Filming in Hanover Township, New Jersey
Hanover Township’s filming chapter sets its daily fee by production budget, and the number it uses is $20,000 — while the same chapter defines a major motion picture at $20,000,000. Read literally, almost every professional shoot pays the top rate.
This is a well-run Morris County township with a current ordinance, amended as recently as May 2025, and a straightforward three-day process. It also has the single largest unresolved discrepancy we found in this batch, and because it is a discrepancy about money we are publishing both figures rather than assuming which one the Township meant.
Information checked September 21, 2026
- County
- Morris County
- Film Ready status
- Film Ready certified locality. Confirmed on the State’s published certified-localities list, read in full September 21, 2026. The State list writes only “Hanover”; Morris County also contains East Hanover Township, which is a different municipality
- Controlling source
- Township Code Chapter 122, Filming, adopted February 8, 2024 by Ordinance 2-2024 and amended May 8, 2025 by Ordinance 11-2025
- Who issues
- The Township Clerk
- Published lead time
- Three days, or $250 for expedited handling
- Basic permit fee
- $100, or $250 expedited
- Daily fee
- $150 or $500 per day, depending on a budget threshold the chapter states two different ways — see below
- The threshold discrepancy
- § 122-10C uses a production budget of $20,000. § 122-1 defines a major motion picture at $20,000,000. The Township’s own filming page repeats $20,000.00. Ask the Clerk which governs
- Insurance
- $500,000 bodily injury per person, $1,000,000 aggregate, $300,000 property damage
- Police
- An off-duty officer requirement that the chapter states unconditionally, rather than leaving to the Chief’s discretion
- Last verified
- September 21, 2026
Hanover’s fee table sets its budget tier at $20,000. The definitions section of the same chapter sets a major motion picture at $20,000,000. Read literally, the fee table puts essentially every professional shoot in the $500 a day tier rather than $150.
The Township’s own filming page repeats the $20,000.00 figure, so this is not something the code publisher introduced. Both numbers are published. Call the Township Clerk and get the applicable daily rate in writing before you budget.
The threshold, stated two ways
Chapter 122 was adopted on February 8, 2024 by Ordinance 2-2024 and amended on May 8, 2025 by Ordinance 11-2025. It is current and it is maintained. It also contains the following two provisions at once:
| Where | What it says |
|---|---|
| § 122-10C, the fee table | $150 per day where the production budget is under $20,000; $500 per day where it is over $20,000 |
| § 122-1, definitions | A major motion picture is a production with a budget of $20,000,000 or more |
| The Township’s filming page | Repeats $20,000.00 |
Why we are not simply assuming the fee table means $20,000,000
It is a natural inference. Three missing zeros in a fee table is an ordinary typographical accident, the surrounding model ordinances all use $20,000,000, and $20,000 is so low a threshold that almost no professional production falls beneath it.
But an inference is not a published figure, and putting an unpublished number into a producer’s budget is the one thing this site exists not to do. The Township has published $20,000 in two separate places, one of which is its own website rather than the code host. Until someone at the Township says otherwise, both figures stand and you should price the risk of the higher tier.
The call takes two minutes and the answer is worth $350 a day.
Fees and requirements
| What | Amount |
|---|---|
| Basic filming permit | $100 |
| Expedited permit | $250 |
| Daily filming fee, lower tier | $150 |
| Daily filming fee, upper tier | $500 |
| Bodily injury, per person | $500,000 |
| Bodily injury, aggregate | $1,000,000 |
| Property damage | $300,000 |
- Who issues it. The Township Clerk.
- Lead time. Three days, which is among the shortest on this site, with a $250 expedited option if you need it faster.
- Police. The chapter states the off-duty officer requirement unconditionally rather than leaving it to the Chief’s discretion, which is how most versions of this model handle it. Budget for an officer and confirm hours and rate when you apply.
- Insurance. $500,000 / $1,000,000 / $300,000, the standard model stack, and modest by regional standards.
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.
Hanover Township is on the State’s certified-localities list, read in full on September 21, 2026. One caution while you are searching: the State list writes only “Hanover”, and Morris County also contains East Hanover Township, a separate municipality with its own governing body and its own rules. This page is about the Township of Hanover and its Chapter 122.
Practical production planning
- One question before anything else: which daily rate applies to a production of your size. Get it in writing.
- Until you have that answer, price the $500 tier and treat the $150 tier as upside.
- Three days’ notice is short, but it is a filing minimum, not a turnaround promise. Officers and street access are what actually set your lead time.
- Assume you are paying for an off-duty officer rather than hoping the Chief waives it.
- If you are also scouting Randolph, note that its expedited fee is $150 against Hanover’s $250, and its lead time is four business days against three.
Common questions
How much does a film permit cost in Hanover Township, NJ?
The basic permit is $100, or $250 for expedited handling. The daily fee is either $150 or $500, and which one you pay is the unresolved question on this page. Section 122-10C sets the dividing line at a production budget of $20,000, which would put essentially every professional shoot in the $500 tier. Section 122-1 of the same chapter defines a major motion picture at $20,000,000. Both figures are published by the Township, including on its own filming page, so call the Township Clerk and get the applicable rate in writing before you budget.
What is the budget threshold for Hanover Township film fees?
The chapter states it two ways that are three orders of magnitude apart. The fee table at section 122-10C charges $150 a day where the production budget is under $20,000 and $500 a day where it is over $20,000. The definitions section at 122-1 uses $20,000,000 for a major motion picture. We are not going to assume which was intended. It would be easy to guess that the fee table is missing three zeros, but a guess is not a published figure, and the Township's own website repeats the $20,000.00 version. Ask the Clerk.
How far in advance do I apply for a Hanover Township film permit?
Three days, with a $250 expedited option if you need it faster. Three days is short, and it is a filing requirement rather than a promise of turnaround, so if your shoot depends on police staffing or street access, give the Township more room than the minimum.
Does Hanover Township require a police officer for filming?
The chapter states the off-duty officer requirement unconditionally rather than leaving it to the discretion of the Chief of Police, which is how most of the model ordinances on this site handle it. Budget for an officer, at the production's cost, and confirm the hours and the rate with the Township when you apply.
Is Hanover Township Film Ready certified?
Yes. It appears on the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission's published certified-localities list, read in full on September 21, 2026. One caution when you are searching: the State list writes only “Hanover”, and Morris County also contains East Hanover Township, which is a separate municipality with its own governing body. This page is about the Township of Hanover, whose filming chapter is Chapter 122.
Official sources
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, Film Ready certified localities
- MunicipalHanover Township Code, Chapter 122 Filming
- MunicipalTownship of Hanover
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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