Do You Legally Have To Shovel Your Snowy Sidewalk in NJ?

Winter is in full swing and now that we’ve officially wrapped up the holiday season, this is where we get into the nitty-gritty of the snowy months in New Jersey.

I’m not sure what that is, but I feel like the biggest snowstorms normally don’t hit us until about January to early March. If you’re preparing for days of white snow covering your lawns and thinking to yourself, “Do I have to go out there and shovel?”, this is for you.

Of course, we’d love to just sit inside and enjoy the snowfall from inside our warm houses drinking hot cocoa and watching movies, but at some point, something needs to be done about those sidewalks. Many people in New Jersey and all over love to sit back and procrastinate the hard job of shoveling those sidewalks outside of your house.

Lots are asking themselves, is it the homeowner’s responsibility to make sure your sidewalks are clear when snow falls and can you ACTUALLY get in trouble for not keeping up with the job of shoveling? The laws are pretty cut and dry about this one.

You Legally Have To Shovel Your Sidewalk After A Snow Storm in New Jersey?

Legally yes, you have to make sure your sidewalk in front of your house is clear after a snowstorm. “In New Jersey, the responsibility of routine maintenance and snow and ice removal is typically assigned to the abutting property owner by local ordinance.” according to NJ.gov.

Everyone who owns property in the state of New Jersey is required to shovel snow after a snowstorm and can even be fined. According to NJ.com, “many municipalities have fines for not clearing walkways within a certain period after snowfall has stopped.

Each town has different penalties.” So although everyone in the state must clear their walkways, different rules depend on which city, town, borough, etc, you live in regarding how quickly you need to have your walkways clear after snowfall has stopped, how wide the paths need to be, and so on.

Make sure to check your town’s official site, most have the rules and regulations posted there for the public to view.