Filming in Millburn, New Jersey

Scope: broader than most

§ 4-41.2a requires a permit before filming “on any public or private property, public right-of-way, facility, and/or residence”. There is no carve-out for private property that keeps clear of the street, which makes Millburn’s scope wider than Summit’s or Bloomfield’s.

Filming is defined at § 4-41.1 as taking still or motion pictures for any purpose intended for viewing on television, in theatres, for advertising purposes or for institutional uses. News stories and student films are exempted separately at § 4-41.11, on conditions.

Fees and the duration cap

A major motion picture is defined on the older studio list plus any film budgeted at $5,000,000 or more and recurrent television series programming. That $5 million threshold is a quarter of the $20 million figure used in the newer model-ordinance towns nearby, so a project can sit in the top tier in Millburn and the lower tier in Bloomfield.

§ 4-41.2c is the constraint that shapes schedules: no permit authorizes more than three consecutive days in any one location, and filming at one location may not exceed ten days in any one calendar year. Either limit may be extended only for a major motion picture, and only with Township Committee approval.

The 200-foot notice, and how to get the list

§ 4-41.3e is more demanding than the three-day letter most neighboring towns require. Notice must go to the owners of all property within 200 feet of the property lines of the filming premises, measured along public streets. It must be in writing, must state the filming dates, and must be personally served or sent by certified mail, return receipt requested.

• On written request, the Township will make and certify a list of those owners from the current tax duplicates within 72 hours. Ask for it early: you cannot serve a list you do not have.
• Owners in adjoining municipalities are served through that municipality’s Clerk, by personal service or certified mail.
• Failure to reach an owner on the list does not invalidate the permit if proof of an attempt is shown.
• Before filming begins, an affidavit of proof of service must be filed with the Township Clerk.

The Township’s application adds a harder edge: failure to provide a copy of the Letter of Intent and the list of notified addresses 48 hours before filming will result in denial or rejection of the permit.

Hours, conduct and costs on site

• Residential hours. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. or sundown, whichever is earlier. The Township may authorize other hours under § 4-41.7, weighing traffic, vehicle removal, requested street restrictions, the nature of the shoot and whether the Township Committee was consulted.
• Nuisance standard. Filming must not create a nuisance, defined in the ordinance as a condition, activity or situation interfering with the use or enjoyment of property.
• Access. Filming must not preclude access to adjoining properties from the public street, or encroach on adjoining property without the owner’s and occupant’s express written consent.
• Lights and noise. No light may shine directly into windows on other property, and noise may not cross property lines in breach of the Township’s noise ordinance. The Township may abate a violation and charge you.
• Vehicles. Parked off the public right-of-way to the maximum extent permitted. Vehicles parked in violation may be towed at your cost.
• Personnel. Where the Police Chief, Fire Chief or Construction Official judges Police, Fire or Code Enforcement personnel are required, you reimburse the Township. An on-site licensed electrician may be required where existing power lines are used.

The Township’s application also asks about fire and life safety equipment, flame-retardant drapes and backdrops to NFPA standards, vehicles brought inside a structure, altered building utilities, extinguisher ratings, catering tents and food trucks, and whether a 911 reporting method is available on site.

Appeals, and the silence rule

An appeal against the granting, denial or revocation of a permit goes to the Township Committee, filed with the Township Clerk within 10 days, with a hearing set within 30 days and a resolution by the second regularly scheduled public meeting after the hearing.

If that resolution is not adopted in time, the decision is deemed to be reversed. Silence favors the appellant here. Penalties under § 4-41.12 run to $2,000, with each day a separate offense, and a penalty does not affect the Clerk’s power to revoke the permit.

Film Ready status

Millburn does not appear on the State certified-localities list, checked September 17, 2026. It has run § 4-41 since Ordinance 2371-11, and a permit process and a State certification are separate things.

Practical production planning

• Request the 200-foot owner list from the Township in writing on day one. The Township has 72 hours to produce it and you cannot serve notice without it.
• Budget certified mail with return receipts into the schedule, not just the postage.
• File the affidavit of service before filming, and get the Letter of Intent and address list in 48 hours ahead or risk rejection.
• Three days per location, ten days per location per year. Plan a longer shoot across locations, or qualify as a major motion picture and go to the Township Committee.
• Millburn’s major motion picture threshold is $5 million, not $20 million. Check which side of it you are on.
• Sundown ends the day in residential zones from autumn onward. Check the actual sunset time for your dates before you commit to a call sheet.
• Call Millburn Police on (973) 564-7021 to ask whether an officer is needed, as the Township’s own form directs.

Common questions

How much does a film permit cost in Millburn, NJ?

A basic permit is $150, rising to $500 where you ask the Township Clerk to waive the five-working-day period and process the application on an expedited basis. On top of that, $600 per day, or $1,500 per day for a major motion picture. Overnight parking or use of Township property is a further $500 per day. A $5,000 cash or maintenance bond is also required and is returned within seven days if no damage or public expense was caused.

How many days can I film in one Millburn location?

No permit authorizes more than three consecutive days in any one location, and filming at one location may not exceed ten days in a calendar year. Both limits can be extended only if the project satisfies the major motion picture definition and the Township Committee approves. This is the hardest duration cap in this part of Essex County.

Who do I have to notify before filming in Millburn?

Every owner of property within 200 feet of the property lines of the filming premises, measured along public streets. Notice must be in writing, must state the filming dates, and must be personally served or sent by certified mail with return receipt requested. On written request the Township will certify a list of those owners from the tax duplicates within 72 hours. An affidavit of proof of service must be filed with the Township Clerk before filming begins. Owners in adjoining municipalities are notified through that municipality’s Clerk.

What hours can I film in Millburn?

In residential zones, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. or sundown, whichever is earlier. The sundown clause makes this a real constraint on a winter exterior schedule. The Township may authorize other hours, weighing traffic congestion, your ability to get vehicles off public streets, any requested street or parking restrictions, the nature of the shoot, and whether the Township Committee was consulted.

What insurance does Millburn require?

Bodily injury cover of $1,000,000 for one person and $3,000,000 in the aggregate per occurrence, and property damage of $300,000 per occurrence. The Township must also be indemnified and held harmless in a writing approved by the Township Clerk. The hold-harmless agreement in the Township’s application is notarized and runs in favor of both the Township of Millburn and the County of Essex.

Do student films need a permit in Millburn?

No. § 4-41.11 exempts both news stories and student films from the permit requirement, provided the filming still observes the residential hours, minimizes inconvenience and debris, keeps vehicles off the right-of-way so far as possible, avoids shining lights into windows, gives the Township advance notice so far as practical, and complies with Police, Fire and Building Department directives. A student filmmaker must be able to show current enrollment.

Do I need an off-duty police officer in Millburn?

If pedestrian or vehicular traffic will be affected, yes — the Township’s application states it plainly. Beyond that, where the Police Chief, Fire Chief or Construction Official judges that Police, Fire or Code Enforcement personnel are required, you reimburse the Township for their cost. The application directs you to contact Millburn Police on (973) 564-7021 to ask whether an officer will be needed.

Is Millburn a Film Ready certified community?

No. Millburn does not appear on the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission’s current certified-localities list, checked September 17, 2026. That is a State certification program and is separate from having a permit process; Millburn has run § 4-41 since Ordinance 2371-11.

Official sources

• OfficialTownship of Millburn Code Chapter 4, General Licensing, containing § 4-41
• MunicipalTownship of Millburn Film Permit Application, which reprints § 4-41 in full and carries the fee checklist and hold-harmless agreement
• MunicipalTownship of Millburn, Town Codes
• OfficialNJMPTVC Film Ready certified-localities list, checked September 17, 2026

§ 4-41 was read in full on September 19, 2026, in the version the Township reprints inside its own Film Permit Application, and cross-checked against the fee checklist on that form. Film Ready status was checked against the State list on September 17, 2026. Confirm all figures with the Township Clerk before relying on them. Report a correction or updated permit requirement.

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