Toms River, NJ Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Chapter 450, Article II, Rubbish and Refuse on Streets and Sidewalks, readopted December 9, 2008 by Ord. No. 4168-08 (replacing a 1973 rule from Ord. No. 1378, Ch. 132, Art. IV), sets out two companion bans. Section 450-2 makes it unlawful for any person or corporation to throw, sweep into, or otherwise deposit broken glass, metal, wood, paper, or any other kind of litter, refuse or dirt in or upon any street, avenue or sidewalk in the Township. Section 450-3 closes the obvious loophole: it is equally unlawful to sweep or otherwise move that same litter, refuse or dirt from a sidewalk into the adjoining road, avenue or street rather than disposing of it.

Both sections apply broadly to any person or corporation, so a business sweeping debris off its storefront sidewalk into the gutter is covered just like an individual resident. The Code's own cross-references route related conduct to other chapters: garbage, refuse and general solid waste are separately addressed in Chapter 442, and outdoor food stands, sidewalk sales and peddling carry their own rules in Chapters 316, 348 and 391.

Article II does not print its own fine schedule the way neighboring articles in Chapter 450 do, Article I sets a flat $5 fine for sidewalk bicycling, Article III fines snow-removal lapses $100 to $1,000 per day, and Articles VI and VIII cap street-excavation and right-of-way violations at $2,000 and 90 days. No comparable dollar figure or jail term appears attached specifically to §§ 450-2 or 450-3 in the chapter as adopted.