Filming in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
Berkeley Heights runs the State model filming ordinance with three local additions that catch producers out: you supply your own portable restrooms, unpaid fees carry an 18% late charge, and county land inside the Township needs a separate Union County approval.
Berkeley Heights is Film Ready certified and its filming chapter was amended as recently as May 2026, so the process is current and someone at the Township is responsible for running it. The one thing to pin down before you build a schedule is lead time, because the ordinance and the Township’s own filming page publish different numbers.
Information checked September 21, 2026
- County
- Union County
- Film Ready status
- Film Ready certified locality. Confirmed on the State’s published certified-localities list, read in full September 21, 2026.
- Controlling source
- Township Code Chapter 5.01, Film Making, amended May 19, 2026 by Ordinance No. 2026-09
- Who issues
- The Municipal Clerk
- Published lead time
- Four business days under the ordinance. The Township’s own filming page states 10 to 14 days. Both are published; confirm which the Clerk works to
- Basic permit fee
- $100, or $250 expedited. $25 for bona fide nonprofit, educational or student applicants
- Daily fee
- $150 per day, or $500 per day for a major motion picture
- Street closures
- Up to $5,000 per day
- Bond
- $500 in cash, or a $1,000 maintenance bond
- Late payment
- 18% charge on unpaid fees
- Restrooms
- The production supplies its own portable restroom facilities
- County property
- Union County land inside the Township needs separate county approval. The Township permit does not cover it
- Last verified
- September 21, 2026
$100 basic permit ($250 expedited, $25 nonprofit or student), plus $150 a day or $500 a day for a major motion picture. Street closures up to $5,000 a day. Bond of $500 cash or a $1,000 maintenance bond.
Three local additions to watch: you supply your own portable restrooms, unpaid fees carry an 18% late charge, and Union County land inside the Township needs separate county approval.
Two published lead times
The ordinance requires the application four business days ahead. The Township’s own filming page says 10 to 14 days. Both are published by Berkeley Heights and neither is obviously the survivor of the other.
Ask the Municipal Clerk which the office works to. If you cannot get an answer inside your prep window, plan against 14 days: it is the longer figure, and nobody is penalized for filing early.
Four business days is in any case a filing requirement rather than a promise of turnaround. If your shoot needs street access, police staffing or a closure, the binding constraint is how long those take to arrange, not how quickly the Clerk can stamp a form.
Fees and money
| What | Amount |
|---|---|
| Basic filming permit | $100 |
| Expedited permit | $250 |
| Bona fide nonprofit, educational or student applicant | $25 |
| Daily filming fee | $150 |
| Daily filming fee, major motion picture | $500 |
| Street closure | Up to $5,000 per day |
| Bond | $500 in cash, or a $1,000 maintenance bond |
| Late charge on unpaid fees | 18% |
The 18% late charge is a local addition and it is unusual. Settle the invoice rather than carrying it: on a multi-day shoot with a closure, the underlying sum is large enough that the interest is a real number.
What the ordinance requires
- Who issues it. The Municipal Clerk, under Code Chapter 5.01, Film Making, as amended May 19, 2026 by Ordinance No. 2026-09.
- Restrooms. The production supplies its own portable restroom facilities. This is not in the State model, and it is easy to miss if you are working from a neighboring town’s paperwork. Budget the units and the servicing, and have a placement plan — where they sit on a residential street is precisely what a neighbor telephones about.
- County property. Union County land inside the Township is not the Township’s to grant. County roads and county parks need separate county approval on top of the Township permit.
- Bond. $500 in cash or a $1,000 maintenance bond, which is the standard model pairing — the cash option is cheaper to post and the bond option is cheaper to carry.
- Major motion picture tier. Confirm which tier the Clerk puts you in before you budget, because the difference between $150 and $500 a day compounds across a schedule.
Film Ready status
What Film Ready certification actually means for your shoot
Film Ready certification means the municipality has put a process in place and named someone to run it: a designated liaison, an adopted filming ordinance, a permit form, and a location inventory filed with the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission.
It does not mean filming is free, that a permit is optional, or that approval is automatic. Every requirement on this page still applies. What certification tends to buy you in practice is a faster answer and a person who has done this before.
Berkeley Heights is on the State’s certified-localities list, read in full on September 21, 2026. The May 2026 amendment to Chapter 5.01 is a sign of a process someone is actually maintaining, which in practice is worth more than the certification badge.
Practical production planning
- Settle the lead-time question in your first call. Everything else in your schedule hangs off it.
- Map your locations against ownership before you apply. A county road running through a shot changes who you are asking and how long it takes.
- Price the restroom units as a line item, not an afterthought, and agree their placement with the Clerk.
- Decide between the $500 cash bond and the $1,000 maintenance bond on cash flow rather than headline number.
- If you are also scouting Watchung or Warren, price each town separately. The three are close together and their fee schedules are not alike.
Common questions
How much does a film permit cost in Berkeley Heights, NJ?
The basic permit is $100, or $250 if you file inside the standard notice window, and $25 for bona fide nonprofit, educational or student applicants. On top of that you pay $150 a day, or $500 a day if the project is a major motion picture. Street closures are priced separately at up to $5,000 a day. Unpaid fees carry an 18% late charge, so settle the invoice rather than letting it ride.
How far in advance do I need a Berkeley Heights film permit?
The ordinance sets four business days. The Township's own filming page says 10 to 14 days. Both figures are published by Berkeley Heights, and they are far enough apart to matter, so call the Municipal Clerk and ask which one the office actually works to. If you cannot get an answer in time, plan against 14 days, because that is the longer of the two and no one will penalize you for being early.
Does Berkeley Heights provide restrooms for film crews?
No. The ordinance makes the production responsible for supplying its own portable restroom facilities. This is a local addition rather than part of the State model ordinance, and it is easy to miss when you are working from a neighboring town's paperwork. Budget the units and the servicing, and have a placement plan the Clerk can look at, because where they go on a residential street is exactly the sort of thing a neighbor complains about.
Is Berkeley Heights Film Ready certified?
Yes. Berkeley Heights appears on the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission's published certified-localities list, which we read in full on September 21, 2026. Certification means the Township has an adopted ordinance, a permit process and a designated liaison. It does not mean filming is free or that a permit is optional.
Do I need a separate permit for county property in Berkeley Heights?
Yes, if you are filming on Union County land. County roads and county parks inside the Township are not the Township's to give away, and the ordinance says so. You need approval from Union County in addition to the Township permit. Work out early which authority owns each piece of ground in your shot, because a county road running through your location changes who you are asking and how long it takes.
Official sources
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, Film Ready certified localities
- MunicipalBerkeley Heights Code, Chapter 5.01 Film Making
- MunicipalTownship of Berkeley Heights
Checked September 21, 2026 against the official municipal sources listed above. Report a correction or updated permit requirement.
Planning a production in New Jersey?
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This guide is researched and reviewed by Sam Moskowitz, a New Jersey-based producer and DP who runs BLL Films. Sam’s production and cinematography credits include work for Netflix, History Channel, Hulu, the NFL and Google. Every changing fact on this page carries a verification date; see how this site is researched for the full process.
More town production guides
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