Bolthole Index

Bergen County, New Jersey

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Leonia, New Jersey

The Borough of Leonia, in Bergen County, New Jersey, adopts and enforces its own zoning chapter for land inside the borough1. Building permits are required under New Jersey's statewide Uniform Construction Code2, and living in a parked trailer or camp car is unlawful in Leonia3. We could not confirm who issues septic permits in Leonia; Bergen County Health Services is the office to ask.

At a glance

Zoning
Set by the borough (Chapter 290), divided into zone districts14
Building permit
Required under the statewide Uniform Construction Code2
RV or trailer living
Unlawful on streets or premises, except repair or storage without occupancy3
Maximum height (A districts)
Two stories and attic, and no more than 35 feet5
Rear yard (A districts)
At least 25 feet6
Owner-builder
Registration exemption for a home built for your own use; owner affidavit needed for the certificate of occupancy78
Septic
Statewide permit required; local authority unconfirmed9

Who to call

Building permits

Borough of Leonia Municipal Center (building department)

Borough main line; ask for the building department and the construction official about building permits

(201) 592-5780

info@leonianj.gov

312 Broad Ave. Leonia, NJ 07605

Zoning

Leonia Zoning Officer

Questions about zoning and the permitting process; the borough page lists this contact for new businesses

201-592-5780

amyszka@leonianj.gov

Health department

Bergen County Department of Health Services

Septic plan review and oversight for municipalities that contract with the county; confirm whether Leonia does

201-634-2600

healthdept@bergencountynj.gov

One Bergen County Plaza, 4th Floor, Hackensack, NJ 07601-7076

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 13, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Leonia means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Leonia, NJ have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Borough of Leonia adopted its own zoning chapter, Chapter 290, and applies it to land inside the borough1. The borough is divided into twelve zone districts4, so the answer for any lot depends on its district; the zoning map and schedule are kept in the Clerk's office4.

In the A districts, a principal building may not exceed two stories and attic or 35 feet5, and the rear yard must be at least 25 feet6. A single-family dwelling in Districts A-1 through A-4 must also meet a minimum living floor area that varies by district and by one-story or two-story design10. Leonia's A-1 district requires at least 1,500 square feet for a one-story home and 2,000 for a two-story home10.

Trailers and camp cars may not be parked on any street or premises in Leonia except for repair or storage, and a trailer being repaired or stored may not be used as a dwelling3. Tiny-home and accessory-dwelling rules were not confirmed; ask the Zoning Officer.

Do you need a building permit in Leonia, and who issues it?

Yes. New Jersey requires a permit for construction, alteration, repair, renovation and demolition work covered by the Uniform Construction Code2, and a certificate of occupancy for new buildings11. Municipal construction offices review applications and set permit fees12.

In Leonia, a change of use also needs a zoning permit, and no certificate of occupancy is issued without it13. We could not open the borough's Uniform Construction Code chapter, so call the borough's building department at the Municipal Center for the current application steps and fees14.

An owner who builds a new home for personal use is exempt from builder registration7, but must file an affidavit with the construction official before a certificate of occupancy is issued8.

How do septic permits work in Leonia?

New Jersey requires a permit for septic systems serving new construction9, and inspection before the system is covered15. Bergen County Health Services reviews septic plans for the roughly 30 towns that contract with it16; the county page does not establish that it covers every town, so we could not confirm which health office handles Leonia. Ask the17 and the borough's health inspector before planning any on-site system.

Building a home in Leonia: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zone district and its dimensional limits with the Zoning Officer18.
  2. Check height, yard and floor-area limits for that district4.
  3. File for zoning and construction permits with the borough2.
  4. Schedule the required inspections of work covered by the Uniform Construction Code19.
  5. Obtain a certificate of occupancy, with the owner affidavit if you built it yourself8.

What stays with Bergen County, and what to check before you buy in Leonia

Bergen County has no zoning authority over municipal land use; zoning stays with the borough20. A driveway onto a county road may need a county road-access permit, with a $250 review fee for some residential driveways21; a driveway onto a state highway needs a state permit22. See the Bergen County page for land outside the borough. Bergen County's effective property tax rate is 1.7%23.

Watch-outs

  • Leonia's rules on tiny homes, accessory dwellings, wells and driveways were not confirmed; ask the Zoning Officer before you buy18.
  • Short-term rentals are limited: the A-district single-family use excludes accommodation used for transient occupancy24.

Sources

  1. Chapter 290 Zoning (Borough of Leonia), quoted and re-checked
  2. N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14, Construction permits—when required (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 271 Trailers (Borough of Leonia), quoted and re-checked
  4. Article III: Districts; Zoning Map (Borough of Leonia), quoted and re-checked
  5. Article IV: A Districts (Borough of Leonia), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article IV: A Districts (Borough of Leonia), quoted and re-checked
  7. Builder Registration and New Home Warranty for Builders (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article IV: A Districts (Borough of Leonia), quoted and re-checked
  11. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. ecode360.com (Borough of Leonia), quoted and re-checked
  14. Borough of Leonia Municipal Center (building department) (leonianj.gov)
  15. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. bergencountynj.gov, quoted and re-checked
  17. Bergen County Department of Health Services (bergencountynj.gov)
  18. Leonia Zoning Officer (leonianj.gov)
  19. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Home Warranty—Consumer Information (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Site Plans, quoted and re-checked
  21. Fee Schedule for Site Plan Application, quoted and re-checked
  22. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  24. Article IV: A Districts (Borough of Leonia), quoted and re-checked

Written October 13, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Leonia

Borough of Leonia’s own rules

  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Changes of use inside Leonia borough.

    • After a change of use, a zoning permit is required.
    • No certificate of occupancy may be issued without the required zoning permit.
    “After a change of use has been made on a lot or in a building or structure, a zoning permit shall be required and no certificate of occupancy shall be issued without the required zoning permit.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Leonia borough.

    • Chapter 290 is the Borough's zoning chapter.
    “HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Leonia 1-16-1979 by Ord. No. 843 (Ch. 200 of the 1982 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Leonia borough.

    • The zoning map and schedule of requirements are declared part of the zoning chapter; the map and schedule are on file in the Clerk's office.
    “For the purpose of this chapter, the Borough of Leonia is hereby divided into twelve (12) zone districts, known as:”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Parking or dwelling use of trailers or camp cars on streets or premises inside Leonia borough.

    • Repair or storage is excepted.
    • A trailer or camp car undergoing repair or storage may not be used as a dwelling during that period.
    “It shall be unlawful for any person to park any trailer or camp car on any street in the Borough of Leonia or on any premises within the limits of the Borough except for the purpose of repair or storage. Any such trailer or camp car undergoing repairs or being stored shall not during such period of repairs or storage be used by any person as a dwelling.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Leonia

Borough of Leonia does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in Leonia Districts A-1 through A-4.

    • The required area varies by district and by one-story or two-story design.

    A-1 one-story minimum living floor area: >= 1500 square feet · A-1 two-story minimum living floor area: >= 2000 square feet · A-2 one-story minimum living floor area: >= 1250 square feet · A-2 two-story minimum living floor area: >= 1800 square feet · A-3 one-story minimum living floor area: >= 1100 square feet · A-3 two-story minimum living floor area: >= 1600 square feet · A-4 one-story minimum living floor area: >= 1500 square feet · A-4 two-story minimum living floor area: >= 2000 square feet

    “Minimum living floor area. Every single-family dwelling shall have a minimum living floor area in accordance with the following schedule:”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Principal buildings in Districts A-1 through A-4.

    • Front setback is generally at least 25 feet where no building line exists, subject to the mean setback rule and a 50-foot maximum required setback.
    • Rear yard is at least 25 feet.
    • Side yards vary by district.

    minimum rear yard: >= 25 feet (Through lots use the front-yard requirement on each street.) · minimum front yard where no building line exists: >= 25 feet (Mean setback and 50-foot maximum-required-setback rules apply.)

    “There shall be a rear yard of not less than 25 feet. A building on a lot extended through from street to street shall, in lieu of a rear yard, conform to the front yard requirement on each street.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Principal buildings in Leonia Districts A-1 through A-4.

    • The rule limits both stories and total height.

    maximum principal-building height: <= 35 feet · maximum stories: <= 2 stories plus attic

    “Height. No principal building shall exceed a height of two stories and attic nor more than 35 feet.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Transient occupancy in single-family detached dwellings in Leonia Districts A.

    • The source provision applies to Districts A and states that a single-family detached dwelling is for residence by not more than one family.
    • The source excludes accommodations used in whole or in part for transient occupancy.
    “Single-family, detached dwelling, used as a residence by not more than one family and not to exceed one such dwelling unit on each lot. Further, this use shall not be deemed to include any accommodation used, in whole or in part, for transient occupancy.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Leonia or Bergen County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Leonia borough.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Leonia borough.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Leonia borough.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Leonia borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Leonia borough.
11 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Borough of Leonia publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bergen County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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