Filming in Keyport, New Jersey
A production guide to Keyport’s current filming code and July 2025 application, its published fees and insurance, and the property boundaries to confirm before scouting.
Keyport’s official film page describes a Raritan Bay waterfront with a New York City skyline view and a downtown containing historic and modern commercial and residential settings. The Borough publishes both a current film code and a July 2025 application.
Those sources provide a relatively complete municipal process. A production should still obtain a written quote and ask the Clerk how a budget of exactly $20 million is classified.
Information checked July 24, 2026
- County
- Monmouth County
- Film Ready treatment
- Film Ready certified locality
- Municipal starting point
- Keyport Borough Clerk
- Borough Clerk
- Michele Clark, RMC
- Clerk email
- mclark@keyportonline.com
- Clerk phone
- 732-739-5124
- Additional application phone
- 732-739-5121
- Office
- 70 West Front Street, Keyport, NJ 07735
- Published Borough Hall hours
- Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., office hours, not filming hours
- Application
- Official Film Permit Application revised July 2025
- Basic permit
- $100 with four or more days’ advance notice
- Expedited permit
- $250 with three or fewer days’ advance notice
- Public-property daily fee
- $150 under $20 million; $500 over $20 million
- Private-property daily fee
- None published
- Public-land insurance
- $500,000 bodily injury to one person / $1,000,000 aggregate, plus $500,000 property damage per occurrence
- Residential hours
- Monday–Sunday, 7:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
- Street closure
- $1,000
- Film-specific bond
- No film-specific bond located in the current film section or application
Documented location character
The Borough’s official filming page supports this description:
- A waterfront on Raritan Bay
- A view toward the New York City skyline
- A downtown with historic and modern commercial and residential settings
The State’s 2022 annual report documents a previous production at the Broad Street Diner.
These sources describe setting and past use only. They do not establish current owner consent, exclusivity, public access, interior availability, parking capacity or permission.
Current source set
Use Borough Code § 5-14, current through its June 17, 2025 amendment, together with the official Film Permit Application revised July 2025. The application tracks the code’s principal terms.
When a permit is required
The code defines filming as taking still or motion pictures for commercial or educational purposes intended for television, theaters, institutional use or advertising. News stories are excluded.
It requires a permit for filming in Keyport. Permits are obtained from the Borough Clerk during normal business hours, and one permit is required for each location. For private property, the applicant must provide written owner permission.
Incidental use of a public sidewalk or street that does not require closing it is not treated as filming on public land. Do not broaden that clause into an exemption from the Borough permit itself.
Application and timing
The current timing and fee categories are a basic permit with four or more days’ advance notice, and an expedited permit with three or fewer days’ advance notice.
Ask the Clerk whether days are counted as calendar or business days; when an application is considered complete; which property and department approvals must accompany it; and whether a revised location, date or schedule requires a new permit.
Insurance and indemnity
For filming on Borough-controlled public land, the current code and application require:
- $500,000 bodily-injury coverage for one person
- $1,000,000 aggregate bodily-injury coverage
- $500,000 property-damage coverage per occurrence
- Written indemnification protecting the Borough
Obtain the Borough’s exact certificate-holder, additional-insured, endorsement and cancellation wording before ordering coverage.
Bond
No film-specific cash or maintenance bond was located in current § 5-14 or the official July 2025 application. That is not a guarantee that no security can apply. A private property, separate facility, department or unusual activity may still involve case-specific security, restoration or payment terms.
Notice
No film-specific resident or business notification rule was located in current § 5-14 or the July 2025 application. This does not mean notice will never be imposed as a permit condition. Ask the Clerk whether the approved traffic, parking, street or public-safety plan requires outreach for the actual footprint.
Residential filming hours
The current code and application publish residential filming hours of Monday through Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The Borough may consider the proposed location and hours in permit review. Confirm whether setup, production and breakdown must all fit inside the approved window, and obtain any exception in writing.
Do not apply this residential provision as a nonresidential-hours guarantee.
Fire, police and electrical review
The applicant must notify the Fire Chief 24 hours before filming and allow the site and equipment to be inspected.
The Police Chief may require one or more patrol officers when traffic or public safety is affected, at production cost. A licensed electrician may be required when municipal or existing power lines will be used and the production does not have an appropriately licensed person on staff.
Disclose street activity, parking, generators, tie-ins, cable runs, weapons, special effects, flame, smoke, pyrotechnics, crowd activity and traffic impact in the initial application.
Current published fees
| Charge | Published amount |
|---|---|
| Basic filming permit, four or more days’ notice | $100 |
| Expedited permit, three or fewer days’ notice | $250 |
| Nonprofit or student permit | $25 unless waived; no daily fee |
| Public property, budget under $20 million | $150 per day |
| Public property, budget over $20 million | $500 per day |
| Private property | No daily filming fee |
| Street closure | $1,000 |
| Police and other public-safety personnel | Current published rates or actual charges |
| Private background or “dressed” businesses | Negotiated privately |
The public-property rows say “under” and “over” $20 million and do not classify a budget at exactly $20 million. Obtain written treatment from the Clerk rather than assuming which row applies.
Police-detail figures published in the July 2025 application
| Item | Published figure checked July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Officer | $75 per hour |
| Administrative charge | $5 per officer |
| Workers’ compensation charge | $5 |
| Published total hourly police charge | $85 |
| Police vehicle | $25 per hour |
| Flare | $2 each |
| Signage | $1 per hour |
| Electronic sign, four hours or less | $100 per day |
| Electronic sign, more than four hours | $200 per day |
Rates can change. Request a current written personnel and equipment estimate rather than treating this table as a guaranteed quote.
Who controls the location?
| Location or impact | Starting authority |
|---|---|
| Borough street, sidewalk, waterfront public area, park, facility, curb or municipal lot | Keyport Borough Clerk and assigned departments |
| Private residence, diner, shop, marina, commercial space or other venue | Owner or authorized representative, plus the Borough permit |
| County or State roadway or property | The agency controlling the exact segment |
| Water-based activity, dock or privately operated marina | Confirm the exact owner or operator and any separate governmental authority |
Do not assume that a waterfront setting is Borough-owned, or that a municipal permit authorizes activity on or from the water.
Practical production planning
- Use the July 2025 application and live § 5-14 together.
- File more than four days ahead when possible rather than relying on expedited review.
- Ask how exactly $20 million is classified.
- Obtain a written all-in quote for the permit, location, street, parking, police, fire, equipment and lost revenue.
- Confirm whether notice is imposed for the actual traffic or parking plan.
- Include setup, filming and breakdown in requested hours.
- Provide truck dimensions, parking and curb counts, generator placement and cable crossings.
- Confirm whether the waterfront, dock, lot or building is municipal or private.
- Obtain written owner permission for every private location.
Documented productions
Which Brings Me to You
The State’s 2022 annual report says the production filmed at the Broad Street Diner in Keyport.
Space Cadet
The State’s 2022 production list identifies Keyport among the New Jersey filming municipalities.
Inappropriate Behavior
The State’s 2022 production list identifies Keyport among the New Jersey filming municipalities.
American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez
The State’s 2023 production list identifies Keyport and Tinton Falls among the New Jersey filming municipalities.
Prior filming documents a past use only. It does not establish current availability, ownership, permission or price.
Common questions
Is Keyport a Film Ready certified community?
Yes. Keyport appears on the State’s current Film Ready certified-localities page. NJEDA also named Keyport in its August 1, 2025 announcement of newly designated Film Ready communities.
How far ahead should I apply for a Keyport film permit?
The current code prices a basic permit for four or more days’ advance notice and an expedited permit for three or fewer days. Confirm whether the Borough counts calendar or business days.
How much is a Keyport film permit?
The current code publishes a $100 basic permit and $250 expedited permit. Public-property daily fees are $150 for budgets under $20 million and $500 for budgets over $20 million, plus a $1,000 street-closure fee and case-specific personnel costs.
What happens if the budget is exactly $20 million?
The fee table says “under” and “over” $20 million and does not classify equality. Ask the Borough Clerk to determine the correct fee in writing.
What are Keyport’s residential filming hours?
The current code and application publish Monday-through-Sunday residential filming hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Confirm how setup and breakdown are treated and obtain any exception in writing.
Does Keyport require a film bond or neighbor notice?
No film-specific bond or notification rule was located in current § 5-14 or the July 2025 application. Confirm whether case-specific permit, street, parking, public-safety or property conditions add either requirement.
Official sources
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, current Film Ready certified-localities list
- OfficialNJEDA, August 1, 2025 Film Ready community announcement
- OfficialBorough of Keyport, Filming in Keyport
- OfficialBorough of Keyport Code, § 5-14, Filming
- OfficialBorough of Keyport, Film Permit Application revised July 2025
- OfficialBorough of Keyport, Municipal Clerk
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, 2022 Annual Report
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, 2023 Annual Report
Checked July 27, 2026 against Keyport’s official film page, § 5-14 and the July 2025 application. Report a correction or updated permit requirement.
Planning a production in New Jersey?
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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.