Bayonne, NJ Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Section 33-10.27 of the Planning and Development Regulations sets Bayonne's accessory-use standards for private in-ground, above-ground and temporary swimming pools, permitted only in a rear or side yard after the Division of Community Development/Planning and Zoning issues a zoning and building permit. Subsection i requires the pool area to be enclosed by a solid fence, wall or chain-link fence with no opening larger than a two-inch square, built to hold a live load of 250 pounds between posts spaced no more than eight feet apart; a wall of the residence itself may serve as part of the enclosure.

The fence must stand at least four feet high, and any supporting posts must sit inside the fence line with the post top at least one inch below the top rail so it cannot be used as a foothold. Subsection j governs the gate: it must match the fence, run from no more than two inches above grade to the full fence height, and be self-closing and self-latching, opening outward only, with a lock and key or padlock and chain that keeps it locked whenever the pool is not in use.

The same section requires pool lighting to be shielded so no direct beam falls on an adjoining property, bars overhead electric lines across the pool or wading area, and sets a yard setback of at least three feet from any property line and two feet from any accessory structure, with a five-foot minimum from the residence itself. Applicants must submit a plot plan showing the enclosure and gate location before the permit issues. Chapter 33 carries no fence-specific fine, so a proven violation defaults to the Chapter 1 General Penalty at § 1-5.1: up to $1,250, 90 days in the county jail, or 90 days of community service, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense under § 1-5.5.