Ramapo, NY Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit at corners
- Shrubbery, hedge, fence, wall over 3 feet barred
- Tree limb clearance
- No lower than 8 feet
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Ramapo only, not villages
- Notice to fix
- 10 days after Highway Dept. notice
- Maximum penalty
- $250 fine or 60 days in jail
Summary
In unincorporated Ramapo, no hedge, fence or wall over three feet can stand in the sight-triangle at a street corner, and tree limbs there cannot hang lower than eight feet. The Highway Department gives 10 days to fix a violation before Police issue a summons, with fines up to $250 or 60 days in jail.
No shrubbery, hedge or other natural growth or fence (except a transparent fence such as chicken wire, in which the solid area is not more than 5% of the total area of the fence) or wall over three feet higher than the apex at the center line of the street shall be located within the triangular area shown shaded in Sketch A at the intersection of two roads, nor shall the limbs or foliage on any tree obstruct vision or be permitted to grow nearer to the ground than eight feet where such limbs or foliage overhangs or is over or upon land within the triangular area as shown in Sketch A.
Full Breakdown
Ramapo's Visual Road Obstruction Law, Chapter 243 Article II, applies only in the unincorporated area of the Town outside its villages (Section 243-8). Section 243-9 sets the actual limit: no shrubbery, hedge, other natural growth, wall, or fence over three feet higher than the apex at the center line of the street may stand inside the triangular sight-distance area at a road intersection, except a transparent fence such as chicken wire where the solid area is no more than 5% of the total; tree limbs and foliage over that same triangular area cannot be allowed to hang nearer to the ground than eight feet.
The Highway Department enforces the law: once it finds a violation of Section 243-9, it mails the property a written notice giving 10 days to comply (Section 243-10A). If the obstruction is still there after 10 days, the Police Department issues a summons returnable in Ramapo's Justice Court (Section 243-10B), and the Town Board can also authorize the Superintendent of Highways to remove the obstruction directly and bill the owner or occupant, with unpaid costs enforceable as a lien on the property (Section 243-10C, D).
Violations & Fines
A conviction under the Visual Road Obstruction Law is punishable by a fine of up to $250 or up to 60 days in jail, or both, under Section 243-11. Ignoring the 10-day compliance notice also exposes the owner to the cost of Town-ordered removal, which the Town can pursue as a lawsuit or file as a lien against the property under Section 243-10D.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a hedge or fence be at a Ramapo street corner?
How low can tree branches hang over a Ramapo corner sight-triangle?
What happens after the Highway Department flags a visual obstruction in Ramapo?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ramapo
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