Stafford Township, NJ Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Section 151-31A lists the park activities that cannot start without a permit: a picnic, outing or gathering sponsored by a person or family of 25 or more persons; any contest, exhibit, dramatic performance, play, broadcast, fair, circus, musical event or similar event; any public meeting, assembly or parade, including political meetings; and any use of a park facility by a person or group to the exclusion of others. Section 151-31B lets the Township enter into a lease for an activity under N.J.S.A. 40A:12-14 in lieu of or in addition to a permit.

Applicants file with the Township Clerk on the Clerk's forms, with a $25 application fee, not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days before the event. The application states the applicant's name, address and telephone number, the exact nature of the activity, the day and hours, the park and portion of the park, and an estimate of attendance. The Clerk checks completeness, confirms with the Recreation Director that the park is available, then routes the application to the Fire Prevention Official, the Construction Official, the Recreation Director and the Township Administrator.

Under section 151-33A the Clerk issues the permit unless she finds, for example, unreasonable interference with public use, a reasonable likelihood of violence, extraordinary expense to the Township, a conflicting reservation, or missing official approvals. The Township can attach conditions: restrictions on fires, fireworks, amplified sound, alcohol and similar uses, a deposit for damage or cleanup, extra sanitary and refuse facilities, or a fee for the actual cost of security or added Recreation Department supervision. Within five days the Clerk gives written reasons for a refusal or conditions, and an aggrieved person appeals in writing within two days to the Township Administrator, who sustains or overrules within seven days. Permits are not transferable and can be revoked for a violated condition.

Buses and cargo vans need their own permit from the Municipal Clerk under section 151-31A(5): a $25 fee, a $10 late fee if the application arrives inside 10 days, and no more than two buses scheduled per day.