Filming in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
A production guide to Ridgefield Park’s Chapter 182 permit, its published fees and insurance, and the statutory approver the current Board page does not identify.
Ridgefield Park includes a documented historic central business district, residential streets, municipal parks and a protected nature preserve near the Hackensack River and Meadowlands. Distinguish Village streets and parks from Bergen County, State, transit and private property before treating one approval as complete.
The Village is currently State Film Ready certified and has a dedicated filming chapter. The Clerk’s Office is the published starting point, but the current official assigned the chapter’s Public Art approval portfolio should be confirmed directly.
Information checked July 24, 2026
- County
- Bergen County
- Film Ready status
- State Film Ready certified locality
- Municipal starting point
- Village Clerk’s Office
- Village Clerk
- Tara O’Grady
- Phone
- 201-641-4950 ext. 101
- Office
- 234 Main Street, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660
- Published hours
- Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., office hours, not filming hours
- Controlling law
- Chapter 182, Filming
- Statutory reviewer
- Commissioner-in-Charge responsible for Public Art; current individual not confirmed
- Basic permit
- $100
- Expedited permit
- $150, with a cross-reference and 24-hour warning
- Public-property daily fee
- $200; $1,000 for a major motion picture
- Private-property fee
- No fee published
- Nonprofit educational
- $25; no daily fee
- Student film
- No fee
- Public-land insurance
- $500,000 bodily injury to one person / $1 million aggregate, plus $300,000 property damage
- Film-specific bond
- None located in Chapter 182
- Universal filming hours
- None published
Documented location and jurisdiction character
Official sources support the following planning context:
- The Historic Preservation Commission describes a district centered on portions of Main Street, Mount Vernon Street and Spruce Avenue.
- The Village Nature Preserve page describes woodland, marsh and meadow with a trail and boardwalk.
- The Nature Preserve FAQ emphasizes protected habitat and directs visitors to remain on the trail.
- Village pages identify municipal recreation spaces including Fellowship Park and McGowan Park.
- Bergen County operates a separate Film & TV Office for County parks and facilities.
These sources identify potential visual categories and jurisdiction. They do not authorize production access. The Nature Preserve’s public hours and trail rules are visitor information, not a commercial-filming permission.
When a Village permit is required
Chapter 182 requires a Village permit for filming on Village-controlled public property, and for private-property filming that uses Village public property for production vehicles, equipment, temporary storage, temporary structures, barricades or pedestrian or traffic restriction.
The approved permit must identify the location and dates and remain available for inspection at the site.
Application and statutory reviewer
Applications are filed with the Municipal Clerk on the approved form.
The code defines the “Commissioner-in-Charge” as the Commissioner responsible for Public Art and assigns that official permit-review and appeal functions. The current Board page lists Public Safety, Public Affairs, Revenue/Mayor, Public Works and Parks/Public Property portfolios; it does not identify Public Art. The Concerts, Art & Culture page identifies a Commissioner overseeing arts and culture, but that is not sufficient to assign the separate statutory Public Art role.
Route the application through the Clerk and ask for the current approver’s name and title. This guide does not name an approver.
Application and timing
Chapter 182 says no permit will be issued unless the application is made prior to three days before the requested filming date. The checked text does not say calendar or business days.
The Commissioner-in-Charge may waive the period when related approvals are complete and adjacent owners or tenants do not need notice. Proposed traffic, public parking, interior or exterior work, hours and impacts on nearby occupants are among the stated waiver factors. A weather or good-cause alternate date may be issued without another fee when the applicant otherwise complies.
Expedited-processing warning
The fee text lists a $150 expedited permit and refers to waiver of § 182-3B and processing “within 24 hours.” Section 182-3B contains public-land insurance and related requirements; § 182-3A contains the three-day period. This guide does not correct the ordinance by inference. Ask the Clerk which provision is intended, whether 24 hours is a review target, and which department approvals must be complete.
Insurance and indemnity
For filming on public land, Chapter 182 requires:
- $500,000 bodily-injury coverage for one person
- $1 million bodily-injury aggregate
- $300,000 property-damage coverage
- Written indemnification of the Village
- Hiring off-duty police officers for the times shown on the permit
Obtain exact certificate-holder, additional-insured, endorsement, primary and noncontributory, waiver and cancellation language before ordering the certificate.
Bond
No film-specific bond was located in Chapter 182. A separate owner, County, State, transit or property agreement may still require security.
Affected-party notice
When production activity directly involves or affects businesses, merchants or residents, written notice is required at least three days before the requested shooting date, recipients must be told that objections may be filed with the Clerk, and proof of service to adjacent owners must be submitted “within two days of the requested shooting date.”
Ask the Clerk for the accepted deadline, notice area, text, service method and proof.
Filming hours
No universal filming window was located in Chapter 182. Proposed hours are part of the waiver and permit review. Obtain setup, camera, meal, breakdown and final-departure times in writing.
Police, fire and electrical work
The public-land subsection requires off-duty police for the times on the permit. The Village may require additional patrol officers where production may impede traffic.
The Fire Marshal and other Village inspectors may inspect the site and equipment. A licensed on-site electrician may be required where existing electrical power is used and the production does not have a licensed electrician on staff.
Current published fees
| Charge | Current published amount |
|---|---|
| Student film | No fee |
| Basic permit | $100 |
| Expedited permit | $150 |
| Filming entirely on public property | $200 per day |
| Major motion picture entirely on public property | $1,000 per day |
| Nonprofit educational filming | $25; no daily rate |
| Filming on private property | No fee |
| Police, Fire, parking, damage and municipal services | Written quote required |
The chapter defines a major motion picture as a film financed or distributed by one of the listed studios or major streaming services, any film with a budget of at least $5 million, or recurrent weekly television programming.
The code does not publish an all-in stacking calculation. Obtain a written quote.
Who controls the location?
| Location or impact | Starting authority |
|---|---|
| Village street, sidewalk, curb, park or municipal facility | Ridgefield Park Clerk and assigned Village officials and departments |
| Private residence, business, building or lot | Owner or authorized representative, plus Village review when the Chapter 182 public-property trigger applies |
| Bergen County park, road or facility | Bergen County Film & TV Office |
| State road or State property | Controlling State agency |
| NJ TRANSIT property | NJ TRANSIT |
| School, house of worship or other institution | The institution or property owner |
The Bergen County Film & TV Office publishes BCFilmOffice@bergencountynj.gov and 201-336-7325 for County-controlled property. A County process is separate from the Village permit.
Practical production planning
- Start with the Clerk and ask who currently holds the statutory Public Art approval portfolio.
- File earlier than three days and ask whether the Village counts calendar or business days.
- Do not rely on the ordinance’s 24-hour language as an approval guarantee.
- Ask whether every public-land shoot requires off-duty Police and request current rates.
- Treat the Nature Preserve as protected habitat; request written permission and operating conditions before planning any footprint.
- Obtain the notice area and proof deadline before outreach.
- Open Bergen County, State, NJ TRANSIT and private-owner requests separately.
Documented productions
Hip Hop Dance Project
The State’s 2024 production list identifies Ridgefield Park for the A+E Factual project in July.
Breakthrough
The State’s 2024 list identifies Ridgefield Park for the short film in November.
Milly: Queen of Merengue
The State’s 2023 list identifies Ridgefield Park among the New Jersey filming municipalities in July.
The State reports establish municipal filming only. They do not establish an exact location, current owner, present access or on-screen representation.
Common questions
Is Ridgefield Park Film Ready certified?
Yes. Ridgefield Park appears on the State’s current Film Ready certified-localities list checked July 29, 2026.
How much is a Ridgefield Park film permit?
The basic permit is $100 and the expedited permit is $150. Filming entirely on public property is $200 per day, or $1,000 for a major motion picture. Nonprofit educational filming is $25 with no daily rate, and the chapter lists no fee for a student film.
Who approves a Ridgefield Park film permit?
Chapter 182 assigns review to the Commissioner-in-Charge responsible for Public Art. The current Board page does not identify that portfolio. Apply through the Clerk and ask the Clerk to identify the current approver.
Does the expedited fee guarantee approval within 24 hours?
No guarantee should be published. The fee text contains 24-hour language and cites a subsection that does not contain the filing deadline. Confirm the current process directly.
What insurance does Ridgefield Park require?
For public-land filming, the published minimums are $500,000 bodily injury for one person, $1 million aggregate and $300,000 property damage, plus written indemnification.
Does a Village permit cover the Nature Preserve for commercial filming?
Do not assume so. The Preserve is presented as protected habitat with visitor trail rules. Request written permission and operating conditions before planning a production footprint.
Official sources
- OfficialVillage of Ridgefield Park Code, Chapter 182, Filming
- OfficialRidgefield Park, Village Clerk’s Office
- OfficialRidgefield Park, Board of Commissioners
- OfficialRidgefield Park, Concerts, Art & Culture
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, current Film Ready certified localities
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, 2024 Annual Report
- OfficialNJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, 2023 Annual Report
- OfficialRidgefield Park, Historic Preservation Commission
- OfficialRidgefield Park, Nature Preserve
- OfficialRidgefield Park, Nature Preserve FAQs
- OfficialBergen County Film & TV Office
Checked July 29, 2026 against Chapter 182 and the current Village Clerk and Board pages. 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.