Outdoor Dining violations

45 codified rules in the SidewalkSnitch NYC registry for this category.

Dining Out NYC — Global Corridor 12ft Clear Path
Sidewalk cafes on Global Corridors must maintain a minimum clear pedestrian path of 12 feet, or 50% of total sidewalk width, whichever is gr…
Dining Out NYC — Regional Corridor 10ft Clear Path
Sidewalk cafes on Regional Corridors must maintain a minimum clear pedestrian path of 10 feet. All dining furniture, structures, and equipme…
Dining Out NYC — Local Street 8ft Clear Path
All sidewalk cafes on streets not classified as Global or Regional Corridors must maintain a minimum 8-foot clear pedestrian path at all tim…
Dining Out NYC — No Blocking Subway Entrance
Sidewalk cafe furniture, structures, and equipment must not be placed within 15 feet of a subway stair entrance (open/entry side). Additiona…
Dining Out NYC — No Blocking Fire Hydrant (15ft)
No person shall place any object, furniture, or structure within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. Sidewalk cafe furniture must maintain this clear…
Dining Out NYC — Tables Must Be Removed by 11pm
All sidewalk cafe tables, chairs, and portable structures must be removed from the sidewalk or stored indoors by 11:00 PM nightly. Dining op…
Dining Out NYC — No Cooking or Amplified Music on Sidewalk
Cooking appliances, open flames, grills, and amplified music or sound equipment are prohibited in sidewalk cafe areas. Food preparation must…
Sidewalk Cafe — Clear Path by Corridor (34 RCNY §5-11)
A clear path shall remain on the sidewalk in front of a sidewalk cafe at all times. Required minimum widths by corridor category: Global Cor…
Sidewalk Cafe — Clearance from Subway Stair Entrance (15 ft)
A sidewalk cafe must maintain a minimum distance of 15 feet from the open entry side of a subway stairway. A minimum of 10 feet is required …
Sidewalk Cafe — Clearance from Fire Hydrant (8 ft minimum)
A sidewalk cafe must maintain a minimum distance of 8 feet from a fire hydrant. No furniture, perimeter barrier, planter, or any element of …
Sidewalk Cafe — Clearance from Bus Stop (8 ft minimum)
A sidewalk cafe must maintain a minimum distance of 8 feet from bus stop poles and bus stop shelters. No element of the cafe may encroach wi…
Sidewalk Cafe — Hours of Operation Violation
Open-air sidewalk cafes and roadway cafes may operate only during the following hours: Monday through Saturday 8:00 AM to midnight; Sunday 1…
Sidewalk Cafe — Excessive or Prohibited Advertising Signage
Signs, pictures, flags, banners, side curtains, and illuminated or non-illuminated devices on sidewalk cafe structures are limited to: resta…
Sidewalk Cafe — Perimeter Too High or Affixed to Sidewalk
The perimeter demarcation of an open-air sidewalk cafe (base wall, railing, planter, fence, stanchion and rope) must be no higher than 2 fee…
Sidewalk Cafe — Elevated Platform or Non-Permitted Flooring
Open-air sidewalk cafes must be level with the existing sidewalk surface. No platforms, raised flooring, or ground coverings (including rugs…
Sidewalk Cafe — Awning Too Low (Below 8 ft Clearance)
An awning used in a sidewalk cafe must be no lower than 8 feet from the ground, with a maximum height of 10 feet. An overhead covering or um…
Sidewalk Cafe — License Not Available on Premises
A licensee must retain a copy of the DOT-issued license on the premises of the sidewalk cafe or roadway cafe and make it available for inspe…
Sidewalk Cafe — Abandoned Setup (Unused 30+ Days)
A sidewalk cafe or roadway cafe must be used and occupied for outdoor dining. When not used and occupied for outdoor dining for 30 consecuti…
Roadway Cafe — Located in Prohibited Zone (Bus Lane, Bike Lane, Travel Lane)
A roadway cafe may only be located in parking spaces, commercial parking, and certain no-parking zones. It is prohibited from being located …
Roadway Cafe — Fire Hydrant Clearance (15 ft)
A roadway cafe must maintain a minimum distance of 15 feet from a fire hydrant. This is stricter than the 8-foot requirement for sidewalk ca…
Roadway Cafe — Crosswalk Clearance Violation
A roadway cafe must maintain: (a) 20 feet minimum distance from a crosswalk where the nearest travel lane carries approaching traffic toward…
Roadway Cafe — Barriers Non-Compliant (Missing, Wrong Height, No Reflective Strip)
Roadway cafe barriers must: (1) be present on all sides except the restaurant-facing side; (2) be 30-42 inches in height; (3) be water-fille…
Roadway Cafe — Operating Out of Season (Nov 30 – Mar 31)
Roadway cafes shall not operate on any day from November 30 to March 31, inclusive. All barriers, furnishings, and decorative elements of a …
Roadway Cafe — Opaque Vertical Screening
Vertical screening on a roadway cafe is only permitted on the roadway-facing side between the barrier and 6 feet above the base, and must ma…
Roadway Cafe — Obstructing Signage Visibility (46-inch Height Limit Near Signs)
Any element of a roadway cafe, including decorative plantings, located within 50 feet of any regulatory or warning sign (Stop, Yield, One-Wa…
Sidewalk Cafe — Fully Enclosed Structure (Prohibited)
A sidewalk cafe may not be fully enclosed. Enclosures consisting predominantly of glass, slow-burning plastic, or lightweight metal walls an…
Sidewalk Cafe — Blocking Fire Escape, Freight Elevator, Service Entrance, or Stoop
A sidewalk cafe may not be located over or block any of the following: fire escape stairs or fire escape components, freight elevators or se…
Sidewalk Cafe — Lighting Violation (Too High, Attached to City Property or Street Trees)
Sidewalk cafe lighting must be outdoor-rated, properly secured, lightweight, and located within the cafe perimeter. Lighting may not exceed …
Roadway Cafe — Umbrella or Overhead Covering Within 50ft of Regulatory Sign (Fully Prohibited)
Umbrellas and overhead coverings are completely prohibited within 50 feet of any regulatory or warning sign, including Stop, Yield, One-Way,…
Roadway Cafe — Flooring Drainage Channel Missing or Non-Compliant
If flooring is used in a roadway cafe, a 6-inch covered drainage channel must be maintained between the flooring and the curb to allow drain…
Sidewalk Cafe — Full Clearances Table (Subway Elevator, Exhaust, Curb Cuts, Tree Beds, Mailboxes, Manholes)
Per 34 RCNY §5-11(a)(1)(iv), an open-air sidewalk cafe must maintain these minimum distances from listed elements: Subway Stair (open/entry …
Sidewalk Cafe — Removable Furniture & 50% Sidewalk Width Rule
All tables, chairs, barriers, and equipment of an open-air sidewalk cafe must be removable and self-supporting; nothing may be bolted, ancho…
Dining Out NYC — Cafe Limited to Frontage of Operating Restaurant
A sidewalk cafe or roadway cafe is limited to the sidewalk (or sidewalk widening) or roadway directly in front of the ground floor restauran…
Sidewalk or Roadway Cafe — Operating Without License & Revocable Consent
No person may establish or operate a sidewalk cafe or roadway cafe without first being granted both a license and a revocable consent by the…
Sidewalk or Roadway Cafe — Alcohol Service Without SLA Authorization
No beer, alcoholic or spirituous liquors shall be served at a sidewalk cafe or roadway cafe unless permitted by the New York State Liquor Au…
Sidewalk or Roadway Cafe — Smoking or E-Cigarettes Prohibited
Smoking or using electronic cigarettes is prohibited within sidewalk cafes and roadway cafes pursuant to subdivision (c) of section 17-503 o…
Sidewalk or Roadway Cafe — Heater Outside Permitted Area or Unapproved
Heating units used in a sidewalk cafe or roadway cafe must comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations and must be approved for …
Sidewalk or Roadway Cafe — Good Order / Excessive Patron Congregation
Every licensee is strictly accountable for the maintenance of good order in the sidewalk cafe or roadway cafe and the proper conduct of thei…
Sidewalk or Roadway Cafe — ADA Accessibility Violation
A sidewalk cafe and roadway cafe must be directly accessible to persons with physical disabilities. The design of such cafe must comply with…
Sidewalk or Roadway Cafe — Furniture Not Secured When Closed / Umbrellas in Inclement Weather
During hours when a sidewalk cafe or roadway cafe is not operating, the licensee must secure all furnishings and decorative elements (tables…
Sidewalk or Roadway Cafe — Encroaching on Furnishing Zone
No portion of a sidewalk cafe or roadway cafe may be located in the furnishing zone, and no items associated with such cafe may be placed or…
Sidewalk or Roadway Cafe — Staff Serving From Outside Cafe Perimeter
A licensee must ensure that employees serve patrons solely from within the perimeters of the sidewalk cafe or roadway cafe. Furniture and ot…
Roadway Cafe — Encroaching on or Attached to Street Tree Bed
No element of a roadway cafe shall encroach upon or attach to a street tree bed or canopy of a street tree. A street tree may not be cut, pr…
Roadway Cafe — Floating Parking Lane / Bike Lane Encroachment
A roadway cafe located in a floating parking lane (a parking lane separated from the curb by a protected bicycle lane) is limited to the wid…
Roadway Cafe — Lighting & Electrical Connection Violations
Roadway cafe lighting must be outdoor-rated, properly secured, protected, and lightweight. Wires for electrification must be connected above…

How-to guides for outdoor dining: Outdoor dining violations

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