Permit Guidelines
When is a film permit required?
A film/photography permit is required when utilizing public property to create a tv show, movie, music video, or photoshoot. Public property includes city owned streets, sidewalks, bridges, parks, recreation centers and more. If you are unsure if your project requires a permit please reach out to the NOFTV for clarity 973.468.8569.
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Fill out your application on Eproval at least 20 days before your filming/photography date: https://specialpermitapplications.newarknj.gov/login/
The requirements listed in step 2 depend on the scope of your film permit request.
LOCATION
- Private location– a letter from the property owner on company letterhead is required to accompany your application. Upload this letter into your online permit application when applying as proof of property usage permission.
- Public property– a license agreement is required from our law department to accompany your permit application. This agreement must list all public property you plan to use such as streets, roadways, sidewalks, and all public property you plan to alter and etc. This document must be signed, dated and uploaded into your online application.
INSURANCE
A certificate of insurance is required for all production companies planning to film in Newark on public or private property. The City of Newark requires $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate for bodily injury, and $300,000 for property damage; and the City of Newark must be named.
An additional insured endorsement naming the City of Newark as an additional insured party is mandatory to accompany your COI. Both documents must be uploaded into your online film permit application.
Your insurance documents are to be addressed to the City of Newark, see proper address below:
City of Newark
920 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102
LICENSE AGREEMENT
When filming on public property, a license agreement between the City of Newark and the production company is required. A template of the license agreement can be downloaded from your Eproval dashboard. Once received fill out this document with all required information, sign the document and upload it into your online application for review and approval.
ENGINEERING PERMIT
An engineering permit is required when the pedestrian/vehicular traffic on the sidewalk/roadway will be obstructed, a street will be closed, or if you plan to park a lift/condor/ special equipment on a city street. Once completed all documents and proof of your engineering permit are to be uploaded in the Eproval application system.
LIFT/CONDOR/SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
If planning to park a lift/condor/special equipment on public property, specifications of the lift/condor/special equipment is required to accompany your engineering permit application, along with a map indicating the placement of the lift/condor/special equipment on the public roadway.
PUBLIC PROPERTY ALTERATIONS
All requests to alter public property is either approved or denied by the NOFTV. This request must be indicated in your online film permit application. You must mention these requests in detail in your licence agreement with the City of Newark.
PARKS AND RECREATION/CITY OWNED PROPERTY
The Parks and recreation centers require a parks/recreation center permit in addition to a film permit and license agreement with the City of Newark. You will apply for this permit through Quatisha Bronson and she can be reached by email Bronsonq@ci.newark.nj.us or by phone at 973-733-6454. Once you secure your permit from parks/recreation upload all documents into your Eproval dashboard as proof of approval.
Downtown Parks – If you plan to use a Newark downtown park, you will apply for your permit through Eproval. If you have questions about one of Newark’s downtown parks reach out to Executive Director of Newark City parks Foundation Inc., Marcy Depina at depinam@ci.newark.nj.us.
List of all Downtown Parks: Mulberry Commons, Harriet Tubman Square, Lincoln Park, Military Park, and Riverfront Park.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS/CHARTER SCHOOLS
The City of Newark Public Schools are governed by the Newark Board of Education. If you wish to request usage of a Newark Public School you will start by requesting a scout visit through https://www.facilitron.com/nps07102. You will then reach out to the Board Relations Director Nancy Deering. Nancy’s email address is NDeering@nps.k12.nj.us. (Please note a COI is required along with a license agreement between the production company and the NBOE. A letter of permission issued by the school, written on official company letterhead is to be uploaded into your Eproval application when submitting.)
Charter Schools are governed by their individual school network. You must reach out directly to the charter school you wish to utilize as a location. A COI and license agreement between the charter school and production company is required. A letter of permission issued by the school, written on official company letterhead is to be uploaded into your Eproval application when submitting.
FIRE/OPEN FLAMES/PYROTECHNICS
Requests to use fire while on a production set requires additional approval by the Newark Fire Department in the form of a permit issued by the NFD. Contact Mrs. Yvonne Bass from NFD by phone 973-733-7495, or by email contact Supervisor Gwendolyn Bullock-Saleem Saleemg@ci.newark.nj.us. Your approved fire permit must be uploaded into your Eproval application.
PROP WEAPONS
If prop weapons are being used on a production set, a Newark Police Officer is required to examine the weapons for safety and will be present on the production set while in use.
FIRE HYDRANTS
For the use of a fire hydrant, reach out to the City of Newark Water Department. Once you request to use a fire hydrant, you will be required to leave a deposit, you will then receive a meter and key to the requested fire hydrant. For proper coordination the water department can be reached by phone at 973-733-8151 and located at 239 Central Ave Newark, NJ 07103. All documents providing proof of approval are required to be uploaded into your Eproval dashboard.
STREET LIGHTS
If interested in bagging street lights, or changing the bulbs a formal letter must be written and sent to the Traffic and Signals Department for review. Email your letter to Richard Fernandez, Principal Engineer, Fernandezri@ci.newark.nj.us.
ITC
ITC is approved or denied by the Newark Office of Film and Television, this depends on day, time, and location. If approved then an additional permit is required from the City of Newark’s Engineering Department. This Engineering permit must be uploaded into your online application. The approval of ITC requires the presence of a Newark Police Officer.
If your ITC request is approved, a traffic control plan must be submitted with your engineering permit application. You must detail the closure, safety signage (type & location showing road closure), and a detour plan. These documents must be uploaded into the Eproval application system.
If requesting to close or use ITC on a major thruway, those requests can only be considered, as a possibility on Sundays.
If denied – ITC is NOT allowed.
NEWARK POLICE DEPARTMENT
Newark police support is required when filming exterior scenes, scenes that may interrupt traffic, stunts, and etc. NPD assesses the requests and schedule officers according to the impact to the community. These details are discussed in our interdepartmental zoom meetings. For further questions concerning the Newark Police Department reach out to Sargent Taibu Thomas, thomast@ci.newark.nj.us & edanpd@ci.newark.nj.us.
Once police presence is approved by NPD, documents are to be uploaded in your Eproval application.
PARKING
Parking meters – If you plan to reserve parking meters, a request, along with meter numbers are to be sent to Jenean Shiggs at the Newark Parking Authority for approval. Jenean can be reached by phone 862-339-6870 or by email Jshiggs@newarkparking.org
Residential neighborhoods – If you plan to utilize street parking in a residential neighborhood, a displacement parking lot must be provided by the production company for residents to use. The address of the displacement lot must be stated in the resident letter.
Handicapped parking- Handicapped parking spaces cannot be reserved by a production company.
Permit parking – Parking in a permitted area is left at the discretion of the NOFTV. If approved, a displacement lot provided by the production company for residents to use is required. The address of this lot must be written in the resident letters.
No parking signs – These signs must include the name and phone number of the Location Manager. ‘No Parking’ signs can only be retrieved from the Newark Police Department or the Newark Parking Authority. If you are using meters, the signs are to be requested from NPA, if no meters are involved, the signs are to be retrieved from the Newark Police Department. No Parking signs must be posted at least 5 days in advance. The specific time block of parking space usage must be specified on the ‘No Parking’ signs. Failure to indicate the time block may result in forfeiture of the reserved parking space.
RESIDENT LETTERS
The production company is required to distribute resident notification letters throughout the neighborhoods of the impacted area at least 5 days in advance of the film start date, the sooner the better. Giving the residents and the overall community adequate notice of filming is required according to city ordinance. These notices should not be left in mailboxes but can be left in door ways, placed under doors, in businesses and/or folded on car windshields or handed out to residents in the filming impact zone.
TRASH REMOVAL
All garbage created by the production company must be hauled away at least 12 hours post wrap by a private carting company hired by the production company. The contact information of the carting company is to be listed in detail, within your online permit application.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL ZOOM/IN PERSON MEETING
Once your application is completed and submitted then a zoom meeting will be scheduled between the LM, ALM, and all city departments that are required to be involved in the film permit approval process. For example if fire will be used on the production set, then a permit from the Newark Fire Department is required and their department’s presence is required at the zoom meeting, if a condor or lift will be parked on a city street then an engineering permit is required and a member from that department will attend the zoom meeting. These meetings are best scheduled following your final tech scout. Keep the NOFTV informed on the day and time of your technical scout. Attending this meeting is required in order to be approved for your film permit. The interdepartmental meeting is normally the final meeting before your permit is issued.
Newark Office of Film and Television
