Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ Filming & Production: Student Filming (2026)
Key Facts
- Who is covered
- Students from grade school through college or other bona fide educational institution
- Required paper
- Written certification received by the Township Clerk
- Who signs
- A teacher or administrator at the student's school
- What it must state
- Educational purposes only, not intended for commercial use
- Without the exemption
- Filming permit filed at least 10 calendar days ahead
- Maximum penalty
- $2,000 per day or 90 days, or both
Summary
In the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, § 160-10(C) exempts filming by a student from the Chapter 160 filming permit once the Township Clerk receives a written certification from a teacher or administrator at the student's school that the filming is for educational purposes only and not intended for commercial use.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to: ... ... C. Filming by a student in grade school, middle school, high school, college, university or other bona fide educational institution upon receipt by the Township Clerk of a written certification from a teacher or administrator at the school attended by the student stating that the filming is for educational purposes only and is not intended for commercial use;
Full Breakdown
Chapter 160, Filming, adopted by the Township Council as Ord. No. 2019:28, regulates only filming for commercial purposes. Section 160-1 defines filming as the taking of still or motion pictures, on film, videotape, digital or similar recording medium, for commercial purposes intended for viewing on video receivers, television, in theaters, the Internet or for institutional use, and it excludes filming covered by § 160-10 from the chapter.
Section 160-10(C) creates the student exemption. It covers filming by a student in grade school, middle school, high school, college, university or other bona fide educational institution. The exemption applies upon receipt by the Township Clerk of a written certification from a teacher or administrator at the school attended by the student stating that the filming is for educational purposes only and is not intended for commercial use. The certification comes from the school, not from the student or a parent, and it has to say both things: educational purposes only, and not intended for commercial use. The code does not print a form or a filing deadline for the certification, so the Township Clerk's office is where it is filed.
The other exemptions in § 160-10 sit beside it: news stories filmed for journalism or news reporting, filming by one individual using a hand-held camera without the assistance of other persons, filming for weddings, religious occasions and other family or social private parties, and filming for authorized municipal government purposes authorized by the Township Council or the Township Administrator.
A student project that does not qualify, for example one intended for commercial use, falls back into the permit rules of § 160-2: a completed and approved permit with the applicable fee filed at least 10 calendar days before the first filming date, plus the 24-hour notice to the Police Department and the Fire Safety Bureau in § 160-6.
Violations & Fines
Filming that falls outside the § 160-10 exemptions and proceeds without a permit is punishable under § 160-9 by a fine not exceeding $2,000 per day or imprisonment in the county jail for up to 90 days, or both. A separate offense is committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a student need a filming permit in Parsippany-Troy Hills?
Which schools count for the student exemption?
Can a student filming a commercial project use the exemption?
What other filming is exempt in the Township?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parsippany-Troy Hills
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