Newark, NJ Filming & Production: Street Closures (2026)
Key Facts
- Advance filing required
- more than 20 calendar days
- Closure permit issuer
- Department of Engineering
- Underlying filming permit issuer
- Mayor's Office of Public Information
- Mandatory review before issuance
- Police and Fire Divisions
- Pyrotechnics/hazardous effects
- separate fire permit required first
- Extra costs billed to permittee
- lost revenue plus Police/Fire overtime
Summary
Newark requires productions that need to close a street to submit their permit application more than 20 calendar days before the shoot. The street-closure permit itself is issued separately by the Department of Engineering, only after Police and Fire review and recommend on it.
The Mayor's Office of Public Information shall not grant any permit for which street closings are necessary, unless the application for the permit is submitted more than 20 calendar days in advance of the actual filming date. Permits for street closure shall be issued by the Department of Engineering and are subject to a separate application process. During the filming of any special effect or stunt requiring the use of pyrotechnics or any material deemed hazardous to person or property, including but not limited to, fireworks, open flames or explosives, the applicant must first obtain any necessary fire permit before the filming permit will be approved. The Mayor's Office of Public Information shall submit all applications for street closings to the Newark Division of Police and Division of Fire for their review and shall obtain a recommendation prior to the granting of any permit for a street closing.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5019615; v61 updated 2026-06-17; through 06-17-2026).
Full Breakdown
When a film production needs to close a public street, Newark's rules run through two offices rather than one. 2(c). The street-closure permit itself is a separate document issued by the Department of Engineering under its own application process, so a production has to clear both the Mayor's Office and Engineering before the street can legally go dark. 2(d) requires the Mayor's Office to forward every street-closing application to the Newark Division of Police and Division of Fire for review, and the closure permit does not issue until the City has their recommendation.
Inspectors from Fire, Police, or the Health Department can inspect the site and equipment, and the applicant must follow every safety instruction those inspectors give. 2(c) requires the applicant to obtain a separate fire permit before the underlying filming permit can even be approved. 7 lets Newark bill the permittee for lost parking-meter revenue, property repairs, or other revenue the city could not collect because of the closure, plus any added Police or Fire overtime the closure required.
Violations & Fines
A production that closes a street without the Department of Engineering's separate closure permit, or that skips the Police and Fire review required by § 2:2-84.2(d), is filming in violation of Chapter 2:2-84 and subject to the penalties in § 2:2-84.9, assessed against both the permittee and the property owner if they are different people. The city can also deny the closure outright under § 2:2-84.8.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance must I apply for a Newark street-closure filming permit?
Which city department actually issues the street closure permit?
Do Police and Fire have to approve a filming street closure?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newark
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