Hackensack, NJ Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- License required in
- B-1 and B-2 zones only
- Application/license fee
- $100 combined
- Operating season
- April 1 through October 31
- Daily hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Minimum clear sidewalk width
- 4 feet
- License expires
- annually, March 1
- Reviewing official
- Health Officer
Summary
Hackensack requires a license to operate an outdoor cafe on public sidewalks in the city's B-1 and B-2 business zones under Chapter 116. The $100 annual license runs from April 1 through October 31, requires four feet of unobstructed pedestrian path, and limits service to 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., with the Health Officer reviewing applications and the city reserving the right to suspend a license on short notice.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish a procedure and authorize rules and regulation thereunder for the licensing of outdoor cafes in the B-1 and B-2 Zones of the City of Hackensack. ... It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation, association or organization of any kind (hereinafter collectively referred to as "person") to create, establish, operate, maintain or otherwise be engaged in the business of conducting an outdoor cafe upon the sidewalks of the City of Hackensack unless such person shall hold a currently valid license issued pursuant to the terms of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4592721; v20 updated 2026-01-06; through 01-06-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 116, adopted May 5, 1997 by Ordinance 7-97, sets up the licensing scheme for restaurants that want to serve customers on the public sidewalk in front of their business, limited to Hackensack's B-1 and B-2 zones. Section 116-3 makes it unlawful to operate an outdoor cafe without a currently valid license, and § 116-4 conditions issuance on the establishment already holding approved indoor seating, keeping at least four feet of unobstructed paved sidewalk open for pedestrians, not displacing required parking, and preparing all food and drink inside rather than at the outdoor tables.
The application goes to the Health Officer, who reviews it with the Department of Community Affairs and must act within 10 business days of a complete submission. under § 116-22. daily, and post no unauthorized signage or vending machines.
Violations & Fines
Operating an outdoor cafe without a valid license, or after a license is suspended or revoked, is unlawful under §§ 116-3 and 116-12B. The City Manager can suspend or revoke a license for noncompliance with the chapter or violation of any other applicable law, and the city can also suspend or modify a license on 10 days' written notice for safety or utility reasons, or immediately in a certified emergency; a licensee has no property right in a license and the revocable license carries no entitlement to continuation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put tables on the sidewalk outside my Hackensack restaurant?
What hours can a Hackensack sidewalk cafe stay open?
How much sidewalk space does a Hackensack cafe have to leave clear?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hackensack
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