The City of Passaic's Division of Code Enforcement, within the Department of Inspection and Code Enforcement at City Hall, 330 Passaic Street, enforces the Uniform Construction Code for the city of Passaic in Passaic County — a distinction worth making, since the county issues no construction permits and the two are routinely confused. Chapter 107 of the city code adds a municipal contractor licence: before any contractor licence is issued or renewed, the applicant files with the Construction Official a certificate of liability insurance of at least twenty-five thousand dollars naming the Division of Code Enforcement as the party to be notified if the policy is cancelled, and the Construction Official may notice and revoke the registration of a licensee who fails to perform or comply.
Chapter 100, Certificates of Occupancy and Tenancy, is the city's second layer. Any change of ownership of a building or part of a building not used for residential purposes requires a new certificate of occupancy; the occupancy or use of any vacant land requires a certificate after a site inspection; a nonconforming use receives no certificate unless it can be shown to predate regulation or to have held a certificate continuously; and an expedited certificate, in five days or less, is available for a premium.
This guide covers the City of Passaic. Clifton and Paterson are separate Passaic County municipalities with their own enforcing agencies, and Passaic County itself issues no construction permits.
City, not county — and licensed, not just registered. Chapter 107 conditions the issuance or renewal of any contractor licence on a certificate of liability insurance of at least twenty-five thousand dollars, listing the Division of Code Enforcement at City Hall as the agency to be notified on cancellation. A contractor who fails to complete permitted work or to comply with city ordinances receives notice by certified mail with a remedial deadline, and revocation of the registration follows.
What requires a building permit in Passaic?
New Jersey runs on a single statewide instrument, the Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23), in force since January 1977 and administered by the Department of Community Affairs. Rather than writing its own code, the state adopts the national model codes as subcodes with New Jersey amendments: the International Building Code (building subcode), the International Residential Code for one- and two-family dwellings, the National Standard Plumbing Code — not the International Plumbing Code used in neighbouring states — the National Electrical Code, and the mechanical, fuel gas and energy codes. The 2024 editions of the I-codes and the NSPC, with the 2023 NEC, took effect on August 17, 2026 and replace the 2021 editions and the 2020 NEC; the usual six-month grace period lets an applicant file under either edition until roughly mid-February 2027. Under N.J.S.A. 52:27D-119 et seq. no municipality, Passaic included, may adopt different technical standards — what is local is the enforcing agency, the fee ordinance, the zoning approvals that precede the permit, and the certificates that follow it.
The UCC itself draws the exemption line. Ordinary maintenance under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 needs no permit, no notice and no inspection; minor work under 5:23-2.17A needs a permit but may begin once the enforcing agency has been notified, with the application filed and inspected afterwards. Everything else waits for the issued permit.
Typically permit required
- Any change of ownership of a nonresidential building or part of one, which needs a new certificate of occupancy under Chapter 100
- The occupancy or use of any vacant land for any purpose, which needs a certificate of occupancy after a site inspection
- Awnings that encroach on the right of way, which need an encroachment permit from the Division of Building Code Enforcement and county approval on county roads
- New buildings, additions and any structural work on an existing building
- Interior alterations that reconfigure space, add plumbing fixtures or extend circuits — renovation, alteration and reconstruction under the rehabilitation subcode
- Decks, and sheds over 200 square feet, over ten feet tall or with any utility connection
Often exempt
- Ordinary maintenance under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, which the division does not need to hear about
- Painting, wallpapering and interior finishes on less than a quarter of the wall area of a house
- Like-for-like replacement of windows and doors in the same opening, and glass in any window or door
- Roofing and siding replacement on a one- or two-family dwelling
- Garden sheds up to 200 square feet and ten feet high with no utilities, and fences up to six feet — the zoning permit still applies to both
What is actually local, and what is not
Technical standards are the state's. Passaic's layer is the local enforcing agency — the construction official and the building, electrical, plumbing and fire subcode officials, each licensed by the state under N.J.A.C. 5:23-5 — plus the municipal fee ordinance, the zoning officer's sign-off, and the municipal contractor licence and the Chapter 100 certificate regime that the Division of Code Enforcement administers around the construction permit.
Who handles permitting in Passaic?
The Division of Code Enforcement within the Department of Inspection and Code Enforcement is the enforcing agency, with the Construction Official and the building, electrical, plumbing and fire subcode officials reviewing their sections of the state UCC jacket; a Division of Housing and Property Maintenance in the same department administers the property maintenance code, and the zoning officer administers the zoning and land use ordinances, including the 2026 short-term rental ordinances. The Construction Official issues and revokes municipal contractor licences and, for failures under site plan conditions or performance standards, revokes building permits and certificates.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | City of Passaic Department of Inspection and Code Enforcement — Division of Code Enforcement |
| Office | City Hall, 330 Passaic Street, Passaic, NJ 07055 |
| Phone | (973) 365-5545 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm |
| Construction Official | (973) 365-5521; zoning officer (973) 365-5632 |
| Contractors | Municipal contractor licence under Chapter 107 with liability insurance certificate on file |
Permit types
Residential permits
A Passaic house project takes the zoning permit, then files the state UCC jacket and subcode sections at City Hall with the contractor's municipal licence and state home improvement registration number in place. The certificate of occupancy for new construction is priced at ten percent of the new construction permit fee with a reduced minimum for small one- and two-family houses, and a homeowner letting rooms short-term meets the city's 2026 short-term rental certificate, definitions and occupancy tax ordinances.
How New Jersey contractor credentials work
New Jersey has no state general contractor license. What it has instead is a registration that doubles as a permit gate: a home improvement contractor business must be registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs under the Contractors' Registration Act (N.J.S.A. 56:8-136 et seq.), and N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.15(b)8 requires the registration number on the construction permit application — an enforcing agency may not issue a home improvement permit to an unregistered contractor. Registration now carries commercial general liability insurance of at least five hundred thousand dollars per occurrence, workers' compensation cover and a tiered compliance bond, and the 2024 Home Improvement and Home Elevation Contractor Licensing Act is phasing in individual licensing through a new state board. New construction is different: a new-home builder registers with the Department of Community Affairs under the New Home Warranty and Builders' Registration Act and shows the builder registration card at permit. Electrical contractors, master plumbers and HVACR contractors hold separate state licenses from Consumer Affairs boards. Owners working on their own home are exempt from registration, and Passaic licenses no trades of its own.
Commercial permits
Commercial work in Passaic clears site plan review under Chapter 317, whose performance standards and conditions the Construction Official enforces by revoking permits and certificates where they are not met, then files for construction review. Every change of ownership of a nonresidential building needs a new certificate of occupancy, a new tenant needs the continued occupancy certificate priced per unit, and a vacant lot put to any use needs a certificate after a site inspection.
Prior approvals, subcode review and the twenty-day clock
A New Jersey construction permit is one application with technical sections — the state's UCC F100 jacket with building, electrical, plumbing, fire and mechanical subcode forms — and each subcode official reviews their own section. The permit cannot issue until the prior approvals are in hand: zoning or planning board approval under the Municipal Land Use Law is a separate track that precedes the construction permit, and where a project touches a county road or county drainage the county planning board signs off as well. Sites disturbing 5,000 square feet or more need soil erosion certification from the regional soil conservation district, and DEP approvals apply in flood hazard, wetland and coastal areas. In Passaic the Passaic River brings DEP flood hazard approvals into the file, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission signs off on connections, and the county's approval is needed where an awning or other encroachment reaches a county road. Once complete, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.16 gives the enforcing agency twenty business days to approve or reject a complete application, with a written list of deficiencies on any rejection.
Passaic permit costs and fees
Fees follow Chapter 107 for construction permits and Chapter 100 for certificates — the sum of the subcode fees plus the state training fee, with certificates priced per unit and a premium for speed.
| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Construction permit | Sum of the subcode fees under Chapter 107, paid before issuance |
| Certificate of occupancy, new construction | Ten percent of the new construction permit fee, with reduced minimums for small one- and two-family houses |
| Continued occupancy, change of use, multiple certificates | Fifty dollars for the first unit, thirty-five per unit for the second through twentieth, twenty-five per unit thereafter |
| Expedited certificate | Three hundred dollars for issuance in five days or less |
| Contractor licence | Municipal licence under Chapter 107 with a liability insurance certificate of at least twenty-five thousand dollars |
| State training fee | Added to every permit under N.J.A.C. 5:23-4.19 |
Speed has a price, and vacant land has a certificate. Chapter 100 offers an expedited occupancy certificate in five days or less for three hundred dollars against a per-unit schedule for the ordinary certificate — and it reaches further than most cities: the occupancy or use of any vacant land, for any purpose, requires a certificate of occupancy issued after a site inspection, provided the use meets zoning or holds a use variance.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Trade work is permitted through the same application under the electrical, plumbing, fire and mechanical subcode sections, and inspected by the subcode official for each.
Permit required
- Right-of-way encroachments such as awnings — encroachment permit from the Division of Building Code Enforcement, with county approval on county roads
- Electrical — state-licensed electrical contractor; electrical subcode section
- Plumbing and gas piping — state-licensed master plumber; plumbing subcode section under the NSPC
- HVAC and fuel-fired equipment — licensed HVACR contractor; mechanical or fire subcode section
- Fire protection, alarms and sprinklers — fire subcode section, with fire official review
Typically exempt
- Like-for-like fixture, receptacle, switch and light fixture replacement in the same location
- Communications and low-voltage wiring in a house that does not penetrate a fire-rated assembly
How to apply for a Passaic building permit
A zoning permit or planning board approval under the Municipal Land Use Law precedes the construction permit.
The home improvement registration number, or the new-home builder registration card, goes on the application.
One F100 application with the building, electrical, plumbing, fire and mechanical sections the scope requires, plus sealed plans where the UCC demands them.
Soil conservation, county planning board, DEP or overlay agency sign-offs are attached before the permit can issue.
Fees follow the local ordinance plus the state training fee surcharge, and are due before issuance.
Footing to final under 5:23-2.18, then the certificate of occupancy or approval that closes the permit.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
Passaic reviews on the state's twenty-business-day clock, with the certificate side running on its own schedule and its own premium. What delays a Passaic file is a contractor licence lapsed for want of the insurance certificate, a commercial sale closed without the new certificate, and the assumption that a county office has anything to do with a city permit.
Inspections in Passaic
N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.18 sets the inspection sequence statewide — bottom of footing trenches, foundation and backfill, rough framing, electrical and plumbing, insulation, and final — and the enforcing agency must inspect within three business days of the request. Work that passes final receives a certificate of occupancy for new buildings or changes of use, or a certificate of approval for everything else. Passaic inspects by subcode from the Division of Code Enforcement, with the Division of Housing and Property Maintenance inspecting dwellings separately; certificates under Chapter 100 follow their own inspections, including the site inspection for vacant land and the reinspection a failed certificate requires.
Passaic permit search and official resources
- City of Passaic Code Enforcement and Zoning — the division, its officials and the short-term rental ordinances
- Passaic Code Chapter 107 — Construction Codes, Uniform — the municipal contractor licence and insurance rule
- Passaic Code Chapter 100 — Certificates of Occupancy and Tenancy — ownership changes, vacant land and certificate fees
- New Jersey Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23) — the statewide code and subcode adoptions from the Department of Community Affairs
- DCA rule proposals and adoptions — the August 2026 notice adopting the 2024 model codes and 2023 NEC
- Home improvement contractor registration — Division of Consumer Affairs registration and licensing
Frequently asked questions
Is this the city or the county?
The City of Passaic, in Passaic County. The county issues no construction permits; the city's Division of Code Enforcement at 330 Passaic Street is the enforcing agency.
Do contractors need a Passaic licence?
Yes. Chapter 107 conditions any contractor licence on a liability insurance certificate of at least twenty-five thousand dollars naming the Division of Code Enforcement, and the Construction Official may revoke the registration for failure to perform or comply.
Does selling a commercial building need a certificate?
Yes. Chapter 100 requires a new certificate of occupancy on any change of ownership of a building or part of one not used for residential purposes.
Can I get a certificate quickly?
An expedited occupancy certificate in five days or less costs three hundred dollars; the ordinary certificate is priced per unit, fifty dollars for the first.
Does using a vacant lot need a certificate?
Yes. Chapter 100 requires a certificate of occupancy for the occupancy or use of any vacant land, issued after a site inspection where the use meets zoning or holds a use variance.
Which code edition applies?
The New Jersey editions of the 2024 I-codes with the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2024 National Standard Plumbing Code, effective August 17, 2026, with a six-month grace period during which the 2021 editions may still be used.
Simplify Passaic permitting with Alliance Permitting
Passaic licenses the contractor, certifies the transfer and inspects the lot. We keep the licence and insurance certificate current, file the construction permit complete at City Hall, and time the Chapter 100 certificate — expedited when the closing needs it — to the transaction.
Ready to break ground in Passaic sooner?
Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the City of Passaic Division of Code Enforcement, assemble the submittal, file it, and track it through issuance — corrections included.
More New Jersey permitting guides
More New Jersey permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Passaic permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.