NJ town’s fall warning: Dump leaves in the street, and you’ll pay

🍂 Fair Lawn is warning residents and landscapers not to blow or dump leaves into the street.

💸 Violators could face fines of up to $2,000, while other New Jersey towns have their own penalties for leaf dumping.

🚛 Residents have several options for getting rid of fall leaves legally, including paper bags, containers and designated recycling facilities.

FAIR LAWN — Tis the season for falling leaves blanketing the front lawns and backyards of homes across the Garden State.

But if you live in this Bergen County town, don’t you dare blow them into the street, or there will be consequences.

Fair Lawn says no leaf dumping or face the consequences

The Fair Lawn Recycling Division put out a notice to residents reminding them of “no leaves in the street.”

The borough is really cracking down, prohibiting homeowners and landscapers from dumping or blowing leaves and yard waste into the street, or risk facing a hefty fine of up to $2,000.

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Residents who blow leaves in the street in Fair Lawn may be subjected to a fine of up to $2,000 (Canva/Facebook)

Fair Lawn leaf dumping options

Instead, landscapers may drop off leaves only at the Fair Lawn Compost Center during the fall leaf season, but they must have a permit. Permits cost $100 per truck and are available at the Department of Public Works office inside Borough Hall, located at 8-01 Fair Lawn Avenue in Fair Lawn.

Residents have a few options when it comes to ridding their lawns of leaves. They can either place leaves in paper bags or containers less than 40 gallons in size for yard waste collection, bring the leaves to the Recycling Center (located at 20-05 Saddle River Road, Fair Lawn) during operating hours, or have their landscaper get rid of them.

The DPW Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Recycling Center operates Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Other New Jersey towns impose fines for leaf dumping

Fair Lawn is not the only New Jersey town cracking down on leaf dumping.

In Hillsborough, the township's published leaf collection guidance says leaves should not be placed in the roadway or ditches. Penalties can be up to $1,250.

Randolph has a minimum $500 fine for dumping leaves, grass clippings, brush, or branches from a vehicle onto the curb or public street. The $500 is for a first offense and $1,000 for subsequent offenses. Other violations of its leaf-placement rules can result in removal costs charged to the property owner.

Maplewood’s ordinance prohibits putting leaves into the street more than seven days before a scheduled Department of Public Works pickup. Penalties can be $100 for the first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third or more.

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