Piscataway, NJ Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)
Film location permits in Piscataway, NJ, sometimes called film shoot permits, production permits, or filming authorizations, cover commercial photography, video shoots, and motion picture production.
Key Facts
- Shoot hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Indoor fee
- $100 minimum
- Outdoor fee
- Up to $500
- Escrow
- Set by Chief of Police
- Agreement required
- Before any filming begins
Summary
Piscataway Township requires any television, movie or commercial film shoot on Township property, public rights-of-way or private property to run under a written film agreement per Code § 4-15.2. The agreement sets shoot dates and hours, location, crew size, and fees starting at $100 for indoor shoots and up to $500 outdoors.
§ 4-15.2. Film Agreement. ... In order to implement the purposes of this section, each film company must execute and deliver an agreement to permit a film shoot and pay the required fees and escrow prior to engaging in a film shoot, which agreement must be satisfactory in form to the Township and shall include at least the following provisions: a. Proposed dates and times between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. for the filming; ... f. Payment of a fee to the Township in the minimum amount of $100 for a film shoot solely performed indoors and up to $500 for a film shoot performed partially or totally outdoors, the amount to be determined by the Township depending upon the scale and duration of the film shoot; ... h. Payment of an escrow for police traffic and/or crowd control and clean-up costs, in an amount to be determined by the Chief of Police;
Full Breakdown
Section 4-15, added by Ordinance No. 14-24, responds to the Township Council's finding that television and movie film shoots involving large crews, equipment, trailers and vehicles can disrupt traffic, parking and the peace of residential neighborhoods. Section 4-15.2 requires every film company to execute a written agreement with the Township and pay the required fees and escrow before any shoot begins. The agreement must specify proposed filming dates and times, which are limited to between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., along with the proposed filming location or locations.
The Township charges a minimum fee of $100 for a shoot performed entirely indoors, rising to as much as $500 for a shoot performed partially or entirely outdoors, with the Township setting the exact amount based on the scale and duration of the shoot. On top of that fee, the film company pays an escrow, sized by the Chief of Police, to cover police traffic and crowd control and cleanup costs the shoot generates. Because the agreement is negotiated per shoot rather than issued as a standing permit, the Township can tailor its terms, its fee within the $100 to $500 range, and its escrow to the size and location of each individual production before authorizing filming to begin.
Violations & Fines
Filming without an executed Section 4-15.2 agreement, exceeding the 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. shoot window the agreement must state, or beginning work before paying the required fee and escrow is an ordinance violation the Township can pursue in Municipal Court, and the escrow set by the Chief of Police can be applied against police traffic control and cleanup costs the shoot generates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to film a movie or commercial in Piscataway?
What hours can filming take place in Piscataway Township?
How much does a Piscataway film permit cost?
What is the escrow required for a Piscataway film shoot for?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Piscataway
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Location Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle location permits.