Town guide

Filming in Summit, New Jersey

Summit replaced its filming ordinance in July 2026. It now carries the joint-highest insurance requirement on this site — $5,000,000, matched only by Warren Township — and a day rate that falls as the shoot goes on.

Everything below comes from Chapter 5 of the City Code, which was repealed and replaced on July 7, 2026 by Ordinance No. 26-3391, with fees set in the Schedule of Fees Appendix. Guidance published before that date is out of date. The new text also carries a few unfinished drafting marks, which are quoted below exactly as adopted.

Information checked September 19, 2026

Checked Sep 19 2026

County: Union County
Film Ready status: Not on the current State certified-localities list, checked September 17, 2026. Summit replaced its filming ordinance on July 7, 2026 with a version drawn from the State model.
Controlling source: City Code Chapter 5, Filming Controls, repealed and replaced July 7, 2026 by Ord. No. 26-3391
Who issues: The Office of the City Clerk
Published lead time: At least four business days before the requested shooting date
Basic permit fee: $750
Day rate: $1,500 first day, $1,000 second day, $750 third day
Nonprofit and student: $75 for nonprofit educational, documentary or public television applicants; no fee for student applicants; no day rate for either
Insurance: General liability of $5,000,000 in the aggregate per project, from an insurer rated A- or better by A.M. Best, naming the City as an additional insured, plus Workers’ Compensation
Bond: $2,000 in cash or a $2,000 maintenance bond
Parking: $30 per metered space per day in the central retail business district; $5 per vehicle per day in a parking facility; $5 per vehicle per day overnight
Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. camera wrap, 10:00 p.m. crew wrap, Monday through Sunday, setup and breakdown included
Last verified: September 19, 2026

Quick answer

Summit charges a $750 basic permit and then a day rate that falls as the shoot goes on: $1,500 for day one, $1,000 for day two, $750 for day three. A single-day shoot is $2,250 before parking.

The number to check with your broker first is the insurance: $5,000,000 general liability in the aggregate per project, from an insurer rated A- or better by A.M. Best. That is five times the next highest limit in this corridor.

A brand-new ordinance, with a few marks still on it

Chapter 5 was repealed and replaced on July 7, 2026 by Ordinance No. 26-3391, which also amended the Schedule of Fees Appendix. The prior history runs back through Ord. No. 05-2668, Ord. No. 12-2997 and a December 2023 amendment. Anything written about filming in Summit before July 2026 describes a repealed chapter.

Two unfinished drafting brackets survive in the adopted text

These are quoted exactly, because a producer reading the code will hit them and reasonably wonder whether they are looking at the right document.

§ 5-2b requires the permit fee to be received “no less than [48 or 72] hours prior to the start of filming”. The square brackets and the alternatives are in the adopted ordinance.
§ 5-10a gives the waiver power to “The Film Permit Representative [manager, clerk, etc. as long as it’s not an elected official — this person can also be the Film Ready Liaison]”. That bracketed passage is an instruction to whoever was adapting the model ordinance, left in the law.

The heading of § 5-10 still reads “Waiver of requirements of chapter by Common Council”, while the text assigns the waiver to the Film Permit Representative. Ask the City Clerk who holds the waiver and what the fee deadline actually is.

Fees, parking and the descending day rate

What	Amount
Basic filming permit	$750
Daily filming fee, first day	$1,500
Daily filming fee, second day	$1,000
Daily filming fee, third day	$750
Nonprofit applicants, educational documentary or public television purposes, no daily rate	$75
Student applicants, same purposes, no daily rate	None
Metered spaces in the central retail business district	$30 per space per day
Parking facility	$5 per vehicle per day
Overnight parking	$5 per vehicle per day

The descending rate is unique on this site and it changes how you sequence a schedule: three days in Summit cost $3,250 in day rates, where three days at a flat $1,500 would cost $4,500.

Parking availability must be confirmed at least 72 hours before filming begins, and the City may limit the number of spaces. § 5-12 separately requires reimbursement of lost revenue such as parking meter income and repairs to public property.

Insurance, bond, police and the unusual clauses

Insurance. General liability of $5,000,000 in the aggregate per project, from a New Jersey-licensed insurer rated “A-” or better by A.M. Best, naming the City as an additional insured, plus Workers’ Compensation to statutory requirements. The ordinance prints the exact certificate wording, and the insurer must notify the City within 30 days of any cancellation.
Bond. $2,000 in cash or a $2,000 maintenance bond. Within seven days of completion the department head responsible for the property tells the City Clerk how much may be returned.
Police and fire. Off-duty Summit officers or firefighters, and overtime for Department of Community Services employees, where required by the Chief of Police or Fire Chief under the agreed Public Safety Plan.
Food. Serving food in conjunction with a filming permit requires a Board of Health application, for outside and Summit vendors alike.
Alternate dates. § 5-2e requires the permit request to provide alternate dates.
Celebrity clause. § 5-4c: where the person in the film or commercial “is extremely popular and/or idolized by the general public”, extra security may be required by the Police Department.

Copies of the approved permit go to Community Programs, Community Services, Police and Fire, the Board of Health, Parking Services, Summit Downtown Inc. and the Chamber of Commerce before filming, and to the State film commission at its published address.

Hours, notice and appeals

Filming runs Monday through Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for camera wrap and 10:00 p.m. for crew wrap, with setup, production and breakdown all inside those hours. Exterior night filming past 10:00 p.m. goes through the § 5-10 waiver.

§ 5-5: affected businesses, merchants and residents get written notice at least three days before the shooting date and may file objections with the Municipal Clerk, which form part of the application. Proof of service is submitted to the Clerk within two days of the shooting date.

Appeals run in two stages under § 5-9. First to the City Administrator, by written statement filed with the City Clerk within 10 days of notice. Then, if still aggrieved, to the Common Council, again within 10 days, with a $100 fee. Penalties under § 5-14 run to $1,000 per day or 90 days, and where the owner of the premises is not the applicant, both are liable.

Film Ready status

Adopting the model ordinance is not the same as being certified

The New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission distributes a model filming ordinance, and adopting it is one of the steps toward Film Ready certification. Several municipalities in this corridor have adopted it. None of them appears on the Commission’s published certified-localities list, which we read in full on September 17, 2026.

If certification matters to your project, confirm it with the Commission directly rather than inferring it from a town’s ordinance. If what you need is a permit, the ordinance is what governs either way.

Practical production planning

Start with the broker. A $5,000,000 aggregate limit with an A.M. Best rating condition and prescribed certificate wording is not a same-week job.
Four business days is the published floor, but the fee deadline is written as a bracketed alternative. Ask which it is.
Sequence longer schedules in Summit rather than splitting them: the day rate falls on days two and three.
Confirm parking 72 hours out, and budget $30 per metered space per day downtown.
If you are feeding the crew, start the Board of Health application at the same time as the permit.
Offer alternate dates in the request, because the ordinance requires them.
If your talent draws a crowd, expect the Police Department to price extra security into the public safety plan.

Common questions

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

A $750 basic filming permit, plus a daily fee that decreases: $1,500 for the first day, $1,000 for the second and $750 for the third. A first day therefore costs $2,250 before parking. Nonprofit applicants filming for educational, documentary or public television purposes pay $75 with no daily rate, and student applicants filming for those purposes pay nothing.

What insurance does Summit require for filming?

General liability of $5,000,000 in the aggregate per project, written by an insurer licensed in New Jersey and rated A- or better by A.M. Best, naming the City of Summit as an additional insured, plus Workers’ Compensation to New Jersey statutory requirements. The ordinance prints the exact certificate wording that must appear. The insurer must notify the City within 30 days of any cancellation. At $5,000,000 this is the joint-highest insurance requirement on this site, matched by Warren Township in Somerset County — though Warren sets the same figure as a floor on the primary policy rather than as an aggregate, which is a different instruction to a broker.

How far in advance do I apply for a Summit film permit?

At least four business days before the requested shooting date, under § 5-3a. The fee is due separately: § 5-2b says it must be received no less than “[48 or 72]” hours before filming starts — the brackets are in the adopted text, so ask the City Clerk which figure applies. The ordinance also requires your permit request to offer alternate dates.

Does Summit charge for parking during a shoot?

Yes, where parking off public streets is not practical. Metered spaces in the central retail business district are $30 per space per day, a parking facility is $5 per vehicle per day, and overnight is $5 per vehicle per day. Availability must be confirmed at least 72 hours before filming begins, and the City may limit the number of spaces.

Do I need a permit to film on private property in Summit?

Only where the filming uses public property. § 5-2a requires a permit for filming on public land, or on private land where the filming involves using public property for the operation, placement or temporary storage of vehicles or equipment, including any temporary structure, barricade or device restricting pedestrian or vehicular traffic. Library Board and Board of Education property needs that board’s approval first, and then the chapter applies.

Can I film at night in Summit?

Filming runs 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for camera wrap and 10:00 p.m. for crew wrap, seven days a week, with setup, production and breakdown all counted inside those hours. Exterior night filming past 10:00 p.m. is allowed only through the waiver process in § 5-10.

What happens if Summit refuses my film permit?

There are two levels of appeal. First to the City Administrator, by filing a written statement of grounds with the City Clerk within 10 days of notice. If you are still aggrieved, you may appeal to the Common Council within 10 days, and that second appeal carries a $100 fee. The Administrator and the Council may each affirm, modify or reverse.

Is Summit a Film Ready certified community?

No. Summit does not appear on the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission’s current certified-localities list, checked September 17, 2026. Its July 2026 ordinance is drawn from the Commission’s model and even refers to a “Film Ready Liaison”, but adopting the model is a step toward certification rather than certification itself. Union County and Union Township are both on the certified list; neither is Summit.

Official sources

Chapter 5 and the Schedule of Fees Appendix were read in full on September 19, 2026. The chapter was repealed and replaced on July 7, 2026, so any earlier guidance about filming in Summit is superseded. Film Ready status was checked against the State list on September 17, 2026. Confirm all figures with the City Clerk before relying on them. Report a correction or updated permit requirement.

Planning a production in New Jersey?

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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.

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.