Tonawanda, NY

The Town of Tonawanda bans open, unconfined fires on any street, public ground or private land outside the Village of Kenmore under Town Code Chapter 85. The Code Enforcement Officer…

Chapter 85 of the Town of Tonawanda Code bans open, unconfined fires, but § 85-5 carves out one exception: a fire in a device or equipment intended to be and actually used solely for…

In the Town of Tonawanda, Chapter 174 of the Town Code requires the owner of every two-family dwelling, multiple dwelling and mixed occupancy unit to install and maintain smoke…

New York Penal Law bans most consumer fireworks statewide. Ground-based sparkling devices are legal by default outside New York City, though counties may opt out and about a dozen have…

New York's Environmental Conservation Law Section 9-1105 makes it unlawful to set any open fire burning brush, leaves, grass, or debris in a designated fire town without a written…

The Town of Tonawanda's Noise Local Law bars excessive vehicle noise on any street or public place: unnecessary horn use, out-of-repair engines that grate or rattle, and radios or…

The Town of Tonawanda doesn't regulate general aircraft overflight noise, federal law preempts that, but its Noise Local Law does ban using aircraft to make advertising noise over the…

Keeping a dog, bird or other animal whose barking or noise disturbs the neighborhood's comfort and repose is a violation under the Town of Tonawanda's Noise Local Law. Section 133-5A…

Playing a radio, TV, phonograph or other amplified sound device so it crosses a property line, or through shared walls, above the decibel caps in the Noise Local Law's Table I is a…

The Town of Tonawanda caps stationary noise sources by receiving land-use category and time of day under Table I at § 133-6. A residential receiver can't be hit with more than 55 dB(A)…

In the Town of Tonawanda, stationary noise sources may not exceed 50 decibels at a residential property line between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under Town Board Local Law 4-2025's Table…

Removing, trimming, cutting or altering any tree within a Town of Tonawanda street right-of-way requires a written permit from the Superintendent of Highways under Chapter 197. The…

Every property owner in the Town of Tonawanda, outside the Village of Kenmore, must cut grass, weeds and uncultivated vegetation once it exceeds 10 inches under Code § 108-4A. The Code…

The Town of Tonawanda does not mandate rain barrels or cisterns, but its stormwater rules list them as an accepted green-infrastructure practice: developers may use rain-barrel and…

Storing an abandoned, junked or discarded motor vehicle outdoors on private property in the Town of Tonawanda is unlawful under Chapter 203 unless it sits in a licensed junkyard or…

In the Town of Tonawanda, Section 205-18 of the Vehicle and Traffic chapter requires vehicles to park within marked spaces or parallel to the curb heading in the direction of traffic…

Section 205-20 lets the Town of Tonawanda declare emergency no-parking on any street when standing vehicles would interfere with snow or ice removal, street repairs, or endanger public…

Between November 15 and March 15 each year, Section 205-19 of the Town of Tonawanda's Vehicle and Traffic chapter bans standing or parking on every Town street between 2:00 a.m. and…

Code § 215-24.12.C sets the Town of Tonawanda's design standards for electric vehicle charging stations and EVSE installed as a primary use or as part of an accessory parking area…

Businesses in the Town of Tonawanda that park more than five commercial vehicles overnight or store them on-site must keep that parking in the rear yard, screened from adjoining…

In the Town of Tonawanda, homeowners may park in the front yard only on an approved, hard-surfaced driveway. Grass, dirt and other unpaved yard areas are off-limits to vehicles, and…

The Town of Tonawanda lets residents keep a registered RV, boat or trailer at home, but only outside the front yard, on an approved surface, and never as a place to live. Vehicles over…

Commercial deliveries near homes in the Town of Tonawanda are cut off overnight: loading spaces within 100 feet of a residential use or district cannot receive deliveries between 10…

New Yorkers outside New York City who get towed or booted from a private lot rely on General Business Law 399-v, not a statewide rate cap. The law applies only to lots with capacity…

Chapter 60 of the Town of Tonawanda Code makes cat owners responsible for keeping their animals from becoming a nuisance, whether through noxious odors, property damage or unsightly…

In the Town of Tonawanda, no more than three dogs six months or older can be harbored on one property outside an industrial district. A special permit from the Town Board can raise…

Outside the Village of Kenmore, a dog cannot leave its owner's property in the Town of Tonawanda unless it is on a chain or leash no longer than six feet and under a responsible…

Animal grooming shops in the Town of Tonawanda must operate entirely inside an enclosed building, cannot board animals overnight, and must sit at least 50 feet from any residential…

Animal hospitals, veterinary clinics, and kennels in the Town of Tonawanda may include outdoor exercise areas with site plan approval, but all buildings and outdoor animal areas must…

Feeding wild or domestic birds or animals outdoors in the Town of Tonawanda is restricted under Code § 181-17.1C, part of the 2006 rodent-control law: feed must be dispensed so it…

In the Town of Tonawanda, allowing a horse, cow, sheep, pig, fowl or other animal to run loose violates Town of Tonawanda Code Section 199-3, enforced by the Town of Tonawanda Police…

The Town of Tonawanda's Zoning Law bars beekeeping outright in every residential district. Table 20-a, under Section 215-20.4, marks "Keeping of animals" as an expressly prohibited use…

Agriculture and Markets Law section 107(5) preempts municipalities from enacting breed-specific dog regulations, ensuring uniform treatment regardless of breed across New York.

Environmental Conservation Law section 11-0512 universally prohibits possessing wild animals such as big cats, bears, wolves, and venomous reptiles as pets across New York.

In the Town of Tonawanda, an accessory dwelling unit or in-law suite is allowed only as one accessory use per single-family lot under Town Code § 215-24.3B. The unit cannot exceed 30%…

In the Town of Tonawanda, an accessory dwelling unit or in-law suite can only exist if the owner actually lives on the property. Town Code § 215-24.3C requires the property owner to…

A detached shed under 144 square feet on a one- or two-family lot in the Town of Tonawanda needs no building permit under § 54-5.B(1), but zoning still limits every lot to one garage…

Short-term rentals and bed-and-breakfasts operating in the Town of Tonawanda must be duly licensed, registered as a business, and are subject to Erie County's Hotel Occupancy Tax under…

Short-term rentals in the Town of Tonawanda must fit required off-street parking on-site, and cannot park in the front yard except within an approved driveway, under Town Code §…

In the Town of Tonawanda, a bed-and-breakfast or short-term rental is only allowed in an owner-occupied single-family dwelling or a detached accessory structure on the same lot, under…

In the Town of Tonawanda, Code § 215-24.7 requires every bed-and-breakfast and short-term rental to be licensed, registered as a business, and subject to Erie County's Hotel Occupancy…

Building a retaining wall in the Town of Tonawanda needs no building permit under § 54-5.B(4), unless the wall supports a surcharge load or impounds Class I, II or IIIA liquids, in…

The Town of Tonawanda caps residential fences at three feet in the front yard, four feet in a side yard and six feet in a rear yard, with taller limits for commercial and industrial…

The Town of Tonawanda does not require Code Enforcement Officer approval for a fence built on a lot line, but any fence not on a lot line needs an application to, and approval from…

The Town of Tonawanda bans fences made of unfinished metal, concrete block, plastic, fiberglass or plywood anywhere in town. Decorative concrete fencing is the one exception, and it is…

New York's Town Law § 300 makes adjoining landowners split the cost of a division fence along their shared boundary, but only when the land is actually used to keep animals…

The Town of Tonawanda caps in-person business at home occupations under Code § 215-24.13.D(6): no more than one patron may be served at a time, a limit the chapter carves out only for…

In the Town of Tonawanda, Code § 215-24.10.E lets a resident run a day-care center as a home occupation, but only if the use also satisfies every general home-occupation standard in §…

Code § 215-24.13 lets Town of Tonawanda residents run a home occupation, but only as a use clearly incidental and secondary to the dwelling, owned and operated by a full-time resident…

New York lets you sell home-baked and other shelf-stable foods without a food processing license through the Department of Agriculture and Markets Home Processing exemption, which…

In the Town of Tonawanda, a building permit is required before any swimming pool goes in, whether in-ground or aboveground, because Town of Tonawanda Code § 54-5 treats a pool as a…

Residential pool safety in Erie County is governed by the New York State Uniform Code, which requires barriers, alarms, and safety covers. Public pools additionally meet Subpart 6-1…

New and substantially improved residential structures in the Town of Tonawanda's Zones A1-A30, AE and AH must have the top of the lowest floor, including any basement, elevated to or…

Any construction, filling, grading or other development in a Town of Tonawanda area of special flood hazard requires a floodplain development permit under Town Code § 92-4B. The Town…

Chapter 73 of the Town of Tonawanda Code applies to construction activity, outside the Village of Kenmore, that disturbs land and increases stormwater runoff. Property owners must keep…

Within its stormwater ordinance, the Town of Tonawanda limits active construction disturbance to five acres at a time and requires a phasing plan, erosion barriers and sediment…

New York Executive Law Article 42 and the Coastal Management Program require state and local agency actions in designated coastal areas to be consistent with statewide coastal policies…

Opening the Town of Tonawanda's street rights-of-way for utility or pipe work requires a permit from the Supervising Building Official or the Superintendent of Highways under Town Code…

In the Town of Tonawanda, dumping snow, ice or other material on a street or public place and driving or parking vehicles on a sidewalk are both flatly prohibited under Chapter 183…

The owner or occupant of property next to a Town of Tonawanda sidewalk must keep it in good repair under Code § 183-5A, and both the owner and the occupant are jointly and severally…

In the Town of Tonawanda, homeowners can legally bar peddlers and solicitors by posting a notice at the main entrance, and even without one, soliciting and peddling are barred before 9…

In the Town of Tonawanda, outside Kenmore, peddlers and solicitors must get a Police Department permit costing $50 per month, up to six months a year, under Chapter 146, and may only…

The Town of Tonawanda lets residents close a Town street for a neighborhood block party under Town Code §§ 183-20 through 183-27. The Superintendent of Highways issues the permit after…

In the Town of Tonawanda, outside the Village of Kenmore, no one may hold a parade, demonstration or public assembly on a street, highway or sidewalk without a written permit from the…

Groups wanting exclusive use of a Town of Tonawanda park building, shelter or location must get a special permit from the Recreation Department under Section 142-9, and the Town Board…

A business hosting a street fair, festival or other special event on Town of Tonawanda property needs a temporary use permit from the Director of Planning and Development. Permits run…

Restaurants and bars in the Town of Tonawanda need an annual outdoor dining permit from the Code Enforcement Officer before setting up patio or sidewalk seating. Permits expire every…

Anyone seeking a Town of Tonawanda floodplain development permit for a new or substantially improved structure in a special flood hazard area must state the proposed lowest-floor…

Anyone who buys, sells, stores or deals in junk, secondhand materials or used goods in the Town of Tonawanda, outside the Village of Kenmore, needs a written permit from the Town Clerk…

Adult use establishments in the Town of Tonawanda are confined to lots of two acres or larger and must sit at least 500 feet from churches, schools, day-care centers, homes, parks, and…

The Town of Tonawanda's home-occupation rule, Code § 215-24.13.C, bans vehicle sales, service or repair as a home business outright, grouping it with retail stores, medical or…

Every pawnbroker operating in Erie County must hold a dealer's license issued by the Erie County Sheriff under Local Law No. 1 of 2018. The law bars pawnbrokers from buying goods from…

New York requires state retail registration for every tobacco and vapor product seller and bans online or mail-order shipment of vape products directly to consumers statewide.

Bars, clubs and other places of public entertainment in the Town of Tonawanda that produce 90 dB(A) or louder where patrons stand must post a hearing-impairment warning sign at the…

An exterior burglar alarm on a building or motor vehicle in the Town of Tonawanda must shut itself off within 15 minutes of going off, or its continued sounding becomes a noise…

Planting any tree, shrub or bush within a Town of Tonawanda street right-of-way outside Kenmore requires a written permit from the Superintendent of Highways, approved by the Town…

The Town of Tonawanda operates a mandatory recycling program under Chapter 181 of the Town Code, supervised by the Superintendent of Highways and approved by the Town Board through the…

In the Town of Tonawanda, Section 181-8 makes it unlawful for anyone without authorization to remove a tote's lid or to collect, molest or scatter waste or recyclables once they are…

In the Town of Tonawanda, Section 181-4B of the Town Code spells out exactly how recyclables go into the Town-supplied tote: newspaper in paper bags, cardboard boxes flattened, and…

In the Town of Tonawanda, Section 181-4A requires garbage and recycling totes to stay behind the front building line until collection day and bars owners from letting a tote overflow…

In the Town of Tonawanda, yard waste such as grass, leaves, brush and garden clippings goes out for collection at the times and in the manner set by the Superintendent of Highways'…

In the Town of Tonawanda, the Superintendent of Highways sets the collection days and times for garbage pickup under Section 181-5, and only properties paying a garbage district tax…

In the Town of Tonawanda, Section 181-9 requires written permission from the Superintendent of Highways before any dumpster goes in the public right-of-way, bans blocking traffic, and…

In the Town of Tonawanda, owners may set major appliances and large household furnishings like sofas, beds and refrigerators out on their regular scheduled waste collection day under…

Dumping waste in a Town of Tonawanda street, road, alley or right-of-way outside the Village of Kenmore is a violation under Code § 181-15 unless it is contained and set out within 24…

The Town of Tonawanda's Code Enforcement Officer can order an owner to repair or remove a dangerous or unsafe building under Chapter 58, followed by a Town Board hearing. If the owner…

Owners of every parcel of real property in the Town of Tonawanda, including vacant and unimproved lots, must remove brush, dead weeds, garbage, debris and rubbish once the Code…

Owners and occupants of property next to a Town of Tonawanda sidewalk must keep it free and clear of snow, ice, dirt and other material under Code § 183-5A, clearing a path at least…

Property owners in the Town of Tonawanda must repair leaks in their own water service pipes beyond the main under Section 212-14. If a leak isn't fixed within 24 hours of the Town's…

Residents who spot a suspected building or property-maintenance violation in the Town of Tonawanda can bring it to the Code Enforcement Officer under § 54-16 of the Town Code. The…

In the Town of Tonawanda, an electrical permit and inspection application must be filed with the Town of Tonawanda Building Department before any wiring for light, heat or power is…

The Town of Tonawanda requires a building and/or plumbing permit for nearly all construction, alteration or demolition work covered by the New York State Uniform Code, issued by the…

Installing, removing or altering sanitary or storm sewer, waste, vent or water piping, or any plumbing fixture, in the Town of Tonawanda requires a plumbing permit under § 54-5.D…

Every stage of construction under a Town of Tonawanda building permit must be inspected and accepted by the Code Enforcement Officer before it is covered, per § 54-7.B: work site…

Every child or adult day-care center in the Town of Tonawanda must be licensed under state and Erie County law before it opens, and Code § 215-24.10 adds site standards: a 10-foot…

In the Town of Tonawanda, going green in construction is encouraged, not required: the Zoning Law's Building and Site Design Standards list LEED-consistent development as an objective…

Since 2006, Town of Tonawanda property owners have been barred from storing or accumulating anything that can feed or shelter rodents under Code § 181-17.1A, and firewood must be…

Table 20-b of the Town of Tonawanda's Zoning Law, under Section 215-20.5, sets minimum yard setbacks for the town's residential districts. Primary structures need a 25-foot front…

Table 20-b of the Town of Tonawanda's Zoning Law, under Section 215-20.5, caps the height of a primary residential structure at 35 feet in R-1 and R-2, and 45 feet in MR. Accessory…

Table 20-b of the Town of Tonawanda's Zoning Law, under Section 215-20.5, caps how much of a residential lot can be covered by structures and impervious surfaces. R-1 (single-family)…

The Town of Tonawanda bans open containers of alcohol on public land outside the Village of Kenmore under Town Code § 41-3, covering streets, sidewalks, parking lots and town parks…

Erie County bans smoking tobacco or nicotine e-cigarettes in or next to any public bus shelter countywide. Bus operators must post "No Smoking" signage, and riders and passersby face…

Digital signs in the Town of Tonawanda must show static messages only, with no animation, scrolling, or video, and may occupy no more than 50% of a sign's face unless the sign is a…

In the Town of Tonawanda, window signs are capped at 20% of the window's area under the Town Board's zoning sign standards. The code treats window signs as a distinct sign type with…

In the Town of Tonawanda, political lawn signs need no zoning permit if each stays under three feet tall and six square feet, the lot's combined sign area stays under 16 square feet…

Billboards in the Town of Tonawanda are confined to parcels adjoining the Elmer G.H. Youngmann Expressway or the Niagara Section of the NYS Thruway. Where allowed, the Town Board's…

The Town of Tonawanda authorizes licensed nonprofits to run bingo and other games of chance under its own locally adopted Chapter 50 (Bingo) and Chapter 95 (Games of Chance), tracking…

New York's Upstate Gaming Economic Development Act divides the state into two casino development zones. Zone One is New York City plus Nassau, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and…

New York's Penal Law never criminalizes playing a private card game or betting pool: it only criminalizes advancing or profiting from gambling. Penal Law § 225.00(3) protects anyone…

Sports betting is legal in New York only through operators licensed by the state Gaming Commission under Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law Section 1367-a. Nine mobile…

Small-scale solar energy installations in the Town of Tonawanda go through the same building permit process as any other construction under § 54-5, but § 54-5.F(8) requires every…

Installing rooftop solar in the Town of Tonawanda means pulling both a standard building permit and the New York State Unified Solar Permit application, which Town of Tonawanda Code §…

New York's Solar Rights Act, Real Property Law Article 9-C, section 342, voids any homeowners' association rule that effectively bans rooftop solar. A restriction counts as an illegal…

No one may enter or remain in a Town of Tonawanda park, playground or recreation facility between sunset and sunrise, under Section 142-12, unless supervised by the town, permitted for…

The Town of Tonawanda has not opted out of retail cannabis dispensaries or microbusinesses under the MRTA: only on-site consumption lounges are banned townwide outside the Village of…

Cannabis distribution, delivery, processing and cultivation businesses in the Town of Tonawanda go through special use permit and site plan review under § 215-24.14.B, not a simple…

New York law lets adults 21 and over grow cannabis at home and preempts municipalities from prohibiting it, setting uniform plant limits and secure storage requirements statewide.

Commercial and multi-family lighting in the Town of Tonawanda must be fully shielded and pointed downward under the Zoning Law's dark-sky-minded design standards, which cap the light…

Outdoor lighting on covered Tonawanda projects cannot spill more than 1.0 footcandle onto a neighboring nonresidential lot or more than 0.1 footcandle onto an adjacent residential lot…

Billboards in the Town of Tonawanda must use constant-intensity lighting, never flashing or rotating illumination, but the Zoning Law gives billboards a unique pass on the sign code's…

Erie County prohibits the sale of tobacco, vapor products, electronic cigarettes, liquid nicotine, and smoking paraphernalia to anyone under 21. Enforcement is by the Erie County…

New York prohibits the sale of flavored vapor products statewide under Public Health Law § 1399-mm-1, allowing only tobacco-flavored e-liquid for legal retail sale.

New York Labor Law §652 sets a tiered statewide minimum wage that leaves no room for local wage ordinances. As of January 1, 2026 the rate is $17.00/hr in NYC, Long Island, and…

New York mandates paid sick leave under Labor Law § 196-b and paid family leave under Workers' Compensation Law Article 9, with statewide coverage that applies to nearly every private…

New York requires a state-issued concealed carry license under Penal Law § 400.00, with mandatory training and a long list of statewide sensitive locations where carry is forbidden.

New York Penal Law treats a vehicle as a public place for firearm purposes, requiring a valid pistol license to transport a handgun and strict storage rules for long guns and…

Every mobile food service establishment and pushcart in New York needs a valid permit from the local health department before operating, under Subpart 14-4 of the State Sanitary Code…

New York has no comprehensive HOA act. Condominiums get a statutory common-charge lien under Real Property Law § 339-z that is foreclosable like a mortgage but junior to a first…

New York homeowners association boards answer to Not-for-Profit Corporation Law Section 621. A member of record for at least six months, or a holder of five percent of any voting…

New York voids HOA bans on solar power and EV charging. Real Property Law § 342 (Solar Rights Act) makes any restriction effectively prohibiting a solar system unenforceable and void…

New York's Electric Vehicle Rights Act, Real Property Law Article 9-D Section 343, bars homeowners' associations statewide from adopting rules that effectively prohibit or unreasonably…

New York Real Property Law Section 339-j strips condominium boards of managers of the power to enforce any by-law, rule, or resolution against a unit owner who displays a United States…

New York creates an assessment lien by statute only for condominiums. Real Property Law § 339-z gives the board of managers a lien on each unit for unpaid common charges that outranks…

New York condominiums have no inherent power to restrict unit leasing: under Real Property Law § 339-v(2)(a), by-laws "may also provide for" leasing restrictions only if the board…

No section of the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law authorizes sobriety checkpoints by name. The practice rests on Court of Appeals case law, chiefly People v. Scott, applied against…

New York is one of the few states that put the right to record police into its own statute rather than leaving it to case law. Civil Rights Law § 79-p, headed "Recording certain…

New York has no stop-and-identify statute. Criminal Procedure Law § 140.50(1) lets a police officer who reasonably suspects a felony or a misdemeanor defined in the Penal Law stop you…

New York wrote an unusually specific rule into the Penal Law when it legalized adult-use cannabis: § 222.05(2) provides that no conduct made lawful by that section shall constitute the…

New York draws a hard line between a golf cart and a low-speed vehicle. A low-speed vehicle is defined by Vehicle and Traffic Law § 121-f as a limited use automobile with a maximum…

Before filing a nonpayment eviction, a New York landlord must serve a 14-day written rent demand under RPAPL Section 711. The demand requires, in the alternative, payment of rent or…

Real Property Law Section 235-b imposes an implied warranty of habitability in every residential lease. Premises must be fit for human habitation and free of conditions dangerous to…

New York's Good Cause Eviction Law (RPL Article 6-A) limits evictions and rent hikes for covered tenants in NYC by default, with optional adoption by other municipalities.

Real Property Law Section 238-a, added by the 2019 HSTPA, caps residential late fees at $50 or 5% of the monthly rent, whichever is less, and bars any late fee until rent is more than…

To end a tenancy or decline to renew, a New York landlord must give written notice scaled to how long the tenant has lived in the unit under Real Property Law Section 226-c: 30 days…

New York requires advance written notice before a landlord raises rent 5% or more, or declines to renew a lease. The notice window scales with how long the tenant has lived in the…

Since the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, New York landlords cannot collect a security deposit larger than one month's rent. Within 14 days after a tenant vacates…

New York's adverse possession period is 10 years of continuous, exclusive possession under RPAPL Sections 501 and 511. A 2024 budget amendment to RPAPL Section 711 clarified that…

Agriculture and Markets Law Article 25-AA governs certified agricultural districts statewide and limits how local zoning can apply to working farms inside them.

NY Agriculture and Markets Law §301-309 protects sound agricultural practices in certified Agricultural Districts from local ordinances and private nuisance suits. The Commissioner…

The New York Bag Waste Reduction Law (Environmental Conservation Law §27-2801, enacted 2019, enforced March 2020) bans most single-use plastic carryout bags statewide. Counties and…

New York prohibits the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene foam food containers and loose packing peanuts statewide under Environmental Conservation Law Article 27.

Vehicle and Traffic Law section 375(41) governs every light added to a New York vehicle beyond the lamps the law already requires, and it opens with a near total prohibition: no light…

New York grants a dash cam no designated place on the windshield. Vehicle and Traffic Law section 375(30) makes it unlawful to operate a motor vehicle with any object placed or hung in…

New York prohibits lane splitting outright. Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1252(c) makes it illegal to operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of…

New York does not allow license plate covers of any kind. Vehicle and Traffic Law § 402(1)(b)(ii-a) states flatly that number plates shall not be covered by glass or any plastic…

New York does not ban radar detectors in private passenger cars. Vehicle and Traffic Law section 397-a prohibits using a radar or laser detector only in a motor vehicle with a gross…

New York allows studded snow tires, but only within a fixed season and only within precise dimensional limits. Vehicle and Traffic Law § 375(35-a) makes it unlawful to drive a motor…

New York requires at least 70 percent light transmittance through the front windshield, both front side windows and the rear window under Vehicle and Traffic Law section 375(12-a)(b)…