Town guide

Filming in Rahway, New Jersey

A production guide to Rahway’s replacement 2026 filming ordinance, its published fees and insurance, and the older figures still displayed in two official City sources.

Rahway is a Film Ready certified locality with a downtown arts district, a transit-served core, municipal streets and public buildings, and county parkland nearby.

A replacement filming ordinance, O-15-26, was adopted July 6, 2026. Build a production plan from that ordinance, and confirm the current fee calculation with the City in writing before budgeting.

Information checked July 24, 2026

Checked Jul 24 2026

County: Union County
Film Ready status: Film Ready certified locality
Current controlling municipal law: Ordinance O-15-26, adopted July 6, 2026
Operational filming contact: Carmen Caiza
Phone: 732-827-2003
Mobile: 908-632-4604
Email: ccaiza@cityofrahway.com
Municipal Clerk: Heather Capone · 732-827-2100
City Hall: 1 City Hall Plaza, Rahway, NJ 07065
Clerk’s published hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., office hours, not filming hours
Legal filing threshold: At least four business days before the first filming day
City’s operational recommendation: Allow at least seven days
Basic permit: $100 when filed at least four business days in advance
Expedited permit: $250 when filed three days or fewer in advance
Public-property fee section: $100 application plus $150 per day under $20 million; $100 application plus $500 per day over $20 million or for a recurrent weekly television program
Insurance for public land: $1,000,000 for injury to one person / $3,000,000 aggregate; City additional insured
Bond: Set case by case, maximum $2,000
Published hours: 7:00 a.m. start, with 9:00 p.m. camera wrap and 10:00 p.m. crew wrap, subject to the ordinance’s wording and permit-specific approval

Which Rahway rules are current

Two published City sources still show the older rules

Ordinance O-15-26, adopted July 6, 2026, repealed and replaced Chapter 203. When this guide was checked, both the City’s online filming application and the published eCode360 codification of Chapter 203 still displayed pre-O-15-26 terms, including a $5,000,000 budget threshold, a $1,500 major daily fee and a $125 lower-budget daily fee. The eCode page carried legislation only through March 2, 2026, so it would not yet reflect a July 2026 ordinance.

This page states the terms of the adopted replacement ordinance. Because two official published sources still show different figures, do not budget from any of them without a written confirmation from the City identifying which schedule it is applying to your production.

Cite Ordinance O-15-26 when you contact the City, and ask it to confirm both the current submission route and the fee calculation in writing.

Documented location character

The City’s own pages describe a downtown arts district, a transit-served core, municipal streets and public buildings, and county parkland at the City’s edges. Rahway’s Film Ready certification release documents recent production activity on City streets and at downtown businesses.

These descriptions support visual and planning context. They do not establish current availability, ownership or permission for any street, business or property.

When a permit is required

O-15-26 requires a filming permit for motion-picture, television and similar production activity on public property.

For filming on private property, the ordinance requires a permit when the production uses public property for production vehicles, equipment, temporary storage, barricades or traffic restrictions. Entirely private filming with no such public use is treated differently from a public-property production.

News-story filming is exempt.

Application and lead time

The ordinance provides for obtaining the permit through the Municipal Clerk, with the application approved by the Business Administrator or designee. It sets a standard filing point at least four business days before the first filming day and an expedited fee for filing three days or fewer before filming.

Use the City’s longer operational recommendation

The City’s current filming-information page recommends allowing at least seven days. Follow that longer recommendation, and apply earlier for police, fire, code or traffic planning; street, curb or parking impacts; county, NJ TRANSIT or private-property approvals; exterior night work; large vehicles, generators or cable crossings; or a substantial public footprint.

Insurance and indemnity

For public-land filming, O-15-26 requires:

At least $1,000,000 coverage for bodily injury to any one person
At least $3,000,000 aggregate coverage
The City named as an additional insured
A certificate supplied when the permit is issued
Indemnification of the City

Obtain the City’s exact current certificate-holder, additional-insured and endorsement instructions before ordering the certificate.

Bond

The Business Administrator or designee may set a bond based on the proposed activity, up to $2,000. The ordinance provides for return within 15 days after filming when the City has no claim.

Do not use the older $1,000 deposit figure

The $1,000 deposit displayed on the older online form is not the current universal amount under O-15-26.

Hours

O-15-26 states a Monday-through-Sunday production window beginning at 7:00 a.m. and refers to a 9:00 p.m. camera wrap and 10:00 p.m. crew wrap, followed by “whichever is earlier.”

An unresolved drafting question

Because that last phrase is not operationally clear when applied to two separate wrap milestones, this guide does not interpret it. Obtain the permit’s approved earliest setup time, camera-start time, camera-wrap time, and breakdown and final crew-departure time.

The ordinance restricts exterior night filming outside the published window unless the permit authorizes otherwise, and requires approval for exterior residential work outside the normal hours.

Public-safety plan and municipal services

The ordinance authorizes a public-safety plan and security requirements. Police, fire and code personnel required for the production are reimbursable at the production’s cost.

Ask the City to confirm required staffing and hours; traffic and pedestrian controls; street or lane restrictions; emergency access; parking and meter treatment; special effects, weapons, flame, smoke or stunt review; inspection schedule; and current service rates and payment process.

Do not treat the older form’s specific staffing direction as a universal current requirement unless the City includes it in the approved plan.

Current published fees under O-15-26

Charge	Published amount or rule
Basic permit filed at least four business days in advance	$100
Expedited permit filed three days or fewer in advance	$250
Public-land filming by a major motion picture with budget over $20 million, or a recurrent weekly television program	$100 application plus $500 per day
Public-land filming with budget under $20 million	$100 application plus $150 per day
Nonprofit educational documentary or public-television production	$25; no daily fee
Student educational documentary or public-television production	No permit or daily fee
Filming on private property	No daily filming fee; public-use permit triggers can still apply
Lost meter revenue	Additional when applicable
Bond	Case-specific, maximum $2,000
Police, fire and code personnel	Actual required cost

Two open questions this guide does not answer

Section 203-4 separately lists the basic or expedited permit and the public-land application and daily categories, and does not expressly state whether those lines stack. The ordinance also leaves a literal gap at exactly $20 million, because one category says “over” and the other says “under.” Obtain a written City calculation for both points rather than assuming an answer.

Who controls the location?

Location or impact	Starting authority
City street, sidewalk, public building, municipal lot or other City property	Rahway Municipal Clerk, Business Administrator or designee, and assigned City departments
Private property using a public street, curb, vehicles, equipment, storage, barricades or traffic restrictions	Private owner plus the Rahway permit process under O-15-26
Entirely private production with no public-property use	Private owner; confirm the proposed footprint with the City before concluding that no municipal filing applies
Rahway River Park or Milton Lake Park	Union County, plus any municipal approvals for separate City impacts
Rahway Station or other NJ TRANSIT property	NJ TRANSIT Real Estate Development and Planning commercial-filming process
A station-area parking lot	Confirm the exact footprint; the NJ TRANSIT station page identifies the displayed station-area lots as municipally owned, while station property follows NJ TRANSIT’s process
County or State roadway or property	The agency that owns or controls the exact segment

NJ TRANSIT’s current policy requires a separate permit and insurance for commercial filming or photography on its property. A City permit does not authorize NJ TRANSIT facilities.

Practical production planning

Cite Ordinance O-15-26 when confirming the submission route and quote.
Apply at least seven days ahead when possible, despite the ordinance’s four-business-day standard-fee threshold.
Obtain a written decision for a budget of exactly $20 million.
Do not use the older form’s or the older codified chapter’s fee, bond or officer figures as current without written City confirmation.
Map City, county, transit and private boundaries before the tech scout.
Include setup, camera and crew-wrap times in the application and permit.
Provide actual truck sizes, parking counts, generator placement, cable crossings and pedestrian-control needs.
Scout trains, road traffic, performance schedules, county-park activity and neighborhood sound at the intended time.

Documented productions

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

The City’s 2024 Film Ready release says episode two included filming on East Cherry Street.

American Sports Story

The same City release says the production filmed at the Waiting Room at 66 East Cherry Street, transformed for the production into Gainesville’s Swamp Restaurant & Bar. The release used the working identification “Gladiator.”

Nonnas

The City release says the production filmed at Lafayette Lodge on Irving Street.

Prior filming documents a past use only. It does not establish present availability, permission or pricing for the street, business or property.

Common questions

Is Rahway a Film Ready certified community?

Yes. Rahway appears on the State’s current Film Ready certified-localities list, and a 2024 City release documents its certification.

Which Rahway filming rules are current?

Ordinance O-15-26, adopted July 6, 2026, repealed and replaced Chapter 203. When this guide was checked, both the City’s online application and the published eCode360 codification still displayed older pre-O-15-26 figures. Cite O-15-26 and ask the City to confirm in writing which schedule applies to your production.

How far ahead should I apply for a Rahway film permit?

O-15-26 sets a standard-fee filing point at least four business days before filming and an expedited charge for three days or fewer. The City’s filming page recommends allowing at least seven days, which is the safer operational minimum.

How much is a Rahway film permit?

O-15-26 lists a $100 basic permit or $250 expedited permit. Its public-land section separately lists a $100 application fee plus $150 per day for a budget under $20 million, or $100 plus $500 per day for a budget over $20 million or a recurrent weekly television program. Ask the City which lines stack. Personnel, meter loss and a case-specific bond can add cost.

What bond does Rahway require?

Under O-15-26 the bond is set case by case up to a $2,000 maximum, returnable within 15 days after filming when the City has no claim. The $1,000 deposit shown on the older online form is not the current universal amount.

Does a Rahway permit cover the train station or the county parks?

No. NJ TRANSIT property requires a separate NJ TRANSIT process, and Rahway River Park and Milton Lake Park are Union County property.

Official sources

Checked July 27, 2026. Both the City’s online form and the published eCode360 chapter still showed pre-O-15-26 figures at the time of review. Report a correction or updated permit requirement.

Planning a production in New Jersey?

BLL Films provides production support for interviews, commercials, branded content, documentary work and other productions across New Jersey. We can help translate a creative brief into a practical crew, equipment and location plan.

Ask about your New Jersey production

BLL Films may provide crew, equipment or production services when requested.

BLL

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.