Town guide

Filming in Glen Rock, New Jersey

A production guide to Glen Rock’s filming rules as they actually stand, which means Ordinance No. 1959 of April 8, 2026 rather than the superseded article still displayed in the Borough’s online code.

Glen Rock is a Film Ready certified locality. The restated article changed the filing period, the hours, the insurance limits, the bond and the permit duration, and added a neighbour-notice requirement that the old text did not have.

Read the code view for this town and you will get five of the key operating numbers wrong. This guide works from the adopted ordinance, names the superseded values so you can recognise them, and quotes three defective passages exactly as enacted rather than tidying them up.

Information checked August 8, 2026

Checked Aug 8 2026

County: Bergen County
Film Ready treatment: Film Ready certified locality
Controlling text: Ordinance No. 1959, adopted April 8, 2026, amending and restating Chapter 133, Article III in its entirety
Codification status: Lagging. The main code view still displays the superseded 2002 article. Work from Ordinance 1959
Municipal starting point: Office of the Borough Clerk
Municipal Building: 1 Harding Plaza, Glen Rock, NJ 07452
Office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
General number: 201-670-3956
Borough Clerk: Jackie Scalia, named in the signature block of Ordinance 1959
Application: A form approved by the Borough Clerk. No form is published, so request it from the Clerk
Decision-maker: Borough Clerk issues; the Borough Administrator refuses, revokes and waives; appeals go to the Borough Council
Standard lead time: At least four days before the first day of filming. The Administrator and/or Clerk may waive on stated conditions
Basic permit: $100, or $125 where a waiver of the filing provision is requested
Nonprofit and student treatment: Fees waived on certification of no revenue from public exhibition; $25 where revenue is expected
Public-property daily fee: $150 per day under $20 million; $500 per day over $20 million
Private-property daily fee: No daily fee where filming does not disrupt public use, but an application and a certification are still required
Public-land insurance: $500,000 bodily injury per person, $1,000,000 aggregate per occurrence, $300,000 property damage per occurrence, Borough named as additional insured, five days’ notice before cancellation
Bond: $500 cash bond, returned within 10 days of completion where there is no damage or public expense
Filming hours: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. camera wrap, crew wrap 10:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday
Neighbour notice: At least three days before the first day of filming, where the Clerk and/or Administrator considers the activity will affect businesses, merchants or residents
Public safety plan: The Borough may require a pre-shoot meeting with the Clerk, Police, Fire and other departments, virtual or in person
Appeals: To the Borough Council, filed with the Administrator within 10 days, heard within 30 days
Penalties: Fine not exceeding $1,000 per day, or imprisonment up to 90 days, or both. Each day is a separate offense

Start here: the published code is not the current law

Codification lag

Glen Rock’s online code shows a filming article that has been superseded.

Ordinance No. 1959, adopted April 8, 2026, amends and restates Chapter 133, Article III in its entirety. The codified chapter still displays the 2002 text adopted by Ordinance No. 1405, because the amendment has not yet been incorporated. eCode360 lists Ordinance 1959 in its New Laws index for exactly that reason.

Everything on this page is taken from Ordinance 1959. If you or a producer working with you reads the main code view instead, you will get the wrong filing period, the wrong insurance limits, the wrong hours and the wrong permit duration.

These are the values that changed, so you can recognise the old text if you meet it:

Item	Superseded 2002 text, still shown in the code view	Ordinance 1959, controlling
Filing period	At least five days before the first date of filming	At least four days before the first day of filming
Filming hours	Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. or sundown, whichever is earlier	Monday through Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. camera wrap, 10:00 p.m. crew wrap
Permit duration	Two outdoor days and two indoor days within a 10-day period	The dates and times shown on the permit
Bodily injury insurance	$1,000,000 per person, $3,000,000 aggregate	$500,000 per person, $1,000,000 aggregate, plus $300,000 property damage
Bond	An amount determined by the Borough Administrator, returned within 30 days	$500 cash bond, returned within 10 days
Fees	Cross-referenced to Chapter 101	Stated in § 133-32, with § 101-16 restated to point back at this article
Neighbour notice	Not required by the article	At least three days, with prescribed contents

The old article was in some respects stricter, notably on insurance limits and permitted hours. A production that works from the code view will over-insure, under-schedule and file a day early. Confirm with the Borough Clerk that Ordinance 1959 is in force before you rely on any figure here.

Film Ready status

Glen Rock appears on the NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission’s certified-localities list, verified August 8, 2026.

Ordinance 1959’s own recital says the Borough wished to amend its filming permit procedures “in order to be more consistent with filming standards Statewide”, which is the clearest statement of intent you will find in a New Jersey film ordinance. The restated article tracks the State model closely, including the fee structure, the hours, the notice contents and the carve-out for county, state and federal property.

Certification describes process readiness. It does not guarantee a permit, does not create a form where none is published, and does not reach County, State, federal, school or private property inside the Borough.

Section 133-31J requires copies of the approved permit to go to the Police and Fire Departments before filming and to the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission at njfilm@njeda.gov.

When a permit is required

Section 133-30A requires a permit from the office of the Borough Clerk before filming on public property. The permit sets out the approved locations and the approved duration by specific reference to day or dates, including setup, filming and breakdown, and must be readily available for inspection by Borough officials at all times at the site.

The definition of filming in the restated article is broader than the one it replaced. It expressly includes setup and breakdown, and it includes use of the public right-of-way for equipment used in connection with the shoot: lights, cables, trucks, trailers and generators. A crew whose camera never leaves private property but whose generator sits on the street is inside the definition.

Useful exemption, read the conditions

Glen Rock publishes an express carve-out. A municipal permit is not required when filming occurs entirely on private property or on county, state or federally owned property, and no municipal services are being used, and no public rights-of-way are being obstructed, and permission for private property is obtained from the owner in writing or the required permit is obtained from the applicable county, state or federal authority.

Every one of those conditions has to hold. Parking on a Borough street, blocking a sidewalk or drawing on Borough services pulls the shoot back into the municipal process. Confirm the position in writing before relying on it.

Section 133-30C covers changes: any change to the approved dates and times after issue must be submitted to the Clerk’s Office. No additional permit fee is charged, but the production remains responsible for Borough resources needed for the additional days, such as police officers or facilities.

The article does not apply to the filming of news stories within the Borough.

Filing, insurance, bond and the safety plan

Filing. Section 133-31A: no permit will be issued unless applied for at least four days prior to the first day of filming. The Borough Administrator and/or Borough Clerk may waive the four-day period if, in their judgment, the applicant has obtained all related approvals and affected property owners, business owners, merchants and tenants do not need to be notified. A permit is sufficient to authorise outdoor or indoor filming for the dates and times indicated on it.

Insurance and indemnity. Section 133-31B requires, before a permit issues for filming on public lands:

Bodily injury coverage of $500,000 to any one person
$1,000,000 for any occurrence in the aggregate
Property damage of $300,000 per occurrence
A certificate of insurance naming the Borough as an additional insured
A provision giving the Borough five days’ notice before cancellation
A written agreement indemnifying the Borough against liability, expenses, claims or damages resulting from the applicant’s negligence, and reimbursing the Borough for out-of-pocket expenses including police, fire and public works, according to the agreed public safety plan
Hiring of off-duty Glen Rock police officers, if required by the Chief of Police, under the agreed public safety plan, for the times indicated on the permit, at the municipality’s standard hourly rates

Bond. A $500 cash bond runs in favour of the Borough, protecting and ensuring that the location is left free of debris, rubbish and equipment, that Borough ordinances, laws and regulations are observed, and that any costs incurred by the Borough are paid. Within 10 days of completion the Borough returns the bond if there has been no damage to public property and no public expense caused by the filming.

The public safety plan meeting

Section 133-31D lets the Borough ask the production’s contact person to attend a meeting with the Borough Clerk, Police Department, Fire Department and other departments involved with public safety, either virtually or in person, whichever is most feasible, to create a public safety plan.

That plan is not a formality. It is the instrument that fixes police staffing, out-of-pocket reimbursement and the use of ancillary Borough facilities. Ask at first contact whether a meeting will be required, because it sits inside a four-day filing window.

Section 133-31K requires reimbursement of lost revenue, repairs to public property, out-of-pocket expenses and overtime paid. Section 133-31L puts the use of ancillary Borough facilities, such as parking of vehicles or serving of meals, at the direction of the Administrator and/or Police Department, with reimbursement of reasonable cost.

Notice to neighbours, and a deadline that does not line up

Section 133-31E: where in the opinion of the Borough Clerk and/or Administrator the production activity will directly involve or affect businesses, merchants or residents, those parties must be given written notice of the filming at least three days prior to the first day of filming, and be informed that questions or concerns may be directed to the Borough Clerk.

Two clocks, one ambiguity

The notice deadline and the proof-of-service deadline are measured from two different dates, and one of them does not say before or after.

Notice is due “at least three days prior to the first day of filming”.

Proof of service “must be submitted to the Borough Clerk’s Office within two days of the requested shooting date”.

On a multi-day shoot the first day of filming and the requested shooting date are not necessarily the same thing, and “within two days of” is available to be read as either before or after. Ask the Clerk for the exact due date and the accepted form of proof, and keep that instruction with the permit.

The ordinance prescribes what the notice must contain:

Company letterhead
The address where filming will take place
A company contact person, and that person’s phone number
The date the letter was sent
Dates of filming, with start and end time
The contact information of the film permit representative
Information reflecting the nature and number of your vehicles, where they will be parked, and whether you will have an officer present

Filming hours

Section 133-31F: filming is permitted between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. camera wrap, with crew wrap at 10:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday.

Night filming restrictions apply only to a project with exterior filming, and all requests for night scenes must be approved in the permit or by a waiver granted under Section 133-31I.

This is the single largest practical change made by Ordinance 1959. The superseded article allowed filming only Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. or sundown, whichever came earlier. A production working from the code view would lose weekends entirely and would lose the end of every day in winter.

Fees, and a sentence that does not describe the rule it cites

Section 133-32 states the fee schedule directly. Section 3 of the ordinance restates Section 101-16 of the Borough Code so that film permit licence fees are “in accordance with Chapter 133, Article III”, which removes the old cross-reference to Chapter 101.

Category	Fee
Basic filming permit	$100
Basic filming permit where a waiver of the § 133-31A provision is requested	$125
Projects certifying no revenue from public exhibition, such as student projects and nonprofit corporations	Waived
Projects of that kind that are expected to make revenue from public exhibition	$25
Daily filming fee, in addition to the basic permit, film, television and commercial projects under $20 million	$150 per day
Daily filming fee, in addition to the basic permit, film, television and commercial projects over $20 million or part thereof	$500 per day
Filming on private property that does not disrupt the public’s use or enjoyment of public property or right-of-way	No daily filming fee, but an application and a certification are still required
Parking fees	Same rate as charged to the public
Off-duty police and fire inspectors	The Borough’s standard hourly rate for police and fire, not published

Malformed enacted text, quoted verbatim

The expedited fee sentence does not describe the provision it cites, and this guide does not rewrite it.

Section 133-32A reads: “Where an applicant requests a waiver of the provision of §133-31A requiring expedited processing of the permit application, the basic filming permit fee shall be $125.”

Section 133-31A is the four-day filing rule and the waiver provision attached to it. It requires nothing about expedited processing. Read literally, the $125 tier attaches to a provision that does not exist.

The evident intent is that a late application, filed inside four days and therefore needing the Section 133-31A waiver, costs $125 instead of $100. That reading is sensible and it is not what the text says. Ask the Clerk to confirm the trigger in writing before you file late.

Quick answer

Two further gaps.

A budget of exactly $20 million is not priced. The rows read “under $20 million” and “over $20 million or part thereof” with nothing at the line.

Section 133-32A(1) says that if the no-revenue certification is later violated, the Borough may impose “the applicable daily filming fee as outlined in the Fee Schedule”. The ordinance restated Section 101-16 to point back at this article, so “the Fee Schedule” has no independent referent. Assume it means Section 133-32B and confirm.

Refusal, waiver and appeal

Refusal. Section 133-31G lets the Borough Administrator refuse a permit on the basis of objective facts, after review of the application and a report from the Police Department, Fire Department and other Borough agencies, where filming at the stated location or time would violate a law or ordinance, unreasonably interfere with the use and enjoyment of neighbouring properties, unreasonably impede traffic, or otherwise adversely affect public health, safety or welfare. The same section reserves the right to require on-site police officers where the production may impede the flow of traffic, at the Chief’s discretion and per the agreed public safety plan, at the applicant’s cost. Where existing electrical power lines are used, an on-site licensed electrician may be required if the production does not have one on staff.

Waiver. Section 133-31I lets the Administrator waive any requirement or limitation of the article, including authorising filming outside the stated hours, on determining that a permit may issue without endangering public health, safety and welfare. Six factors are weighed: traffic congestion caused by vehicles parked on the public street; the applicant’s ability to remove film-related vehicles off the public streets; whether restrictions on public streets or parking are requested; the nature of the shoot, indoor or outdoor, day or night; the applicant’s prior experience with the Borough; and consultation with the Borough Council.

Appeal. Section 133-31H routes appeals to the Borough Council. A written notice of appeal setting out the reasons is filed with the Borough Administrator within 10 days of the Administrator’s decision, and the Council sets a hearing within 30 days of filing.

Malformed enacted text, quoted verbatim

The appeal subsection contains a circular sentence and a self-referential cross-reference. Both are quoted exactly.

“The decision of the Borough Council shall be in the form of a resolution supporting the decision of the Borough Council at the first regularly scheduled public meeting of the Borough Council after the hearing on the appeal.” A resolution supporting the Council’s own decision is circular; the comparable clause elsewhere in New Jersey supports the decision of the Administrator.

The subsection then provides that if no resolution is adopted in time, the Administrator’s decision is deemed reversed and a permit issues in conformity with the application, “or the relief pursuant to Subsection H shall be deemed denied”. Subsection H is the appeal subsection, so the clause refers to itself.

Neither defect is likely to matter unless you are actually appealing. If you are, take advice, and get the Borough’s reading in writing first.

Section 133-33 sets penalties at a fine not exceeding $1,000 per day, or imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both, with a separate offense deemed committed on each day a violation occurs or continues.

Who controls the location?

A Glen Rock permit reaches Borough public property, which under the restated article includes public streets, public buildings, highways, sidewalks, squares, parks and playgrounds. It does not reach the following:

County, State and federal property

Bergen County, the State and federal agencies each control their own property and process. Section 133-30A’s carve-out only helps when the shoot is entirely on their ground, uses no municipal services, obstructs no public right-of-way, and you hold their permit.

Schools and institutional property

School district and institutional property is controlled by its own board or administration, not by the Borough.

The rail corridor and station areas

Rail infrastructure and the land around it is controlled by the operating railroad and its property owners rather than by the Borough. Treat any shot involving track, platform or right-of-way as a separate approval with its own safety requirements.

Private property

Every private interior, storefront and residence needs the owner’s written permission in addition to any Borough permit. Section 133-32B is explicit that a production filming exclusively on private property must still file an application and certify that fact, and that the Borough may impose the daily fee and require police at the production’s expense if the certification is violated.

Practical production planning

A working sequence for Glen Rock, based only on the checked sources:

Confirm in writing with the Borough Clerk that Ordinance 1959 is in force, because the online code still shows the 2002 article.
Ask for the current application form, because none is published.
File at least four days before the first day of filming, and remember that a late filing needing the waiver carries the $125 tier rather than $100.
Ask whether a public safety plan meeting will be required, and get it scheduled inside the filing window.
Bind insurance at $500,000, $1,000,000 and $300,000, name the Borough as additional insured, and confirm the five-day cancellation-notice wording is acceptable.
Budget the $500 cash bond as cash flow rather than cost, and confirm the 10-day return process.
Count setup and breakdown into your permitted duration, because the definition of filming includes both.
If your generator, cable run or truck sits on the street, you are inside the ordinance even if the camera is on private ground.
Get the proof-of-service due date in writing, since notice runs from the first day of filming and proof runs from the requested shooting date.
Ask for a written budget classification if you are anywhere near $20 million.

Common questions

Is Glen Rock a Film Ready certified community?

Yes. Glen Rock appears on the NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission’s current certified-localities list, verified August 8, 2026. The Borough restated its filming article on April 8, 2026 by Ordinance No. 1959, whose recital says the aim was to be more consistent with filming standards statewide. Certification does not guarantee a permit and does not reach County, State, federal, school or private property.

Which Glen Rock filming rules are actually in force?

Ordinance No. 1959, adopted April 8, 2026, which amends and restates Chapter 133, Article III in its entirety. The Borough’s online code still displays the superseded 2002 article adopted by Ordinance No. 1405, because Ordinance 1959 has not yet been codified. Working from the code view would give you a five-day filing period, weekday-only hours ending at 7:00 p.m. or sundown, and insurance limits of $1,000,000 and $3,000,000, none of which is current.

How far ahead should I apply for a Glen Rock film permit?

At least four days prior to the first day of filming, under Section 133-31A of Ordinance 1959. The Borough Administrator and/or Borough Clerk may waive that period where the applicant has obtained all related approvals and affected owners, businesses, merchants and tenants do not need to be notified. A filing that needs that waiver carries a $125 basic permit fee rather than $100.

How much is a Glen Rock film permit?

The basic filming permit is $100, or $125 where a waiver of the Section 133-31A filing provision is requested. A daily filming fee is payable in addition: $150 per day for film, television and commercial projects under $20 million, and $500 per day for projects over $20 million. Filming on private property that does not disrupt public use carries no daily fee, but an application and a written certification are still required. Fees are waived for projects certifying they will not create revenue from public exhibition, and are $25 where revenue is expected.

What are Glen Rock’s filming hours?

Under Ordinance 1959, filming is permitted between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. camera wrap, with crew wrap at 10:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday. Night filming restrictions apply only to projects with exterior filming, and night scenes must be approved in the permit or by a waiver. The superseded article that still appears in the online code allowed filming only Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. or sundown, whichever was earlier.

Does Glen Rock require a bond?

Yes. Section 133-31B(3) of Ordinance 1959 requires a $500 cash bond running in favour of the Borough, ensuring the location is left free of debris, rubbish and equipment, that Borough ordinances are observed, and that any Borough costs are paid. The Borough returns it within 10 days of completion if there has been no damage to public property and no public expense caused by the filming.

Do I need a Glen Rock permit if I am filming entirely on private property?

Not necessarily for the permit itself, but you must still file. Section 133-30A says a municipal permit is not required when filming occurs entirely on private property or county, state or federally owned property, no municipal services are used, no public rights-of-way are obstructed, and written owner permission or the applicable outside permit is obtained. Separately, Section 133-32B requires an application and a certification that filming will occur exclusively on private property, and the Borough may impose the daily fee and require police at your expense if that certification is violated.

Does equipment on the street trigger the Glen Rock ordinance?

Yes. The definition of filming in Ordinance 1959 expressly includes the use of the public right-of-way, meaning streets and sidewalks, for equipment used in connection with the shoot, and names lights, cables, trucks, trailers and generators. It also expressly includes setup and breakdown. A shoot whose camera stays on private property but whose generator or cable run sits on a Borough street is inside the ordinance.

Official sources

Checked August 8, 2026 against Ordinance No. 1959 as adopted April 8, 2026, the codified Chapter 133, Article III showing the superseded text, the eCode New Laws index for Glen Rock, the Borough contact and directory 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.

More town production guides

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