[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the City of Hoboken 7-5-1989 by Ord. No. P-59. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Obstruction of streets and sidewalks — See Ch. 168, Art. I.
[Amended 12-2-1998 by Ord. No. R-358; 4-22-2026 by Ord. No. J-23]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
FILMING
The taking of still or motion picture either on film or videotape or similar recording medium, for commercial or educational purposes intended for viewing on television, in theaters or for institutional uses. The provisions of this chapter shall not be deemed to include the filming of news stories within the City of Hoboken.
LOCAL FILM COMMISSION
The body responsible for implementing the provisions of this chapter, including reviewing and approving all applications for filming within the City of Hoboken. The Local Film Commission ("the Commission") shall be comprised of three members as follows: the Director of the Department of Administration or his/her designee, the Director of the Department of Public Safety or his/her designee and the Head of the Division of Cultural Affairs or his/her designee.
PUBLIC LANDS
Any and every public street, highway, sidewalk, square, public park or playground or any other public place which is within the jurisdiction and control of the City of Hoboken. Incidental use of a public street or sidewalk which is of minimal impact and does not result in a closing of same to public use shall not be considered filming on "public land."
[Amended 12-2-1998 by Ord. No. R-358; 4-22-2026 by Ord. No. J-23]
A. 
No person or organization shall film or permit filming on public property within the City of Hoboken without first having completed an application and obtained a permit from the Commission, which will be issued through the Department of Cultural Affairs located at City Hall in Hoboken. The permit shall, whenever possible, set forth the approved location of such filming and the approved duration of such filming by specific reference to day or dates. Said permit must be readily available for inspection by City officials at all times at the site of the filming.
B. 
All permits shall be applied for at and obtained from the office of the City Clerk during normal business hours. Applications for such permits shall be accompanied by a permit fee in the amount established by this chapter.
C. 
If a permit is issued and, due to the inclement weather or other good cause, filming does not in fact take place on the dates specified, the Commission may, at the request of the applicant, issue a new permit for filming on other dates subject to full compliance with all other provisions of this chapter. No additional fee shall be paid for this permit. Applicants must make their request 24 hours in advance of the shoot. The applicant will be required to remove all temporary No Parking signs issued for the canceled shoot day.
D. 
Permits shall be issued at the discretion of the Commission. The Commission may deny issuance of a permit for good cause.
[Amended 7-10-2024 by Ord. No. B-685; 4-22-2026 by Ord. No. J-23]
A. 
No permits shall be issued by the Commission unless applied for at least 45 days before the requested shooting date; provided, however, that the Commission may waive the 45-day period, if, in its judgment, the applicant has obtained all related approvals and adjacent property owners or tenants do not need to be notified.
B. 
No permit shall be issued for filming upon public lands, unless the applicant provides the City of Hoboken with satisfactory proof of the following:
(1) 
Proof of insurance coverage as follows:
(a) 
For bodily injury to any one person in the amount of $500,000 and any occurrence in the aggregate amount of $1,000,000.
(b) 
For property damage, each occurrence, in the aggregate amount of $300,000.
(2) 
An agreement in writing whereby the applicant agrees to indemnify and save harmless the City of Hoboken from any and all liability, expense, claim or damages resulting from the use of public lands.
(3) 
The hiring of an off-duty City of Hoboken police officer for the times indicated on the permit, when deemed necessary by the Commission.
C. 
The holder of the permit shall take all reasonable steps to minimize interference with the free passage of pedestrians and traffic over public lands and shall comply with all lawful directives issued by the Hoboken Police Department with respect thereto.
D. 
The holder of a permit shall conduct filming in such a manner so as to minimize the inconvenience or discomfort to adjoining property owners attributable to such filming and shall, to the extent practicable, abate noise and park vehicles associated with such filming off the public streets. The holder shall avoid any interference with previously scheduled activities upon public lands and limit to the extent possible any interference with normal activity on such public lands. The permittee must ensure safe pedestrian passage through and around the location at all times. When cameras are not rolling, the permittee must allow pedestrians to walk along any City sidewalk or pedestrian path and must not prevent access to any building. The permittee must not allow crew members to congregate in pedestrian passageways. Where the applicant's production activity, by reason of location or otherwise, will directly involve and/or affect any businesses, merchants or residents, these parties shall be given written notice of the filming at least three days prior to the requested shooting date(s) and informed that objections may be filed with the Commission, which objections will form a part of the applicant's application and be considered in the review of same.
E. 
The holder of the permit must notify affected residents about the filming activity at least three business days before the earliest date and time on the film permit. Notification may be by email, hand-delivered letter, or telephone and must include the following: the name and contact information of the permittee (including the name and office telephone number of the production company and the name and cell number of the location manager, production manager, or other crew member with authority to resolve community inquiries); and the date and start and end times of the film permit (including prep and wrap). The permittee's production vehicles must not enter a residential location prior to 6:00 a.m. The permittee's production vehicles may enter non-residential locations before 6:00 a.m. only if expressly authorized by the film permit. All filming must be completed within 1/2 hour after sunset. Any night shooting must be approved by the Commission. "Night shooting" is defined as all filming occurring in residential neighborhoods 1/2 hour after sunset. In no event, however, shall an applicant be allowed to film in a residential area after 11:00 p.m.
F. 
All parking requests will be subject to review by the Director of Transportation and Parking, with the goal of minimizing parking impacts to the greatest extent practicable. The holder of the permit must not park (a) in a bicycle lane or a bus stop; (b) in front of a fire hydrant, a loading dock, an active theater marquee, or within 15 feet of a sidewalk or roadway dining setup; (c) in or in front of a driveway, except with permission of the applicable party and as noted on the film permit; and (d) a catering truck or honeywagon cannot park in front of a restaurant while it is open. The permittee must not hold on-street parking unless it is authorized by the film permit. When holding parking, the permittee shall ensure that location departments and parking production assistants (P.A.s) are sensitive to neighborhood needs for parking and minimize the use of on-street parking to the extent possible. The permittee must not impede access (including deliveries and short-term parking) to businesses and residential buildings while holding parking. The permittee shall not park a generator truck or a camper with a running generator in front of residential buildings. All campers must be tied-in and powered from one source. The permittee shall turn off vehicle engines as soon as possible and must not violate applicable idling laws which prohibit idling for more than three minutes in any residential district (§ 133-10E). Violations of the idling law will be enforced by Hoboken Police Department, per Motor Vehicle Statute N.J.S.A. 39:3-70.2. If the permittee will be filming at a location for multiple days, the permittee shall find nearby lots to park non-essential vehicles.
G. 
The Commission may refuse to issue a permit whenever it determines, on the basis of objective facts and after a review of the application and a report thereon by the Police Department and/or by other City agencies involved with the proposed filming site, that filming at the location and/or the time set forth in the application would violate any law or ordinance or would unreasonably interfere with the use and enjoyment of adjoining properties, unreasonably impede the free flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic or otherwise endanger the public's health, safety or welfare. Further, the City reserves the right to require one or more on-site patrolmen in situations where the proposed production may impede the proper flow of traffic, the cost of said patrolman to be borne by the applicant as a cost of production. Where existing electrical power lines are to be utilized by the production, an on-site licensed electrician may be similarly required if the production company does not have a licensed electrician on staff.
H. 
Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Commission denying or revoking a permit or a person requesting relief pursuant to Subsection H may appeal to the City Council. A written notice of appeal setting forth the reasons for the appeal shall be filed with the Commission. An appeal from the decision of the Commission shall be filed within 10 days of the Commission's decision. The City Council shall set the matter down for a hearing within 30 days of the day on which the notice of appeal was filed. The decision of the City Council shall be in the form of a resolution. A resolution supporting the decision of the City Council shall be adopted at the first regularly scheduled public meeting of the City Council after the hearing on the appeal unless the applicant agrees in writing to a later date for the decision. If such a resolution is not adopted within the time required, the decision of the Commission shall be deemed to be reversed and a permit shall be issued in conformity with the application or the relief pursuant to Subsection H shall be deemed denied.
I. 
The City Council may authorize a waiver of any of the requirements or limitations of this chapter whenever it determines that strict compliance with such limitations will pose an unreasonable burden upon the applicant and that a permit may be issued without endangering the public's health, safety and welfare.
J. 
Copies of the approved permit will be sent to the Police and Fire Departments before filming takes place and to the New Jersey Film Commission. The applicant shall permit the Fire Prevention Bureau or other City inspectors to inspect the site and the equipment to be used. The applicant shall follow all safety instructions issued by the Fire Prevention Bureau or other City inspectors.
K. 
In addition to any other fees or costs mentioned in this chapter, the applicant shall reimburse the City for any lost revenue, such as parking meter revenue, repairs to public property or other revenues that the City was prevented from earning because of the filming. This may include the payment of fees to the City to cover costs related to sanitation and modifications to infrastructure within the public right-of-way.
L. 
Applicants shall be obligated to pay for temporary "no parking" signs in an increased amount, which shall account for the City providing free parking in a municipal garage to residents who are unable to park on their block due to the film production's use of the parking spots. The fees for temporary "no parking" signs related to a film production shall be as follows:
Time
Cost per Day
4 hours
$45
8 hours
$70
12 hours
$100
24 hours
$150
Permit fees may be amended on an annual basis as of January 1 of each year in accordance with the CPI as reported by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, or up to 3%, whichever is lower. However, under no circumstances shall parking permit fees decrease from the previous year.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 97-3.1, Mayor's Office of Film and Television, added 12-2-1998 by Ord. No. R-358, was repealed 4-22-2026 by Ord. No. J-23.
[Amended 2-6-1991 by Ord. No. P-126; 3-17-2010 by Ord. No. Z-31; 7-10-2024 by Ord. No. B-685; 4-22-2026 by Ord. No. J-23]
The fee for a film permit is $700.
A. 
The permit for filmmaking shall issue for an amount of time as determined appropriate by the Commission after review of the permit application and upon payment of fees as described below. In addition to the license fee, the permittee shall be required to pay a fee of $5 per workday for each commercial vehicle used by the permittee or a flat fee of $250 for each 14 workdays' term.
B. 
Permits shall be issued in the following categories and corresponding fines:
(1) 
Minor Permit: Noncommercial still shoots, web series, and short films, which consist of: 1) four to 15 total cast and crew; 2) two or fewer cameras on tripod, handheld, gimbal or steady cam; 3) no jibs or cranes; 4) no special effects; 5) no dollies, grip stands, lighting or reflectors on stands on any public right-of-way (street, sidewalk, park, etc.); 6) no ITC or street closure; 7) no off-duty officers; 8) permitted parking for three or fewer eighteen-foot production vehicles. Permit fee: $100 nonrefundable application fee payable one time per calendar year and $250 per day.
(2) 
Intermediate Permit: All commercial still and smaller film shoots, web series, indie films, and short films, which consist of: 1) 16 to 25 total cast and crew; 2) total of five eighteen-foot parking spaces permitted; 3) no ITC or street closure; 4) no special effects. Permit fee: $200 nonrefundable applicable fee payable one time per calendar year and $1,100 per day. A pre-production meeting may be required if requested by the City Administration. The City may set such additional permit requirements as may be necessary for the specific production.
(3) 
Major Permit: Major motion pictures, commercials or series, whether for web, streaming, broadcast or theatrical release. Permit fee: $300 nonrefundable application fee payable one time per calendar year and $1,700 per day. A pre-production meeting is required with the City Administration and such other City departments as necessary, wherein additional permit conditions may be determined. If ITC, street closure or off-duty police are needed, parking, ITC, or street closure plan must be submitted at least 15 days prior to shoot day. Setup and wrap days will be charged as shoot days; adjustments will be made if the film footprint is significantly smaller, subject to the sole discretion of the City Administration and relevant City departments.
Any person violating this chapter or rules and regulations contained herein shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $500 or imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days, or both.
If any sentence, section, clause or other portion of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance shall for any reason be adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or repeal the remainder of this chapter.