Old Bridge, NJ Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Zoning permit, § 320-3
- Service hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Furniture removal
- Indoors by 10:30 p.m.
- Seating cap
- 8 seats per location
- Max fine
- $1,250 per day, § 320-6
- Repeat violators
- Barred next season, § 320-5(G)
Summary
Old Bridge Township requires a zoning permit before any restaurant can offer outdoor seating on adjacent property or a sidewalk, under Chapter 320, Outdoor Dining. Service is limited to 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with tables and chairs off the sidewalk by 10:30 p.m., and no outdoor seating area may exceed eight seats.
but at no point shall an outdoor seating area exceed eight seats. ... Except as otherwise provided herein, it shall be unlawful to offer outdoor seating without first obtaining a zoning permit as required by this chapter and by otherwise complying with all other applicable statutes, regulations, and ordinances. ... The hours for outdoor service shall be between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. unless otherwise approved by variance and/or land use application. All tables, chairs and equipment shall be removed and placed securely indoors no later than 10:30 p.m. ... Any applicant who has been found in violation of any ordinance, statute, or regulation involving the outdoor seating area or its operation shall be barred from applying for an outdoor seating permit for the next season after the violation. ... Any person convicted of a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $1,250 as set forth in the Code of the Township of Old Bridge, as may be amended. Each violation of a section or subsection of this chapter, and each day that a violation continues, shall constitute a separate offense.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 320, adopted by Ordinance No. 2018-15, lets local restaurants set up tables and chairs on adjacent private property or on public and private sidewalks, but only under Township Engineer and Zoning Officer oversight and only if the equipment meets New Jersey Administrative Code food-service standards at N.J.A.C. 8:24-1.1. Section 320-3 makes the permit mandatory: it is unlawful to offer outdoor seating without first obtaining a zoning permit, and service hours are capped at 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. unless a variance or land use approval says otherwise, with all furniture removed and stowed indoors by 10:30 p.m.
Section 320-1 caps every outdoor seating area at eight seats, no matter how many tables are used to reach that count. A liquor-licensed restaurant that wants to serve alcohol outside must get the Township permit first, then obtain a separate expansion-of-premises approval from the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Applications go to the Zoning Officer under § 320-5 and must include the layout, seating count, hours of service and a litter-control plan; an applicant already found in violation of any ordinance involving the outdoor seating area is barred from applying again until the next season. Violations carry a fine of up to $1,250 under § 320-6, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Section 320-6 sets the penalty at up to $1,250 per violation, with each day an infraction continues counted as a separate offense. An operator already found in violation of any ordinance governing the seating area is barred from applying for a new outdoor dining permit for the following season under § 320-5(G).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a restaurant need a permit for sidewalk dining in Old Bridge?
What hours can outdoor dining operate in Old Bridge Township?
How many seats can an Old Bridge sidewalk cafe have?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Old Bridge
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