Filming in Randolph, New Jersey
Randolph’s filming chapter is adopted and codified — Ordinance 22-25, September 18, 2025 — even though the Township’s own ordinance page still shows it as “Status: Introduced”. It is one of the cheaper expedited fees in the State at $150.
Randolph is a large Morris County township with a great deal of open space, and its filming chapter is straightforward once you get past a misleading status field on the Township website. The one structural thing to know is that the parks are on a separate approval track from the streets.
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.
- Controlling source
- Township Code Chapter 51, Film and Movies, adopted September 18, 2025 by Ordinance No. 22-25 § 1
- Who issues
- The Township Manager
- Published lead time
- Four or more business days
- Basic permit fee
- $100, or $150 expedited. $25 for bona fide nonprofit, educational or student applicants
- Daily fee
- $150 per day, or $500 per day for a major motion picture
- Bond
- $500
- Parks
- Filming in a Township park needs a separate Parks and Recreation permit in addition to the filming permit
- A misleading status field
- The Township’s ordinance page still lists Ordinance 22-25 as “Introduced”. The chapter is in the codified code with an adoption date of September 18, 2025
- Last verified
- September 21, 2026
$100 basic permit, $150 expedited, $25 for nonprofit, educational or student applicants, plus $150 a day or $500 a day for a major motion picture. A $500 bond. Four or more business days’ notice.
Two things to know: filming in a Township park needs a separate Parks and Recreation permit, and the Township’s own ordinance page wrongly still shows the filming ordinance as “Introduced”.
The ordinance is adopted, whatever the website says
Chapter 51 of the Township Code, “Film and Movies”, carries the history line “(Ord. No. 22-25, § 1, 9-18-2025)”. It is in the codified code. It is adopted, effective and enforceable.
Randolph’s own ordinance listing, however, still shows Ordinance 22-25 as “Status: Introduced” — a year after the hearing. That field is stale. We mention it because anyone doing their own diligence on this town will hit it and reasonably conclude there is no ordinance in force, which is the wrong conclusion. The codified chapter and its history line are the authoritative record.
Fees and requirements
| What | Amount |
|---|---|
| Basic filming permit | $100 |
| Expedited permit | $150 |
| Bona fide nonprofit, educational or student applicant | $25 |
| Daily filming fee | $150 |
| Daily filming fee, major motion picture | $500 |
| Bond | $500 |
The $150 expedited fee is at the low end of what New Jersey municipalities charge for jumping the queue. Most of the model towns on this site charge $250. Among the towns covered here, Randolph is tied with Ocean Township in Ocean County at $150.
- Who issues it. The Township Manager.
- Lead time. Four or more business days.
- Parks. A separate Parks and Recreation permit is needed for filming in a Township park, in addition to the filming permit.
The parks are a separate approval
Randolph is a large township with a lot of open space, and the parks are some of the most useful location material in it. They are also not covered by the filming permit: the Township Manager issues that, and Parks and Recreation issues its own.
If a park is in your plan, start both applications at the same time rather than in sequence. Two offices in series is how a four-business-day lead time becomes three weeks.
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.
Randolph is on the State’s certified-localities list, read in full on September 21, 2026. That is a second, independent indication that the ordinance is real, since adopting one is part of how a municipality becomes certified.
Practical production planning
- Cite the ordinance by number in your permit file — Ord. No. 22-25, adopted September 18, 2025 — so nobody on your team is derailed by the Township’s status field.
- If a park is involved, file with Parks and Recreation on the same day you file with the Township Manager.
- Confirm the major-motion-picture threshold in writing before you price the daily rate, since it is the difference between $150 and $500.
- The $150 expedited fee is cheap enough to be worth paying for the certainty on a tight schedule.
- Neighboring Hanover Township is three days rather than four, but its expedited fee is $250 and its daily tier is unresolved. Price the two separately.
Common questions
Does Randolph, NJ have a film permit ordinance?
Yes. Chapter 51 of the Township Code, Film and Movies, was adopted on September 18, 2025 by Ordinance No. 22-25. Be careful here: the Township's own ordinance listing still shows that ordinance as “Status: Introduced”, a year after the hearing. The status field is stale. The chapter appears in the codified code with its adoption date in the history line, which is the authoritative record.
How much does a film permit cost in Randolph, NJ?
The basic permit is $100, or $150 for expedited handling, and $25 for bona fide nonprofit, educational or student applicants. On top of that, $150 a day, or $500 a day for a major motion picture. A $500 bond is also required. The $150 expedited fee is at the low end of what New Jersey municipalities charge for jumping the queue, tied with Ocean Township in Ocean County among the towns on this site.
Do I need a separate permit to film in a Randolph park?
Yes. Township parks are on a separate approval track: you need a Parks and Recreation permit in addition to the filming permit issued by the Township Manager. Randolph has a lot of open space and it is some of the most attractive location material in the Township, so if a park is in your plan, start both applications at the same time rather than in sequence.
How far in advance do I apply for a Randolph film permit?
Four or more business days. That is the filing requirement, not a guarantee of turnaround, and if a park permit is also in play you are dealing with two offices. Give yourself more room than the minimum.
Is Randolph Film Ready certified?
Yes. Randolph appears on the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission's published certified-localities list, read in full on September 21, 2026. The September 2025 ordinance and the certification go together, since adopting a filming ordinance is one of the steps in the certification process.
Official sources
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, Film Ready certified localities
- MunicipalRandolph Township Code, Chapter 51 Film and Movies
- MunicipalTownship of Randolph
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
Comparing municipalities? See every Film Ready town in New Jersey, or search a specific town’s published permit, fee and contact details in the New Jersey Film Permit Finder.