit can cover, limiting any single obstruction to no more than one-third of the roadway's width at any one point, protecting the remaining travel lanes. The application itself must state, in addition to the general information Section 148-6B requires, the kind and character of the material to be stored, its exact location, and the maximum length of time the obstruction will continue. Beyond those baseline terms, the Superintendent of Public Works can attach further conditions to any individual permit, including requirements to keep the sidewalk open for pedestrian travel and any other conditions deemed necessary for public safety and convenience, giving the City case-by-case control over how a right-of-way encroachment is staged.