Bayonne, NJ Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Bayonne City Code § 21-32.2 requires anyone operating a sidewalk cafe, defined as an extension of a restaurant seating more than two tables on the sidewalk, or outdoor seating limited to two tables of four chairs, to obtain a license from the Division of Health before opening. Applicants file a development plan under § 21-32.4 describing the layout, seating capacity and pedestrian clearance; the Health Officer routes it to the Fire Chief, Uniform Construction Code Official, Community Development and the Bureau of Zoning and Planning, who must report outstanding code violations within five business days, after which the Health Officer approves or denies within 10 business days.

Section 21-32.10 confines cafes to the Urban Enterprise Zone, C-1, C-2, CBD, ORS, UBD, TDD, TDO, HC and BMHO Zones plus the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor and named redevelopment areas, operating only from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., April 1 through October 31, with a minimum five-foot pedestrian passageway. Section 21-32.8 sets license fees at $275 for a sidewalk cafe and $125 for outdoor seating, renewable annually for a term running January 1 to December 31 under § 21-32.9; the City may temporarily suspend a license if the sidewalk is needed for public work.

Before licensing, § 21-32.5 requires $1,000,000 in bodily-injury and $100,000 property-damage insurance naming the City as additional insured, plus an indemnification agreement (§ 21-32.6) and a maintenance agreement backed by up to a $10,000 bond (§ 21-32.7) to cover sidewalk damage. Alcohol service requires a separate extension approval under § 21-32.11 tied to the restaurant's existing liquor license.