Town guide

Filming in Fair Lawn, New Jersey

A production guide to Fair Lawn’s April 2026 filming ordinance, the fees and insurance it actually requires now, the Borough screen credit it obliges, and the older code values that are no longer current.

Ordinance 2795-2026 was adopted on April 28, 2026 and rewrote Fair Lawn’s definitions, fees, lead time, safety-plan language, hours and waiver authority.

The single most important thing about filming in Fair Lawn right now is that the published code was behind the law when this guide was checked. Work from the ordinance, request the application from the Clerk, and get a written determination on the malformed budget threshold.

Information checked July 31, 2026

Checked Jul 31 2026

County: Bergen County
Film Ready treatment: Film Ready certified locality
Controlling enactment: Ordinance No. 2795-2026, introduced April 14, 2026 and adopted April 28, 2026, amending Chapter 94 § 94-12 FF and Chapter 98, Filming
Codification status: The displayed Chapter 98 had not absorbed the April 2026 amendment when checked. Read the ordinance, not the older codified values
Permit authority: Borough Clerk. The Clerk issues, refuses, revokes and waives
Film contact: film@fairlawn.org, 201-794-5340
Municipal Clerk: Nicholas J. Magarelli, RMC
Clerk contact: nmagarelli@fairlawn.org, 201-794-5340
Clerk office: 8-01 Fair Lawn Avenue, Room 206, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
Application: Not publicly located as of the July 31, 2026 check. The ordinance says the form is available from the Office of the Municipal Clerk
Standard lead time: At least four or more business days before the requested shooting date
Basic permit: $100
Expedited permit: $250 where expedited processing is requested within 24 hours of the filming date
Public-property daily fee: $150 per day, in addition to the basic permit fee
Major motion picture, public property: $500 per day, in addition to the basic permit fee
Nonprofit, educational and student filming: No fee
Private-property filming: No fee
Bond: None required by the ordinance
Public-land insurance: General aggregate $2,000,000; each occurrence $1,000,000; products and completed operations $1,000,000; personal and advertising injury $1,000,000; damage to rented premises $50,000; medical expense any one person $10,000; business auto $1,000,000 each accident; employers’ liability $500,000; workers’ compensation at New Jersey statutory amounts
Insurance wording: The Borough, its servants, agents, employees and subdivisions must be named as additional insureds using the exact phrase in the ordinance, with 30 days’ notice of cancellation or amendment
Filming hours: 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Interior filming entirely on private property is not subject to those limits
Screen credit: Required. § 98.10A says screen credit shall be given to the Borough of Fair Lawn
Appeals: To the Borough Council, filed within 10 days, heard within 20 days

Read the ordinance, not the code

Important

Fair Lawn’s published code was out of date at the check date, and the stale values are materially different.

Ordinance No. 2795-2026 was adopted April 28, 2026 and rewrote the fees, the definitions, the lead time and the hours. When this guide was checked on July 31, 2026, the displayed Chapter 98 and fee article still showed the older figures.

Superseded values you may still encounter, and must not use as current: a $5 million major-production threshold, a three-day lead time, a $150 expedited fee, and $200 / $1,000 public-property day rates. Every one of those was struck by the 2026 amendment.

Before relying on any figure, check whether the code has since been updated, and cite the ordinance where it has not.

Documented location character

Official Borough sources document a Bergen County suburb with early sandstone houses, the planned Radburn community, established residential neighbourhoods, garden-apartment development, parks, shopping and business areas, and an industrial park.

Those are documented categories of built environment. They do not establish that any particular property is available, accessible or municipally controlled.

Read this first

Radburn in particular is a residential community, not a location library. Its planning significance is a matter of public record; access to any home, common area or association property is not. Approach it as private property and clear it that way.

Current source set

Ordinance No. 2795-2026, introduced April 14, 2026 and adopted April 28, 2026, attested by Municipal Clerk Nicholas J. Magarelli and approved by Mayor Cristina Cutrone.
Chapter 98, Filming, as amended by that ordinance, together with the fee provisions at Chapter 94 § 94-12 FF.
A dedicated Borough film page publishing a film inbox.
A current Clerk page publishing the Clerk’s name, office and contact details.

No current public application was located in the checks made for this guide. The ordinance says the form is available from the Office of the Municipal Clerk. Request the actual form rather than working from the ordinance text or reconstructing one.

Film Ready status

Fair Lawn appears on the NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission’s certified-localities list, verified July 31, 2026. The 2026 ordinance states on its face that it amends Chapter 98 “to be consistent with the Film Ready NJ Program”.

Certification describes process readiness. It does not guarantee a permit and does not reach County, State, school, transit or private property inside the Borough.

The Borough publishes a film inbox and a Clerk contact, but no checked page expressly identifies a Film Ready liaison or Film Permit Representative. Treat both as routing contacts and ask the Borough to confirm the designated roles in writing.

When a permit is required

§ 98.2A requires a permit to film on public property, and on private property where the filming uses public property for the operation, placement or temporary storage of vehicles or equipment, including any temporary structure, barricade or device intended to restrict or block pedestrian or vehicular traffic. The permit must state the approved location and duration by specific reference to day or dates and be available on site for inspection at all times.

Applications are made on a form available from the Office of the Municipal Clerk, applied for and obtained through that office during normal business hours, with the fee under Chapter 94 § 94-12.

§ 98.9 exemptions. The chapter does not apply to the filming of news stories by authorized press personnel. Filming by the Borough’s Police Department, Fire Department, Ambulance Corps, OEM or another Borough agency for training purposes is exempt. Filming by Fair Lawn TV Productions Inc. and by video clubs or video classes of the Fair Lawn Public Schools is exempt but must still comply with § 98.4 paragraphs A, D and E, which cover interference, noise and debris.

Application and timing

§ 98.3A, as amended, requires the application at least four or more business days before the requested shooting date. The Borough Clerk may waive that period where, in the Clerk’s judgment, the applicant has obtained all related approvals and adjacent property owners or tenants do not need to be notified.

The amendment removed the former requirement that an applicant seeking different filming times file at least ten days ahead so the Mayor and Council could consider the request. Time changes are now handled through the permit and the Clerk’s waiver power.

Unresolved timing gap

The expedited fee does not describe a filing window, and the middle of the range is undefined.

Ordinary filing is at least four business days out. The fee provision then charges $250 where an applicant “requests expedited processing of a permit within 24 hours of the filming date”.

Nothing in the checked sources says what applies at two or three business days, whether “within 24 hours” is measured backwards from the shoot, or whether paying the expedited fee obliges the Borough to decide at all. Ask the Clerk for worked examples and for the waiver and expedite rule in writing. Do not assume the fee buys an approval.

If filming does not take place on the permitted dates because of inclement weather or other good cause, the Clerk may issue a new permit for other dates at the applicant’s request, with no additional fee, subject to full compliance.

Notice to neighbours

§ 98.4C requires that where the activity will directly involve or affect businesses, merchants or residents, those affected parties are given written notice of the proposed filming, the anticipated filming date, times and duration, at least three days before the requested filming date, and are told that objections may be filed with the Municipal Clerk. Timely objections are considered in reviewing the application.

Proof of service “shall be submitted to the Borough Clerk within two days of the requested filming date.” That wording does not state whether the two days run before or after the shoot. Ask the Clerk for the exact due date, the affected area, the delivery method and the accepted form of proof.

Insurance and indemnification

§ 98.3B requires a certificate of insurance evidencing the following before a permit issues for filming on public lands:

Coverage	Required limit
Workers’ compensation	New Jersey statutory amount
Employers’ liability, each accident	$500,000
Employers’ liability, disease, policy limit	$500,000
Employers’ liability, disease, each employee	$500,000
General liability, general aggregate	$2,000,000
General liability, products and completed operations aggregate	$1,000,000
General liability, personal and advertising injury	$1,000,000
General liability, each occurrence	$1,000,000
Damage to premises rented by the permittee	$50,000
Medical expense, any one person	$10,000
Business automobile liability, each accident	$1,000,000
Employer’s non-ownership automobile liability, if employees use their own vehicles	$1,000,000 each accident

Quick answer

Fair Lawn specifies the exact additional-insured wording, so a generic certificate is likely to be rejected.

The policies must name the Borough, its servants, agents, employees and subdivisions as additional insureds and must contain the phrase: “The Borough of Fair Lawn, its servants, agents, employees or any subdivision thereof are additional named insureds.”

The certificate must be in a form acceptable to the Borough and must provide that the insurance will not be cancelled or amended without 30 days’ notice to the Borough. Send this to your broker early.

A duly executed indemnification agreement is also required, holding the Borough harmless from any liability, expense including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, claim, damages, injury or death arising out of the filming, including the Borough’s issuance of the permit.

The amended chapter does not require a bond, unlike several neighbouring municipalities.

Filming hours

§ 98.4F, as amended, permits filming between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Filming entirely within interior locations on private property is not subject to those time limits.
Exterior filming in residential zones outside those hours must be approved in the permit under § 98.3.

The amendment also deleted the clause that previously carved the hours provision out of the Clerk’s general waiver power. As enacted, the Clerk’s waiver authority under § 98.7 now reaches the hours provision, subject to health, safety and welfare findings, while out-of-hours residential exterior work is separately handled in the permit. Confirm which route the Borough expects for a night exterior.

Police, fire and electrical

§ 98.4B requires the permit holder to reimburse the Borough for costs incurred during filming for Borough employees and equipment, including police officers, fire personnel and Department of Public Works employees, according to the agreed public safety plan.

The amendment moved the discretion to require police presence from “the Borough” to the Chief of Police, who reserves the right to require adequate on-site police presence where the production may impede the proper flow of traffic. That cost is borne by the permit holder.

Where existing electrical power lines are used, an on-site licensed electrician may be required; if the production does not have one on staff, the Borough provides one at the permit holder’s cost.

The fee provision says the Borough charges for those costs “at the rates established by Borough Code”. Those hourly rates are not published in the filming provisions. Request the current rates and any minimum call-out in writing.

Published fees

Chapter 94 § 94-12 FF, as amended by Ordinance 2795-2026:

Category	Fee
Basic filming permit	$100
Expedited processing, requested within 24 hours of the filming date	$250
Daily filming fee on public property, in addition to the basic permit	$150 per day
Daily filming fee for a major motion picture on public property, in addition to the basic permit	$500 per day
Nonprofit applicants filming for educational purposes, including student films	No fee
Filming on private property	No fee
Borough equipment and oversight, including police, fire and DPW	Charged per the agreed safety plan at rates established by Borough Code

Malformed threshold, quoted as enacted

The enacted definition of a major motion picture contains a malformed number, and this guide quotes it exactly rather than correcting it.

Ordinance 2795-2026 defines a major motion picture to include, among a named list of studios, “any film for which the budget is at least $20,0000,000”.

That figure is printed with seven digits after the 2. It is not a typographical error introduced here; it is what the adopted ordinance says. No correcting ordinance or authoritative interpretation was located.

We are not going to tell you what it “really” means. Correcting an enacted threshold by editorial judgment is exactly the kind of inference that produces wrong production advice, and the difference between the plausible readings is two orders of magnitude. If your budget is anywhere near either reading, get a written determination from the Borough Clerk, or a corrective enactment, before you rely on which daily rate applies.

For context only, and not as an interpretation of Fair Lawn’s law: the prior Fair Lawn text used a $5 million threshold, which this ordinance struck.

Other obligations worth pricing in

Chapter 98 carries several duties that are easy to miss in a schedule:

Screen credit. § 98.10A states that screen credit shall be given to the Borough of Fair Lawn. Confirm the exact required wording and placement with the Clerk, since the ordinance does not specify them.
No permanent changes. § 98.10B prohibits permanent changes or alterations to public lands, appurtenances or installations without express written Borough permission.
Right of inspection. § 98.10C allows a duly authorized Borough representative to be present in and about the public lands without prior notice, to inspect and review the permit holder’s actions.
Parking. § 98.4H requires production vehicles to be parked off the public right-of-way to the maximum extent permitted, not parked on private property without the owner’s express written consent, and otherwise compliant with all parking and traffic regulations.
Restoration. § 98.4I requires prompt repair or replacement of damage to public land or other property, or reimbursement sufficient to compensate the Borough.
Revocation. § 98.5B lets the Clerk revoke or suspend a permit at any time in their sole discretion if filming is reasonably determined to be deleterious to public health, safety and welfare, or if the permit holder is violating the chapter. On revocation the holder must cease all operations.

Who controls the location?

A Fair Lawn permit reaches Borough public property. It does not reach the following:

Bergen County property and roads

Bergen County controls its own roads and facilities and runs a separate County film office. A Borough permit is not a County approval. Bergen County is separately listed on the State’s Film Ready certified-localities page, checked July 31, 2026, but the County’s status is not a Borough certification and does not merge the two processes.

Radburn and homeowner-association property

Radburn’s planning significance is documented, but its homes, greens, walkways and common areas are private or association-controlled. Written permission from the owner or association is required, separately from the Borough permit.

Schools and transit property

Fair Lawn Public Schools property is controlled by the district. Rail and transit property is controlled by the operating agency. Each requires its own approval.

The industrial park and commercial sites

Industrial and commercial premises are privately owned and operated. Access, insurance, safety induction and hours are the operator’s to set.

Practical production planning

A working sequence for Fair Lawn, based only on the checked sources:

Work from Ordinance 2795-2026, not the displayed code, until you confirm the code has been updated.
Email the film inbox and the Clerk together, and ask for the current application form. It was not publicly available when this guide was checked.
Send the insurance schedule and the exact additional-insured phrase to your broker early, and confirm the 30-day cancellation-notice endorsement.
File at least four business days out, and ask in writing what applies at two or three days.
Serve neighbour notice at least three days ahead, and get the proof deadline confirmed because the ordinance does not state its direction.
If you need a night exterior in a residential zone, ask whether that runs through the permit or through a Clerk waiver.
Plan the Borough screen credit into your deliverables now rather than at the end.
Get a written budget determination if you are anywhere near the malformed threshold.

Common questions

Is Fair Lawn a Film Ready certified community?

Yes. Fair Lawn appears on the NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission’s current certified-localities list, verified July 31, 2026. Ordinance 2795-2026, adopted April 28, 2026, states on its face that it amends Chapter 98 to be consistent with the Film Ready NJ Program. Certification does not guarantee a permit and does not reach County, State, school, transit or private property.

Which Fair Lawn rules are current?

Ordinance No. 2795-2026, adopted April 28, 2026, controls every provision it amended. When this guide was checked the displayed Chapter 98 and fee article had not yet absorbed that amendment. Do not rely on the older codified values, which included a $5 million major-production threshold, a three-day lead time, a $150 expedited fee and $200 and $1,000 public-property day rates. All of those were struck.

How far ahead should I apply for a Fair Lawn film permit?

At least four or more business days before the requested shooting date. The Borough Clerk may waive that period where the applicant has obtained all related approvals and adjacent owners or tenants do not need to be notified. The expedited fee describes processing requested within 24 hours of the filming date, and nothing in the checked sources explains what applies at two or three business days, so ask the Clerk for worked examples.

How much is a Fair Lawn film permit?

The basic permit is $100. Expedited processing requested within 24 hours of the filming date is $250. Daily filming on public property is $150 per day in addition to the basic fee, or $500 per day for a major motion picture. Nonprofit and educational filming including student films is free, and filming on private property carries no municipal fee. Borough equipment and oversight are charged separately at rates established by Borough Code.

What is the major motion picture budget threshold in Fair Lawn?

The adopted ordinance prints it as “at least $20,0000,000”, with seven digits after the 2. That is what the enacted text says, and no correcting ordinance or authoritative interpretation was located. This guide quotes it exactly rather than correcting it, because normalising an enacted figure by editorial judgment would be guesswork and the plausible readings differ by two orders of magnitude. Obtain a written determination from the Borough Clerk if your budget is near either reading.

Where do I get the Fair Lawn application form?

From the Office of the Municipal Clerk. The ordinance says the form is available there, and no current public application was located in the checks made for this guide as of July 31, 2026. Request the actual form from the Clerk rather than reconstructing one from the ordinance text.

What are Fair Lawn’s filming hours?

Section 98.4F permits filming between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Filming entirely within interior locations on private property is not subject to those limits. Exterior filming in residential zones outside those hours must be approved in the permit. The 2026 amendment also removed the clause that previously excluded the hours provision from the Clerk’s general waiver authority.

Does Fair Lawn require a screen credit or a bond?

A screen credit, yes. Section 98.10A states that screen credit shall be given to the Borough of Fair Lawn, though the ordinance does not specify the wording or placement, so confirm those with the Clerk. A bond, no. The amended chapter does not require one, unlike several neighbouring municipalities.

Official sources

Checked July 31, 2026 against Ordinance No. 2795-2026 as adopted April 28, 2026, the displayed Chapter 98, the Borough film and Clerk pages and the State certified-localities list. Report a correction or updated permit requirement.

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Reviewed by Sam Moskowitz, producer & director of photography

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.