Building Safety in New Jersey (2026)

Irvington bans lead-based paint and lead hazards outright and backs it with a fast response system: a child's elevated…

Clifton requires most rental units to undergo a lead-based paint hazard inspection at tenant turnover or at least every…

Elizabeth requires owners of single-family, two-family and covered multiple-dwelling rentals to get a lead-based paint…

Every single-family, two-family and multiple rental dwelling in Jersey City must be registered with the Division of…

Adopted December 5, 2024 by Ordinance No. 2024-044, § 15-4 requires every Lakewood Township single-family, two-family…

Newark requires owners of pre-1978 rental units to get periodic lead-based paint inspections and lead-safe…

Ridgewood's rental property code defines a lead-based paint hazard and requires landlords to remediate it through lead…

Bergenfield requires every single-family, two-family, and multi-unit rental to undergo a Borough-hired visual lead…

Brick Township requires lead-based paint inspections of single-family, two-family, and multiple rental dwellings, with…

Cherry Hill Township requires painted surfaces on dwellings and child or day care facilities that carry more than 0.06…

Hackensack City Code Chapter 105 requires owners of rental single-family, two-family, and multiple dwellings built…

Hamilton requires every single-family, two-family and multi-family rental unit to pass a lead-based paint inspection at…

Linden's Board of Health requires every rental dwelling unit in a single-family, two-family or multiple dwelling to be…

Passaic landlords must have rental units inspected for lead-based paint hazards at every tenant turnover, or at least…

A Paterson lead paint inspection costs $300 for the first unit in a one-to-three-family dwelling, plus $150 per extra…

Toms River Township requires lead-based paint hazard inspections of pre-1978 rental dwellings at tenant turnover or…

Trenton requires periodic lead-based paint inspections for single-family, two-family and multiple rental dwellings…

Woodbridge Township requires a lead-based paint inspection of every single-family, two-family, and multiple-dwelling…

Bergenfield charges separate fees for every stage of elevator oversight under Chapter 136: a plan review and…

Cherry Hill Township's Property Maintenance Regulations require elevators to be kept safe and operational, and…

Elevators, dumbwaiters and escalators in Hackensack buildings must be maintained to ASME A17.1, with the current…

Every Irvington apartment building with an elevator must carry a 24-hour maintenance contract, and each full day an…

Jersey City charges an annual per-device inspection and witnessing fee for every elevator, escalator, dumbwaiter or…

Lakewood requires elevator devices outside one- and two-family homes to undergo a six-month routine inspection and a…

Owners of Newark residential buildings with 40 or more units must file an Emergency Service Plan with the Department of…

Passaic's Property Maintenance Code requires every elevator in the city to be maintained to ANSI A17.1 standards, with…

Village of Ridgewood's Existing Structures Code requires every occupied building with passenger elevators to keep at…

Elevator devices in Toms River Township are inspected and tested under the state Elevator Subcode, N.J.A.C. 5:23-12…

Trenton's housing code requires owners of multi-dwelling buildings to keep every elevator serving occupied units on the…

Elizabeth does not run a standalone elevator maintenance program, but it enforces elevator upkeep at the point of sale…

Clifton's nonresidential property maintenance rules cap how long a temporary painting scaffold or other temporary…

Elizabeth charges a flat $100.00 fee for a scaffold placed in the public right-of-way, and the work needs prior…

Linden bars a temporary painting scaffold or other temporary construction equipment from staying up for more than six…

Hackensack does not set its own sprinkler mandate: the state Uniform Construction Code decides when a sprinkler system…

Every building erected under a general development plan for a planned development in Hamilton Township must be fully…

Lakewood's Fire Protection Subcode charges a $75 minimum fee for a sprinkler permit, scaled up by the number of heads…

Long Branch requires every building with a fire suppression or fire alarm system installed at construction to keep it…

Newark ties fire sprinklers to occupancy, not to housing units. Any public dance hall licensed with a legal maximum…

Installing or replacing sprinkler heads in Paterson requires a fire subcode permit from the Fire Division before work…

Installing residential fire sprinklers in Toms River Township requires a Fire Subcode plan review under Chapter 252 of…

Bergenfield requires a Health Department license before anyone may operate a child-care facility for six or more…

Elizabeth requires day care centers to renew their certificate of occupancy for a flat $450 fee, listed separately from…

Hackensack requires a Health Department license before operating a child-care facility for six or more children under…

Hamilton's zoning code sets physical design standards for child- and infant-care centers at § 550-138: classrooms must…

Child-care centers in Irvington must be licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health Services' Division of Youth and…

Linden's zoning code bars childcare and day care centers from operating as a home occupation: the definition of home…

Every operator of a child-care center in Passaic, including anyone under contract with the city, must recruit, verify…

Paterson's zoning ordinance requires child care centers in the B-1 District to provide a fenced play area, off-street…

Toms River Township allows nursery schools and day nurseries only as a conditional use, capping any building at 5,000…

Trenton doesn't set its own child-care capacity or space rules: zoning code § 315-8.4.F simply requires every day care…

Woodbridge requires anyone operating a child-care center to register with the Township Clerk before opening, even…

Jersey City requires every state-licensed Day Care Center to notify parents about free state lead testing for uninsured…

Newark doesn't license day care itself: the state Department of Children and Families (formerly DYFS) issues the…

Trenton bans draw bolts, slide bolts, barrel bolts, surface bolts, flush bolts, hooks, hasps, padlocks and key-operated…

Bergenfield's Chapter 239, Article IV bars keyed door knobs and deadbolts on interior doors in rental dwellings. Under…

Clifton's housing code requires every entrance and dwelling-unit door in residential buildings to carry heavy-duty…

Doors to any dwelling, rooming or housekeeping unit that is rented, leased or let in Hackensack must have a deadbolt…

Hamilton Township's housing code requires every exterior door, window, and cellar or basement entrance on an occupied…

Jersey City's Property Maintenance Code bars any locking device on a required exit that "impedes or prevents ready…

Village of Ridgewood Code § 223-81 requires every exterior door and its hardware to be kept in good condition, with…

Woodbridge Township's housing code makes it unlawful to fit any bedroom door in a dwelling unit with a padlock…

Jersey City requires its own construction to meet LEED green-building standards. Chapter 180 sets LEED-NC Silver as the…

Newark encourages, but does not mandate, LEED-style green building practices for site plan and subdivision projects…

Linden's zoning code encourages, but does not require, green building design. City Code § 31-11.12 asks buildings in…

Every residential occupancy in the Borough of Bergenfield must have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms…

Cherry Hill Township requires every one- and two-family dwelling to keep a working smoke alarm in each sleeping area…

Edison Township requires a carbon monoxide and smoke detector compliance certificate from the Fire Code Official before…

Elizabeth requires every short-term rental to pass a carbon monoxide inspection by the fire prevention bureau before an…

Carbon monoxide detectors are required in every Hackensack residential occupancy that has a fuel-burning device or an…

Hamilton's electrical maintenance code requires carbon monoxide detectors within 10 feet of every bedroom in existing…

Jersey City requires a Certificate of Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Compliance (CSDCMAC) before a property…

In Linden, sellers and landlords of one- and two-family homes must obtain a Certificate of Smoke Detector and Carbon…

Every multiple dwelling in Passaic must have carbon monoxide detectors, alongside smoke detectors and alarms, installed…

Paterson requires carbon monoxide detectors near every sleeping room, enforced through the same fire-code compliance…

Before selling, leasing, or changing occupancy of a residential property, Toms River Township owners must obtain a…

Trenton requires carbon monoxide alarms in every dwelling unit in buildings in Use Groups I-1, R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4…

Any Woodbridge residential structure with a fuel-burning appliance must have a carbon monoxide detector, placed outside…

Irvington charges $50 to inspect up to 20 carbon monoxide alarms and $100 for more than 20, and bills an inspection fee…

Interior or exterior building construction in Irvington without a valid Township permit is flatly prohibited under §…

Bergenfield requires a construction permit from its State Uniform Construction Code Enforcing Agency, the Bergenfield…

Brick Township charges a tiered construction-permit fee for renovations, alterations and repairs to existing buildings…

Clifton enforces the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code through its own Clifton Enforcing Agency, which issues…

Interior alterations, renovations, and repairs in Edison Township need a construction permit priced by cost of work…

Elizabeth requires a building permit from the building inspector before anyone erects, alters, or converts any…

Freehold Township enforces the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code locally through its own Construction Division…

Hackensack requires a building permit from the Construction Official before anyone builds, alters or restores a…

Hamilton Township administers building permits through its own State Uniform Construction Code Enforcing Agency, headed…

Before Jersey City's Construction Official can issue a construction permit, Code § 131-2 (Ord. No. 25-026, effective…

Lakewood Township requires a construction permit from the Division of Construction Code Enforcement before building…

Linden's Construction Code Department, created under § 10-1.1, enforces the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code and…

Long Branch's Uniform Construction Code enforcing agency, run by a Construction Code Official, issues all building…

Newark's Uniform Construction Code office will not issue a building, fire, plumbing or electrical permit until the…

Before framing a deck or pouring an at-grade patio in Passaic, City Code § 317-63 requires a zoning permit from the…

Before any Paterson construction permit issues, the applicant must certify current municipal taxes to the Construction…

The Village of Ridgewood requires a building permit before any construction that must conform to the zoning code, and…

Toms River Township requires a licensed engineer's or architect's plot plan for house additions, pools, and any…

Trenton requires a permit from the code official before anyone constructs, alters, or demolishes a structure, adds an…

Woodbridge enforces the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code through its own Code Enforcing Agency, led by a…

Brick Township charges an electrical subcode permit fee under the state Uniform Construction Code, with a $150 minimum…

Cherry Hill Township requires a construction permit for electrical work under the State Uniform Construction Code…

Clifton runs its electrical permitting through the Clifton Enforcing Agency's electrical subcode official under the…

Edison Township charges tiered fees for electrical subcode permits, from $75 for 1-10 devices in a Use Group R-5 home…

Elizabeth adopts the National Electrical Code of 1975, as later amended by the state, as its electrical subcode, and…

Freehold Township charges electrical permit fees under § 150-62(C) of its Uniform Construction Code fee schedule…

Hackensack's Electrical Subcode Official, created by Section 166-1 within the local Uniform Construction Code enforcing…

Hamilton Township's electrical subcode official, established under Chapter 167, issues electrical permits priced by…

Any electrical work in Irvington requires a permit from the Township's Electrical Subcode Official under the Uniform…

Lakewood charges a minimum $65 Electrical Subcode fee for any wiring permit, with additional per-item charges for extra…

Linden's Electrical Subcode Official, part of the Construction Code Department under § 10-1.1, permits electrical work…

Long Branch charges its electrical subcode permit fee by the block of receptacles, fixtures or devices: $80 for the…

Newark's Electrical Subcode, adopted under Section 7:2-3.2, covers virtually all wiring and equipment installed, used…

Electrical work in Passaic is permitted and inspected by the Electrical Subcode Official within the Division of Code…

Electrical work in Paterson needs a permit from the city's electrical subcode official, part of the Construction Code…

The Village of Ridgewood enforces the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code's electrical subcode through its own…

Toms River Township adopted the National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, along with any later amendments the state…

Trenton requires a construction permit before any electrical wiring for light, power, or communication is installed…

Brick Township requires a plumbing subcode permit for fixtures, piping, water heaters, gas piping, and utility…

Cherry Hill Township requires a construction permit before any plumbing work begins, issued through the state-adopted…

Clifton enforces plumbing work through its State Uniform Construction Code enforcing agency. A plumbing subcode…

Edison Township bars installing or altering any plumbing equipment governed by the state Uniform Construction Code…

Elizabeth adopts the National Standard Plumbing Code as its plumbing subcode by reference, and every plumbing…

Freehold Township prices plumbing permits per fixture under § 150-62(B) of its Uniform Construction Code fee schedule…

Hackensack's Plumbing Subcode Official, one of the positions Section 166-1 creates within the local Uniform…

Hamilton Township's plumbing subcode official, created under Chapter 167, charges $30 per fixture or appliance…

Plumbing work in Irvington needs a permit from the Township's Plumbing Subcode Official under Chapter 240 of the…

Lakewood Township adopted the New Jersey Plumbing Code under Board of Health Code § BH4-1 and requires a permit from…

Every plumbing fixture installed in Linden needs a permit from the Construction Code Department under the Plumbing…

Long Branch requires a plumbing subcode permit for fixture and appliance work under the state Uniform Construction…

Newark charges $14 per plumbing fixture, appliance or gas connection under Section 7:2-3.4, plus $75 for specialized…

Plumbing work in Passaic is permitted through the Plumbing Subcode Official within the Division of Code Enforcement…

Paterson requires a plumbing subcode permit for fixture and equipment work, issued by the Construction Code Enforcing…

Toms River Township requires a permit before any plumbing construction or alteration, charging $10 for the first five…

Trenton enforces the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code through its Division of Technical Services, whose Plumbing…

Bergenfield enforces the State Uniform Construction Code through the Bergenfield Construction Code Department, run by a…

Brick Township requires a Construction Code Official inspection and a rental certificate of occupancy before any…

Cherry Hill Township runs building inspections through its own Department of Construction Code Enforcement and…

Clifton requires a dwelling inspection every time a rental unit changes occupancy or a property changes title…

Edison Township's Construction Code Enforcement Agency conditions every construction permit on cooperation with…

Elizabeth enforces the State Uniform Construction Code through a designated agency, the Department of Construction…

Hackensack enforces the state Uniform Construction Code through its own Division of Building Inspection. Section 166-1…

Hamilton Township's Director of Community and Economic Development inspects dwellings, hotels, motels, rooming houses…

Linden's Code Enforcement Agency can inspect any dwelling, rooming house or premises during reasonable business hours…

The Fire Official and Health Director may enter and examine any dwelling, dwelling unit or premises in Long Branch at…

Under Section 7:1-6, Newark's Construction Official must ensure every required inspection is scheduled, performed and…

Passaic enforces its Property Maintenance Code through the Director of Housing Inspections, who runs all inspections…

Toms River Township's Office of Construction Permits and Inspections runs separate building, plumbing, electrical, and…

Trenton's Housing Inspector can enter and survey dwellings between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. for periodic inspections…