Filming in Nutley, New Jersey

Where the ordinance and the Township’s own form disagree

Nutley publishes both Chapter 329 and an Application for Filming that reprints the chapter. On three points they do not match, and all three matter before you file.

Both documents are official. The ordinance is the law and the form is what you will actually be handed, so ask the Code Enforcement Office which insurance schedule they will accept and confirm it in writing before your broker issues a certificate.

The form also warns that failure to deliver proof of the required insurance will result in cancellation of the tentative reservation, and it carries a sample Letter of Intent for neighbors stating that no vehicles arrive before 7:00 a.m. and all filming activity and vehicles are gone by 9:00 p.m.

Duration: two sections that cannot both be right

§ 329-2A caps filming at three consecutive days in any one location and six days at that location in a calendar year, regardless of how many permits are used. So far, so clear.

What happens beyond six days is not. § 329-2A says the six-day limitation “may be extended only if the filming requested constitutes a major motion picture”, and gives the Code Official power to extend it after reviewing the impact with the Police and Fire Departments and with the Director of Public Safety’s approval. But § 329-6A, headed “Special regulations for major motion pictures”, says that for a major motion picture the approved duration “shall not exceed six days in duration”.

Those two provisions point in opposite directions. If your schedule depends on more than six days at one Nutley location, get the answer from the Code Enforcement Office in writing before you commit.

§ 329-6B adds that setup and preparation days for a major motion picture may, at the Code Enforcement Officer’s discretion, be counted as filming days.

Fees, bond and insurance

A major motion picture is defined on the older studio list or any film budgeted at $5,000,000 or more. § 329-7B requires reimbursement of lost revenue such as parking meter income and repairs to public property, on top of everything else.

Police, municipal property, hours and appeals

• Personnel. § 329-3B(4): the applicant agrees to hire an off-duty Nutley police officer, Fire Inspector or Code Official for the times on the permit, at the rates in effect under the relevant collective bargaining agreement. The Township may also require on-site patrolmen at your cost, and an on-site licensed electrician where existing power lines are used.
• Municipal property. § 329-3C(5): no permit to film in any municipally owned building or on municipal land issues without the written consent of the Director of Parks and Public Property. Board of Education facilities are inside the chapter’s definition of public property.
• Hours. Residential zones, Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with setup, production and breakdown included. Night scenes need approval in the permit.
• Notice. Affected businesses, merchants and residents get written notice at least three days ahead, with objections filed with the Code Enforcement Office; proof of service follows within two days of the shooting date.
• Weather. If filming does not happen on the permitted dates, a new permit may issue with no additional fee.

An appeal goes to the Director of Public Safety, filed with the Municipal Clerk within 10 days with copies to the Code Enforcement Officer and the Director, and heard within 30 days. The decision becomes a resolution introduced at the next regular Board of Commissioners meeting; if it is not adopted in time the refusal is deemed reversed and a permit issues in conformity with the application. Penalties run to $1,000 per day or 90 days, and where the owner is not the applicant both are liable.

Film Ready status

Nutley does not appear on the State certified-localities list, checked September 17, 2026. Chapter 329 dates from 2001 and predates the Film Ready program; having a permit process and holding a State certification are separate things.

Practical production planning

• Settle the insurance question first. The ordinance and the form ask for different property damage cover, and the form routes it to a different office on a different clock.
• Budget the $5,000 bond as working capital. It comes back within seven days if nothing is damaged.
• Three days per location, six days a year. If you need more, get the § 329-2A versus § 329-6A conflict resolved in writing before you schedule.
• If any part of the shoot touches municipal land or a school property, start with the Director of Parks and Public Property.
• The form carries signature lines for Police, Fire, Parks, Public Works and the Construction Official. Treat it as five approvals, not one.
• Residential filming is weekdays only, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., prep and wrap included.

Common questions

Where do I get a film permit in Nutley, NJ?

From the Code Enforcement Office of the Township of Nutley, not the Clerk. The application form is approved by the Director of Public Safety, and the completed form carries signature lines for the Chief of Police, the Fire Official, the Director of Parks, the Director of Public Works and the Construction Official. Filming inside any municipally owned building or on municipal land additionally needs the written consent of the Director of Parks and Public Property.

How much does a film permit cost in Nutley?

A $75 basic filming permit, rising to $125 where you ask to waive the five-day period and have the application processed on an expedited basis. On top of that, $500 per day, or $1,500 per day for a major motion picture. Nonprofit applicants filming for educational purposes pay $25 with no daily rate. A $5,000 cash or maintenance bond is also required and is returned within seven days if no damage or public expense results.

What insurance does Nutley require for filming?

The two official documents differ, so confirm before your broker issues anything. § 329-3B(1) of the ordinance requires an amount of $500,000 with $1,000,000 aggregate per occurrence, property damage of $500,000 for each occurrence, and bodily injury of $500,000 in the aggregate to any one person. The Township’s own application form instead requires bodily injury of $500,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence, and property damage of $100,000 for any one accident with $300,000 aggregate. The form also requires proof of insurance to reach the Construction Official at least 48 hours before the filming date.

How many days can I film in one Nutley location?

Three consecutive days in any one location, and six days at that location in a calendar year regardless of how many permits are used. The chapter is internally inconsistent about what happens next: § 329-2A says the six-day limit may be extended only for a major motion picture, and allows the Code Official to extend it after reviewing the impact with Police and Fire and with the Director of Public Safety’s approval, while § 329-6A says that for a major motion picture the approved duration shall not exceed six days. Ask the Code Enforcement Office which governs.

What hours can I film in Nutley?

In residential zones, Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., with setup, production and breakdown all counted inside those hours. Night scenes have to be approved in the permit. The Code Enforcement Officer may authorize other hours, weighing traffic congestion, your ability to move vehicles off public streets, any requested street or parking restrictions, the nature of the shoot and your prior experience with the Township.

Do I have to hire police for a shoot in Nutley?

The application states that if traffic will be affected, an off-duty police officer is required. § 329-3B(4) has the applicant agree to hire an off-duty Nutley police officer, Fire Inspector or Code Official for the times on the permit, at the rates then in effect under the relevant collective bargaining agreement. The Township may also require on-site patrolmen at your cost, and an on-site licensed electrician where existing power lines are used and you have none on staff.

What happens if Nutley refuses my film permit?

You may appeal to the Director of Public Safety, by filing written notice with the Municipal Clerk within 10 days and serving copies on the Code Enforcement Officer and the Director. A hearing must be set within 30 days. The decision takes the form of a resolution introduced at the next regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners. If that resolution is not adopted in time, the Code Officer’s decision is deemed reversed and a permit issues in conformity with the application.

Is Nutley a Film Ready certified community?

No. Nutley does not appear on the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission’s current certified-localities list, checked September 17, 2026. Nutley has had its own filming ordinance since 2001, which is a separate thing from State certification.

Official sources

• OfficialTownship of Nutley Code Chapter 329, Filming (Ord. No. 2704, adopted 11-7-2001)
• MunicipalTownship of Nutley Application for Filming, with the insurance schedule, sample letter of intent and a reprint of the chapter
• OfficialNJMPTVC Film Ready certified-localities list, checked September 17, 2026

Chapter 329 and the Township’s Application for Filming were both read in full on September 19, 2026. They disagree on property damage cover, on which office receives proof of insurance and by when, and on the labeling of the two fees; those differences are reported on this page. Film Ready status was checked against the State list on September 17, 2026. Report a correction or updated permit requirement.

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