Filming in Camden, New Jersey
A production guide to Camden’s Chapter 348 permit, its published fees and insurance, and the transit, bridge, county and institutional authorities that control nearby property.
Camden combines Delaware River waterfront settings, parks, urban streets and major transportation and institutional properties. Those settings are not controlled by one office: a production may need the City, a private owner, Camden County, NJ TRANSIT, DRPA/PATCO, Rutgers or another controlling entity.
The City’s Bureau of License & Inspections publishes a film application and administers the municipal permit. Camden also participates in the South Jersey Film Office Cooperative, which can assist with scouting and regional coordination but does not replace the City permit.
Information checked July 24, 2026
- County
- Camden County
- Film Ready treatment
- City page claims certification; Camden is absent from the State’s current certified-localities list checked July 29, 2026
- Municipal starting point
- Bureau of License & Inspections
- Municipal contact
- Marvin J. Poveda, Chief License Inspector
- Phone
- 856-757-7131
- Office
- 520 Market Street, City Hall Room 220, Camden, NJ 08102
- Published counter hours
- Not located on the current film or License & Inspections page; call before visiting
- Controlling municipal law
- Camden Code Chapter 348, including fees amended December 10, 2024
- Current application
- Film Permit Application [C18], posted January 2025
- Basic permit
- $175
- Major-motion-picture daily fee
- $1,500; no published definition or budget threshold located
- Nonprofit or educational professional photography
- $25; no daily filming fee
- Standard filming hours
- 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., including setup and dismantling; extension may be approved
- Published municipal filing rule
- Apply more than five days before the requested date unless the Public Officer waives the period
- Public-land insurance
- $500,000 bodily injury to one person / $1,000,000 aggregate, plus $300,000 property damage
- Public-land security
- $500 cash or $500 maintenance bond
Film Ready status: an unresolved conflict
Camden’s own film page says the City has been designated Film Ready. The State’s current certified-localities page, checked July 29, 2026, does not list Camden. This guide does not resolve that conflict and does not display a Film Ready badge. Confirm current status with the City and the NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission before relying on the designation for any incentive, marketing or planning purpose.
Documented location and jurisdiction character
Official sources support the following production-planning context:
- The City publishes a list of municipal parks with urban playground, field, neighborhood-square and open-space settings. Its park page says City parks are generally open dawn to dusk, but those public-use hours do not replace the film permit’s approved production schedule.
- The City’s Wiggins Waterfront Park page documents a Delaware River waterfront venue in Camden. Confirm the precise owner and event authority before presenting it as City-controlled filming property.
- NJ TRANSIT identifies the Walter Rand Transportation Center as an NJ TRANSIT-owned multimodal facility and Camden’s principal bus, River LINE and PATCO connection.
- DRPA/PATCO publishes a separate commercial filming policy for its bridges, trains, stations and other property.
- The South Jersey Film Office describes Camden County’s urban Delaware River backdrop and offers production assistance.
These sources describe possible looks and control boundaries. They do not establish availability, exclusivity, filming permission, parking, basecamp or present site conditions.
When a City permit is required
Chapter 348 applies to motion pictures, videotaping and professional photography in City zoning districts, subject to a film permit. It exempts personal-use or personal-entertainment filming; news gathering and investigative reporting; and nonprofit public-access exhibition, including political events.
Do not expand these exemptions beyond the text.
Short-term and conditional-use routes
The short-term route may cover up to six filming days in a calendar quarter or 24 days in a calendar year in residential, public and semipublic districts, and up to 15 days in a calendar quarter and up to 60 days in a calendar year in other zoning districts.
Nonexempt filming that does not qualify for the short-term route requires the conditional-use process. That route can require mailed notice within 150 feet, posted notice within 500 feet and at least 14 days’ notice before the decision date or hearing.
Ask License & Inspections to classify the project before setting a schedule.
Application and timing
For the short-term route, Chapter 348 says no permit will be issued unless the application is made more than five days before the requested filming date. The Public Officer may waive the period when related approvals have been obtained and adjacent owners or tenants do not need notice.
The application requests production company and applicant information; project and location-manager information; proposed activity and each location; dates, start and end times; cast, crew and vehicle counts; off-street parking; special effects or pyrotechnics; tents or temporary membrane structures; low-flying aircraft, stunts or chase scenes; ingress, pedestrian or traffic disruption; and road closure.
Do not rely on a timing waiver before the City grants it.
Hours and noise
Chapter 348 prohibits filming, setup and dismantling before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. The City may extend the hours upon a showing of necessity when the exception will not disturb the public.
Gunfire, explosions, sirens, public-address systems, bullhorns and other noise-creating devices require prior permission and/or public notification. Write the approved setup, filming, meal, breakdown and final-departure hours into the permit.
Insurance, indemnity and security
For filming on City-controlled public land, Chapter 348 and the current application publish:
- $500,000 bodily-injury coverage for one person
- $1,000,000 bodily-injury aggregate
- $300,000 property-damage coverage per occurrence
- City of Camden named as additional insured
- Risk Management review
- Written indemnification protecting the City
- $500 cash or a $500 maintenance bond
The code says the bond is returned within seven days after completion if there is no damage or public expense. Obtain the current certificate holder, endorsements, cancellation wording, bond payee and delivery instructions from the City.
Property, parking and public safety
The short-term conditions include a parking plan; written permission from affected property owners and tenants; and police officers or firefighters when assessed as necessary by the Police or Fire Chief, at the applicant’s cost. The current application says the City will notify the applicant after review if uniformed police or firefighters are required.
The City will not issue a permit for property with outstanding uncorrected violations or tax delinquencies. Disclose the property address early so this can be checked.
Aircraft and aerial filming
Chapter 348 requires explicit written City permission for helicopter landings or aerial filming, a safety meeting and advance safety walkthrough. It bans helicopter filming in residential areas and requires signatures from every affected owner or tenant within 2,000 feet for helicopter filming in a nonresidential area.
This provision is not drone authorization. State, federal, property-owner, transit or other agency rules may also apply.
Current published fees
| Charge | Current published amount |
|---|---|
| Basic filming permit | $175 |
| Daily fee for a major motion picture | $1,500 |
| Nonprofit applicant or professional photographer filming for educational purposes | $25; no daily fee |
| Lost City revenue, including meter revenue | Reimbursable |
| Police, fire, parking, inspections, property use or other services | Obtain a written quote |
The current sources do not define “major motion picture” or state a budget threshold. They also do not clearly say whether the $1,500 daily fee is limited to public land. Do not classify a project or calculate an all-in total without written City confirmation.
Who controls the location?
| Location or impact | Starting authority |
|---|---|
| City street, sidewalk, park or municipal facility | Camden Bureau of License & Inspections and assigned City departments |
| Private residence, business, building or lot | Owner or authorized representative, plus the City permit |
| Walter Rand Transportation Center, River LINE or other NJ TRANSIT property | NJ TRANSIT |
| PATCO station, train, Benjamin Franklin Bridge or other DRPA property | DRPA/PATCO commercial filming process |
| Camden County property, road or facility | Camden County and the South Jersey Film Office contact |
| Rutgers–Camden or another educational campus | The institution controlling the property |
| Redevelopment-agency parcel | Camden Redevelopment Agency and current owner or lessee as applicable |
| Hospital, aquarium, museum, battleship, port or other institutional or private venue | The controlling entity and any public agency with jurisdiction |
Camden participates in the South Jersey Film Office Cooperative, which can assist with scouting and regional coordination but does not replace the City permit.
Practical production planning
- Ask the City to classify the project as short-term or conditional-use before locking dates.
- Confirm whether the $1,500 major-motion-picture fee applies and what “major” means.
- Apply more than five days ahead for a short-term permit; allow at least 14 days when the conditional-use procedure may apply.
- Map every City, county, transit, DRPA, university, institutional and private boundary.
- Obtain affected-owner and tenant permission in the format the City accepts.
- Include all setup and dismantling inside the approved hours unless an extension is granted.
- Disclose every vehicle, parking area, road impact, cable crossing, generator and special effect.
- Obtain written police, fire, parking, meter, property and inspection quotes.
- Confirm the filming property’s tax and code status before committing money.
Documented productions
Sons of Sin
The State’s 2024 production list identifies Camden for January filming.
A Penitent Thief
The State’s 2024 list identifies Camden, Elizabeth, Kearny and Newark for February–April filming.
Dead Giveaway
The State’s 2024 list identifies Camden, Haddon Township and Haddonfield for July–August filming.
Love After Lockup: Innocent After Lockup
The State’s 2023 report says the miniseries filmed in Camden, Highlands and Trenton.
These records document past municipal filming only. They do not establish the exact property used, what Camden represented on screen, current availability, present ownership or permission.
Common questions
Is Camden currently Film Ready certified?
Camden’s official film page says the City has been designated Film Ready. The State’s current certified-localities page checked July 29, 2026 does not list Camden. Confirm current status before displaying a certification badge.
How much is a Camden film permit?
The current application and Chapter 348 publish a $175 basic permit, a $1,500 daily fee for a major motion picture and a $25 nonprofit or educational-professional-photography permit with no daily fee. Ask the City for a written classification and all-in quote.
How far ahead should a production apply?
The short-term rule requires filing more than five days before filming unless the Public Officer grants a waiver. A project requiring the conditional-use route may need public notice at least 14 days before a decision date or hearing.
What hours may a production film?
The municipal rule is 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., including setup and dismantling. The City may approve an extension upon the required showing.
Does a Camden permit cover PATCO or the Benjamin Franklin Bridge?
No. DRPA/PATCO publishes a separate commercial filming permit process for its bridges, trains, stations and facilities.
Does a Camden permit cover NJ TRANSIT property?
No. Walter Rand Transportation Center and the River LINE are NJ TRANSIT property and require separate coordination.
Official sources
- OfficialCity of Camden, Film Permits & Incentives
- OfficialCity of Camden, Film Permit Application [C18], posted January 2025
- OfficialCity of Camden Code, Chapter 348, Filming
- OfficialCity of Camden, License & Inspections
- OfficialCity of Camden, current contacts
- OfficialCity of Camden, park information
- OfficialCity of Camden, Wiggins Waterfront Park
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, current Film Ready certified localities
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, 2024 Annual Report
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, 2023 Annual Report
- OfficialNJ TRANSIT, Walter Rand Transportation Center
Checked July 29, 2026 against Chapter 348, the January 2025 application and the State certified-localities list. Report a correction or updated permit requirement.
Planning a production in New Jersey?
BLL Films provides production support for interviews, commercials, branded content, documentary work and other productions across New Jersey. We can help translate a creative brief into a practical crew, equipment and location plan.
Ask about your New Jersey productionBLL Films may provide crew, equipment or production services when requested.
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.