New Jersey has no statewide ADU law. Every municipality writes its own rules under home rule, and within a single town the rules vary by zone. The towns below have ordinances on the books — but whether your specific lot can support an ADU depends on your zone, your existing coverage, your setbacks, and your utilities. Use this guide to know whether your town is in play; use a Feasibility Study to know whether your lot is.
Bills S1786 / A3488 in the 2026 session would mandate statewide by-right ADUs in any zone that already permits single- or two-family dwellings. The NJ League of Municipalities is the primary roadblock. If passed, the entire landscape below shifts overnight — every Tier 3 town becomes by-right.
These towns permit ADUs as a permitted use in at least some residential zones. No conditional-use hearing, no variance — meet the ordinance and you can build.
ADUs are allowed in these towns, but with significant restrictions: heavy parking requirements, owner-occupancy, affordable-housing tie-ins, or Planning Board approval.
Detailed pages for towns in this tier are coming soon.
Most of New Jersey is here. ADUs require a variance — a hearing-based, outcome-uncertain process. A 'dry studio' (accessory building, no kitchen or plumbing) is often the by-right alternative.
Detailed pages for towns in this tier are coming soon.
Most NJ towns require a variance. Some lots have neighborhood precedent that makes a variance more likely than the broad picture suggests. A "dry studio" — an accessory building with no kitchen or plumbing — is often the by-right alternative. Our $750 Feasibility Study tells you which path is real for your specific lot, in 5 days.