Fence Regulations in New Jersey (2026)

In the Town of West New York, New Jersey (Hudson County), no fence can be built in the front yard of a residential…

Bayonne caps residential fences at six feet on side and rear lines and four feet on the front line, drops corner-lot…

Bergenfield caps fences at six feet in business and residential zones and eight feet in industrial zones. Near any…

In Bloomfield Township, New Jersey, no fence can exceed six feet, and fences over four feet are permitted in the rear…

Brick Township caps front-yard fences at 4 feet and side/rear fences at 6 feet, with an open-design requirement for…

In single-family residential zones, fences may not exceed 6 feet in rear and side yards, and 3 feet in the front yard…

Clifton caps residential fences at four feet in front yards and along street-facing side yards, and at six feet along…

A fence in East Brunswick Township cannot exceed six feet except on industrially zoned property, and a residential…

City Code § 159-202 limits every fence in the City of East Orange to 15 feet, and adds a street-line rule for…

Edison Township caps residential fences at four feet in the front yard if they block visibility and six feet everywhere…

City Code Section 17.36.110(C)(5) caps residential fences at 6 feet in a side or rear yard and 3 feet in front, with…

Freehold Borough allows fences up to 6 feet in rear and side yards. Front yard decorative fences are limited to 4 feet…

Freehold Township caps residential fences at six feet behind the front building line and three feet in the front yard…

In Galloway Township, no fence or wall may exceed six feet in height. On a corner lot, any fence within the required…

Hackensack caps most residential fences at six feet along rear and side property lines, with front-yard fences…

Hamilton Township caps residential fences at four feet along the front lot line and six feet along side and rear lot…

Hoboken caps ordinary fences and walls at six feet under City Code § 196-28. A taller fence is allowed only if it steps…

Howell Township Code § 188-12(A) caps fences and walls at four feet unless set back from the street line the zone's…

Irvington caps residential fences at four feet within the front setback line and six feet behind it, with an eight-foot…

Jackson Township Code § 244-190 limits solid front-yard fences to 30 inches and open front-yard fences to 48 inches…

Lakewood Township caps front-yard fences at 4 feet, or 6 feet on the street-side yard of a corner lot, under UDO §…

Linden caps residential interior-lot fences at 6 feet under City Code Section 31-20.9b, and limits corner-lot…

Long Branch caps residential fences at 4 feet in a front yard and 6 feet elsewhere, drops that to 3 feet within 25 feet…

Section 175-100 of the Monroe Township Code caps fences, walls and screening at six feet in the side and rear yard and…

In Monroe Township, Middlesex County, a front yard fence must be an open fence no taller than three feet, while side…

Morris County sets no fence-height rule. New Jersey zoning is a municipal power under the Municipal Land Use Law, so…

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, Table 1 in Zoning Ordinance § 17.03.070 prints a front yard height of 4 in…

Newark's zoning code caps fence height by yard and by use: three feet in a residential front yard, six feet in side and…

Old Bridge Township caps residential fence height at six feet in rear and side yards and four feet in front yards…

In Parsippany-Troy Hills, fences and walls in the side and rear yard top out at six feet, and fences and walls in the…

Passaic caps front-yard fences at four feet and allows rear- and side-yard fences up to six feet under Code of the City…

Paterson caps residential fences at 4 feet in the front yard and 6 feet in side and rear yards, with a 30-inch limit…

In the City of Perth Amboy, fences in a front yard cannot exceed 4 feet. Residential fences and hedges along side or…

Piscataway caps residential front-yard fences that block visibility at 4 feet and 50% solidity, while commercial and…

In the City of Plainfield, a residential front yard fence cannot exceed four feet and at least 50% of it must be…

Residential fences and freestanding walls in the Village of Ridgewood are capped at four feet, rising to six feet only…

Toms River Township caps fences at 30 inches between the street and the building line, and at 72 inches everywhere else…

Trenton caps residential fences at 6 feet in rear and interior side yards under City Code § 315-9.4.H(2), but most…

In the City of Vineland, § 425-77D(1) caps residential fences at six feet from the building line back and four feet…

In Wayne Township, New Jersey, § 134-66 caps fences and walls in residential districts at 4 feet in the front yard and…

Jersey City requires a fence or wall "of sufficient height" wherever a lot has a sharp drop in grade from street or…

Installing a fence within an Atlantic County road right-of-way requires a written highway occupancy permit from the…

In the City of Hoboken, a fence, gate or stairway that extends onto a street, sidewalk or public easement needs a…

In the Town of West New York, New Jersey, a fence of six feet or less needs a zoning permit costing $75, and a fence…

In the City of Bayonne, a fence permit under Section 15-3.1a(6) is required once a fence reaches over six feet in…

Bergenfield requires a Construction Official permit, approved first by the Zoning Officer, for any fence over two feet…

A fence in Bloomfield Township, New Jersey, needs a zoning permit once it exceeds 18 inches in height, under § 315-43A…

Brick Township requires a permit before erecting any fence, capping front-yard fences at four feet and side or rear…

Every fence erected in Clifton needs a permit under Code § 461-51, backed by a certified survey showing the fence's…

Every fence in East Brunswick Township, except a living fence, needs a fence permit issued by the Zoning Officer or his…

A fence in Edison Township, New Jersey needs a zoning permit before any building permit issues, per Township Code §…

Elizabeth requires a zoning permit before installing a fence. City Code § 17.08.065 lists fences among the accessory…

Freehold Borough requires a zoning application for all new fences. Construction permits are required for fences over 6…

Putting up a fence in Freehold Township triggers a $35 zoning application under Code § 150-55, even though no separate…

A fence, wall, or enclosure over 18 inches high in Hackensack counts as an accessory structure under the zoning code…

Every fence installed in Hamilton Township needs a construction permit, per the closing sentence of Code §…

Howell Township Code § 139-31 prices a land use certificate for fences at $50, and § 139-86 adds an $80 fee for fences…

No fence may go up anywhere in Irvington without a permit from the Division of Building Inspection first, except for…

Jackson Township requires a construction permit for any fence six feet or taller; shorter fences skip the permit unless…

Most Jersey City fences don't need a public hearing: City Planning staff review the application against the § 345-67…

Any fence in Lakewood Township needs a permit application under UDO § 18-803F3, and it has to include a drawing of the…

Long Branch charges a $90 construction permit fee for any fence over six feet tall or installed as a pool enclosure…

In Monroe Township, Gloucester County, the construction fee schedule charges $50 for a residential fence over six feet…

A fence in Monroe Township, Middlesex County, runs through the Zoning Officer: the Chapter 39 fee schedule prices a…

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, the building subcode fee schedule in § 15.04.120 prints a $100.00 fee for…

In Old Bridge Township, a fence permit from the Department of Community Development is required before erecting almost…

In Parsippany-Troy Hills, a fence is a structure that needs a zoning permit signed by the Administrative Officer before…

Installing or repairing a fence in Passaic requires a zoning permit and a $50 fee under Code of the City of Passaic §…

Paterson's zoning ordinance requires a Zoning Permit from the Zoning Officer before any structure, which includes…

In the City of Perth Amboy, the Building Subcode flat-fee list in § 184-2 prints a $75 fee for fences over 6 feet high…

A fence in Piscataway Township that stands over 6 feet high, or a pool enclosure, needs a construction permit under…

In the City of Plainfield, every fence and wall is a structure that needs an approved development permit before…

Village of Ridgewood Code § 190-97B requires a zoning permit from the Zoning Officer before installing a fence or…

Toms River Township requires a building permit before erecting any solid-construction fence under § 291-5 of the…

Trenton requires a construction permit to build a fence, charged at $45 per $1,000 of the fence's estimated cost, and…

In the City of Vineland, erecting a fence requires a zoning permit under City Code § 425-307A before construction…

In Wayne Township, New Jersey, a zoning permit from the Zoning Officer is required before anyone commences…

Linden only charges a construction permit fee for fences over six feet tall, or any fence built along with an in-ground…

New Jersey common law and statute apply uniformly statewide to spite fences, boundary fences, and shared maintenance…

Hamilton Code § 550-114.D bars installing a fence 'in a location or in a manner so as to adversely affect the utility…

Toms River Township bars anyone from erecting a barbed-wire or electrically charged fence or wall on their own land…

In Bloomfield Township, Essex County, New Jersey, the Township Council requires the finished side of a fence or wall…

In East Brunswick Township, a fence cannot go on the property line without the adjacent property owner's approval…

Galloway Township requires the finished side of a fence to face outward toward the neighbor or street, and fences must…

In Monroe Township, Middlesex County, a fence must be erected within six inches of the property lines, never over a…

Passaic lets a rear or side yard fence run up to six feet high under City Code § 317-50A(1)(b), but only on condition…

Trenton makes the property owner where a hedge originates responsible for trimming growth that crosses the boundary…

A retaining wall built along, under, or over an Atlantic County right-of-way needs more than a permit: County Code…

Building a retaining wall, placing fill, or otherwise changing a stream, brook or watercourse within 20 feet of its…

In the City of Bayonne, Section 15-3.1a(7) requires a construction permit for any retaining wall four feet or taller…

In Bloomfield Township, New Jersey, any retaining wall 48 inches or greater in height requires a building permit. In…

Brick Township requires an engineering permit and sealed drawings for any retaining wall over eight inches tall, plus a…

Cherry Hill Township requires a construction permit for every retaining wall and prices it by size and structure type…

Clifton Code § 461-50 requires every retaining wall to resist the pressure of the material it holds back, including…

In East Brunswick Township, New Jersey, Township Code § 192-45 requires retaining walls in slope control areas to be…

Retaining walls in East Orange must be designed and built to satisfy the Construction Official under the City's…

Edison Township requires a New Jersey-licensed professional engineer to design and certify any retaining wall of four…

Elizabeth requires a zoning permit before a retaining wall is built, reconstructed or altered on multi-family or…

Freehold Township requires Municipal Engineer approval of lot grading and drainage before anyone installs a retaining…

A construction permit is required in Galloway for any retaining wall four feet or taller (measured bottom of footing to…

Hackensack caps accessory retaining walls that project into a required front, side, or rear yard at four feet in height…

Hamilton Township charges a $50 construction permit fee for any retaining wall four feet or taller that serves a Class…

In Howell Township, § 134-7 requires a licensed New Jersey professional engineer's design for any retaining wall over…

Jackson Township charges a construction permit fee for every new retaining wall: $225 for a wall over 550 square feet…

Lakewood Township regulates retaining walls under its grading rules in Ocean County: any wall over three feet high…

Linden caps retaining walls at six feet under § 26-21.6.b, and requires extra setback from the property line for every…

Long Branch's zoning code exempts retaining walls from the four-foot front-yard and six-foot side-yard fence height…

In Monroe Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, a retaining wall over three feet in height on a residential lot must…

In Monroe Township, Middlesex County, a retaining wall in a slope control area must be heavy treated timber, reinforced…

New Jersey's statewide Uniform Construction Code requires a construction permit for any retaining wall four feet or…

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, a retaining wall has its own line in the construction permit fee schedule. A…

Old Bridge Township lets a retaining wall exceed the fence height limits without restriction as long as it is approved…

In Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, a retaining wall taller than six feet must be tiered at every six-foot interval…

Retaining walls sit outside Passaic's fence-height limits, § 317-50A(1)(e) lists them among the wall types the Chapter…

Paterson charges a flat construction-permit fee for small residential retaining walls and a cost-based fee for larger…

In the City of Perth Amboy, § 430-66 requires retaining walls in slope control areas to be built of heavy treated…

Piscataway Township defines a retaining wall as any structure built between lands of different elevations to protect…

In the City of Plainfield, a retaining wall is a wall that needs an approved development permit before construction…

Village of Ridgewood Code § 190-97J requires a zoning permit for any retaining wall over two feet tall, with…

Toms River Township caps retaining wall height at one-third the horizontal distance to the nearest building foundation…

In Wayne Township, New Jersey, a retaining wall 4 feet and higher needs a building permit and a design certified by a…

In the Town of West New York, New Jersey, the building fee schedule in § 161-2 prices a retaining wall permit at $250…

Irvington Township Code § 560-57 requires retaining walls built as part of a subdivision or site plan to be 'designed…

In the City of Vineland, § 425-75C(6) of the Land Use chapter's streets-and-easements standards bars building any…

Township Code prohibits barbed wire, fences topped with metal spikes, broken bottles or glass, and any fence material…

Clifton Code § 461-47K bans barbed wire and razor-type fencing outright, in every zoning district and as part of any…

City Code Section 17.36.110(C)(5)(e)-(f) bars barbed wire or razor wire from any fence or wall material in residential…

Linden prohibits barbed wire, electrified fencing and metal-spike-topped fences on any property. City Code Section…

Piscataway's Zoning Chapter bans barbed wire and metal spikes on any fence, residential or otherwise, under Section…

Trenton bans barbed wire, chicken wire, razor wire, spiked posts, and scrap, corrugated or sheet metal from any fence…

Bergenfield bans barbed wire, chipped glass, and similar spiked devices on any fence or retaining wall in the Borough…

Freehold Township bans barbed wire fencing townwide except on farms and in the industrial zone, where it may only top a…

In the City of Hoboken, any licensed fence, gate or stoop built on a public sidewalk or right-of-way must be cast iron…

Irvington bans barbed wire, electrically charged fencing, poultry netting, canvas or cloth fencing, sharp-pointed…

Jackson Township Code § 244-190A(6) bars spikes, barbed wire and razor ribbon on any fence or wall townshipwide…

Barbed wire, razor wire, and electric fences are banned outright in every residential district in Lakewood Township…

Long Branch bans barbed-wire, sharp-pointed, canvas, cloth and electrically charged fences, plus temporary fences such…

Monroe Township, Middlesex County, prohibits barbed wire (unless the lot is more than six acres), canvas, cloth…

Old Bridge Township bans barbed wire, sharp-topped materials, canvas, cloth and electrically charged fencing on…

Passaic prohibits barbed wire, razor wire and similar material on any fence or atop any wall citywide under Code of the…

Village of Ridgewood zoning bars fences and walls that are electrified or carry broken glass, razor wire, barbed wire…

Toms River Township's zoning code bans barbed wire, canvas, cloth, electrically charged, and expandable or collapsible…

No residential fence in Bayonne may contain barbed wire, every fence must face its finished side toward the street or…

Bloomfield Township, New Jersey bans barbed wire, metal spikes and other dangerous material in any fence or wall, and…

Brick Township defines "fence or fencing" as any wood, masonry, plastic, metal, vinyl or aluminum structure and…

In the City of East Orange, City Code § 159-202.C reserves barbed wire for fences next to nonresidential property only…

Edison requires an 8-foot board-on-board fence along the full shared property line wherever a nonresidential site plan…

Galloway Township bars concertina and barbed-wire fences in residential use, allowing them only for agricultural…

Hackensack's zoning code bans barbed wire, chicken wire, electrically charged fencing, and several other materials…

Hamilton Code § 550-114.A bars barbed wire, metal spikes, and any fencing material or design dangerous to people or…

In Howell Township, § 188-225B prohibits razor wire fencing, permits chain link only with landscaping approved by the…

Jersey City's fence code bans barbed and razor wire everywhere, prohibits solid or corrugated sheet metal and diagonal…

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, Zoning Ordinance § 17.03.070.B prohibits barbed wire, razor wire, concertina…

Residential fences in Newark's front and side/rear yards must be ornamental wrought iron, picket wood or tubular metal…

Paterson bars solid or sheet-metal fencing in front yards, front fences must be at least 60% open, and bans razor coil…

In the City of Perth Amboy, barbed wire, constine wire and razor ribbon are prohibited on fences, including open barbs…

In the City of Plainfield, no fence or wall can be built with barbed wire or metal spikes, topped with concertina or…

In Wayne Township, New Jersey, § 134-66 prohibits barbed wire in every district and bars cyclone or chain-link fences…

East Brunswick Township prohibits building any fence with barbed wire or any other sharp pointed materials. A painted…