Filming in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey

What Chapter 185 actually requires

Franklin Township has one of the longer-standing filming ordinances among New Jersey’s Film Ready municipalities. Chapter 185 was adopted on October 11, 2011 by Ordinance 3947, and two of its sections were amended on March 14, 2023 by Ordinance 4397-23. The framework is complete enough to plan against: it publishes a lead time, flat fees, a bond, insurance limits, residential hours, an appeal route and a named decision-maker.

The permit trigger is broad. § 185-2A requires a permit to film on public or private land in the Township. § 185-1 excludes the filming of news stories and of public and private events. Because the trigger reaches private property, describe the whole project when you apply, even for an interior day on a private location, and ask the Clerk in writing whether any limited activity falls outside the chapter.

Filing, waivers and the expedited fee

§ 185-3A says no permit will be issued unless applied for prior to five days before the requested shooting date. The same subsection lets the Township Manager waive the five-day period where the applicant has obtained all related approvals and adjacent property owners or tenants do not need to be notified.

§ 185-11A then prices a waiver of § 185-3A at $125, describing it as “requiring expedited processing of the permit application.” That description does not match what § 185-3A says. § 185-3A is a five-day minimum with a conditional waiver; it contains no processing-time promise at all.

The sources also never define whether the five days are business days or calendar days, or what makes an application complete. Ask the Clerk for a dated worked example using your actual first shooting date before you build a schedule around it.

Fees, bond and insurance

§ 185-11 publishes flat amounts, not ceilings. Unlike several newer Film Ready ordinances in New Jersey, nothing here is headed “not to exceed,” so these are prices rather than maximums.

The $10,000,000 threshold in the § 185-1 major motion picture definition is worth checking against your budget early, because it is the difference between $50 and $500 a day. The definition also captures any film financed or distributed by the listed studios and recurrent weekly television series programming, regardless of budget.

§ 185-3B(3) requires $500 in cash or a maintenance bond running in favour of the Township, securing that the location is left free of debris, rubbish and equipment and that Township ordinances are observed. The Township returns it within seven days of completion where there has been no damage to public property and no public expense caused by the filming.

For public-land filming § 185-3B(1) sets insurance at $500,000 for bodily injury to any one person, $1,000,000 in the aggregate per occurrence, and $300,000 for property damage per occurrence. § 185-3B(2) requires a written agreement indemnifying and holding the Township harmless. The public materials do not supply a broker-ready package, so ask for the exact certificate holder, additional insureds, endorsements, primary and non-contributory language, waiver of subrogation, automobile and workers’ compensation requirements and the submission deadline.

Police staffing: a conflict between the code and the form

This is the item most likely to change a budget, and the two official sources do not say the same thing.

The enacted code is discretionary and routes the decision to the Police Chief. The form reads as a rule. These cannot be collapsed into a single statement, and this guide does not attempt to. Separately, § 185-6B reserves the Township’s right to require one or more on-site patrolmen where a production may impede traffic, and an on-site licensed electrician where existing power lines are used and the company has none on staff, in both cases at the applicant’s cost.

Get a project-specific written determination from the Police Chief, plus current rates, minimums, vehicle and equipment charges, administrative fees and cancellation and weather terms, before you price the shoot.

Notice, hours and the appeal route

§ 185-4B requires written notice to directly affected businesses, merchants and residents at least three days before the requested shooting date, telling them objections may be filed with the Municipal Clerk. Those objections form part of the application and are considered in its review.

The same subsection then says proof of service “shall be submitted to the Municipal Clerk within two days of the requested shooting date.” That phrase does not say before or after, and this guide does not rewrite it. The current application separately asks for a letter of intent and the address list 48 hours before filming. Ask for the affected-area standard, the approved notice template, accepted proof and an exact date and time for your shooting date.

Hours are published, which is unusual and useful. § 185-5, as amended in March 2023, permits filming in residential zones Sunday through Saturday between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., and states expressly that setup, production and breakdown are all included in those hours. Overnight work between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. requires Township Manager authorization under § 185-8, which lists seven factors including traffic congestion, the ability to keep vehicles off public streets, requested street or parking restrictions, the nature of the shoot, prior experience with the Township, consultation with the Council ward representative, and limited noise and artificial light overnight.

§ 185-7 gives a real appeal route. A denial or revocation by the Township Manager may be appealed in writing to the Township Council within 10 days, the Council must set a hearing within 30 days, and if the Council does not adopt a supporting resolution in time the Manager’s decision is deemed reversed and the permit issues in conformity with the application.

Jurisdiction: what a Township permit does not reach

Franklin Township is large and contains County and State property. A municipal permit does not carry any of it.

§ 185-9, as amended in 2023, sends copies of an approved permit to the Police and Fire Departments, the New Jersey Film Commission and the Somerset County Filming Commission. That routing is also the clearest internal confirmation that this chapter belongs to the Somerset County Franklin Township and not to any of the other municipalities of the same name in New Jersey.

Location character on the record

These descriptions come from the Township’s own pages. They establish character, not availability, and none of them is permission.

• The Township’s Things to Do page identifies parks, gardens, preserved open space and trails, including properties controlled by separate agencies.
• Butler Road Natural Area is described as 185 acres with roughly 4.5 miles of trails, forest and a stream. The facility page states there are no restrooms.
• Franklin Park Natural Area is described as containing forest, meadow, farm fields and a red-rock cliff. Its facility page also states there are no restrooms.
• The historical-preservation page discusses historic villages and Tulipwood, which is leased to the Meadows Foundation. A lease is not Township control and not filming access.
• The open-space page reports preserved farmland and open-space work. Preserved land is not the same as publicly accessible land.

Scout current access, seasonal conditions, parking, sound, trail capacity and emergency access before committing. The absence of restrooms on two of the largest natural areas is a real basecamp constraint.

Documented production activity

Two entries are supported by official State sources, both at limited precision.

Prior filming establishes that a production worked with the Township. It does not establish that a location is currently available, that an owner will agree again, or that conditions are unchanged.

Common questions

Is Franklin Township Film Ready?

Yes. Franklin appears on the State’s current certified-localities page, listed as “Franklin Township (Somerset)”, and the February 10, 2023 State announcement identifies Franklin in Somerset County’s inaugural cohort. Film Ready status is a certification listing. It does not by itself establish any fee, deadline or staffing rule.

Which Franklin Township is this?

The Somerset County one, at 475 DeMott Lane in Somerset. New Jersey has several municipalities named Franklin Township. The confirmation comes from inside the ordinance: § 185-9 routes approved permit copies to the Somerset County Filming Commission, and the State list names the certified locality as “Franklin Township (Somerset)”.

How far in advance does a production have to apply?

§ 185-3A requires the application prior to five days before the requested shooting date. The Township Manager may waive that period where all related approvals are in hand and adjacent owners or tenants need no notice. The code does not say whether the five days are business or calendar days, so ask for a dated example before scheduling.

What does the $125 expedited fee actually get?

§ 185-11A prices a waiver of the five-day filing period at $125. It describes § 185-3A as requiring expedited processing, but § 185-3A contains no processing-time commitment. The fee is not a guaranteed late-filing route, and the waiver conditions still apply. Get the Township’s written position before relying on it.

What are the residential filming hours?

§ 185-5 permits filming in residential zones every day between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., and states that setup, production and breakdown are all included in that window. Work between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. requires Township Manager authorization under § 185-8.

Is an off-duty police officer always required?

The enacted code and the application do not agree. § 185-3B(4) makes the officer a determination of the Police Chief for traffic and public safety reasons. The current application uses mandatory language when pedestrian or vehicular traffic is affected. Obtain a written project-specific determination and a rate quote rather than relying on either document alone.

Does Franklin require a bond?

Yes, for public-land filming. § 185-3B(3) requires $500 in cash or a maintenance bond in favour of the Township, securing that the site is left free of debris, rubbish and equipment. It is returned within seven days of completion where no damage to public property and no public expense resulted.

Does a Township permit cover County or State property?

No. Colonial Park and other Somerset County holdings, and State property such as the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park and Six Mile Run, have their own controlling authorities. A Township permit also never replaces a private owner’s location agreement.

Official sources

• OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, current Film Ready certified-localities list
• OfficialTownship of Franklin Code, Chapter 185, Filming, adopted October 11, 2011 by Ordinance 3947, amended March 14, 2023 by Ordinance 4397-23
• OfficialState of New Jersey, February 10, 2023 inaugural Somerset County Film Ready announcement
• OfficialFranklin Township, Film Ready Franklin
• OfficialFranklin Township, filming permit application
• OfficialFranklin Township, Apply for Permit/License
• OfficialFranklin Township, Township Manager and municipal hours
• OfficialFranklin Township, Things to Do
• OfficialFranklin Township, Historical Preservation
• OfficialFranklin Township, Butler Road Natural Area
• OfficialFranklin Township, Franklin Park Natural Area
• OfficialState of New Jersey, September 15, 2022 production announcement
• OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, Film Ready requirements and fee schedule

Checked August 2, 2026 by reading the enacted text of Chapter 185 directly, together with the State certified-localities list, the Township film and Manager pages and the current filming permit application. Report a correction or updated permit requirement.

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