Hamilton, NJ Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)

Chapter 160, Commercial Filming and/or Still Photography Permits, adopted October 15, 2024 by Ordinance No. 24-035 and amended December 2, 2025 by Ordinance No. 25-026, requires anyone filming on public or private property to get a permit from the Municipal Clerk's office whenever the filming uses public property for vehicles or equipment, including any temporary structure, barricade or device that restricts pedestrian or vehicular traffic (§ 160-2A). The permit sets the approved location and dates and must be kept available for inspection at the filming site.

Applications go through the Clerk's office during normal business hours with the fee set in Chapter 215, § 215-1 (§ 160-2B). If weather or other good cause prevents filming on the approved dates, the Clerk may reissue the permit for new dates at no added fee (§ 160-2C). No permits are issued unless applied for at least three days before the requested shooting date, though the Business Administrator may waive that window if all related approvals are secured and no adjacent owners need notice (§ 160-3A).

For filming on public lands, the applicant must show proof of $500,000 per-person/$1,000,000 aggregate bodily injury insurance and $300,000 aggregate property damage coverage, sign an indemnification agreement, and arrange an off-duty police officer per the public safety plan (§ 160-3B). Six exceptions require no permit at all: spontaneous news reporting, private social events like weddings (unless sold commercially), court-related filming not sold commercially, purely private or family use, Township-conducted filming, and qualifying student films (§ 160-2D).