Any individual or company hiring a minor (a person under 18 years of age) for stage or production work, including rehearsals, must first obtain New Jersey Child Labor Permits. Please note, that a production can only acquire a Child Labor Permit after that minor has been hired. There is no charge for these permits. Child labor permits or working papers from other states are NOT valid for work in New Jersey. Production representatives new to the process are strongly advised to contact The New Jersey Motion Picture Commission at 973-648-6279 and speak with a staff member before filling out paperwork.

There are two types of permits:

1. Emergent Permit – Short term permit utilized for film or theatrical productions working with a minor for 1-2 days maximum. Please note that you may use this permit for more than 2 shoot days if no individual minor works more than 2 days on the production. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development requires two (2) business days advance notification prior to filming, or the performance of a theatrical production, to guarantee that requisite child labor permits will be issued. For assistance with these permits contact Charles Ricciardi at the New Jersey Motion Picture & TV Commission (charles.ricciardi@njeda.gov / 609-404-8984).

   Directions for Obtaining Emergent Theatrical Permits For Minors

   NJ Theatrical Production Application (Required form for Emergent Permit)

2. Formal Permit – Long term permit utilized for film or theatrical productions working with a minor for 3 or more days (up to 3 months). Please note that this process is now entirely online. Applications can be accessed and submitted at MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov.  For assistance with these permits, contact Charles Ricciardi at the New Jersey Motion Picture & TV Commission (charles.ricciardi@njeda.gov / 609-404-8984).

   Directions for Obtaining Formal Permits for Minors

Some Quick Facts:

Maximum Hours per day/week: Minors between the ages of 16 and 18 can work as long as 8 hours daily, 40 hours weekly, 6 days a week. Minors under 16 are permitted to be on set for a maximum of 8 hours daily and working for a maximum of 5 hours daily, 24 hours weekly, 6 days a week. If a minor attends school and works on a production, the combined hours of school and work must not exceed 8 hours daily. The minor’s travel time to and from set is not factored into their on-set time or work time. In the case of theatrical productions, where the performances are separable into discrete shows, the proposed employment of minor will not exceed two shows in a day or a total of eight shows in any given week.

When can a minor work? Unless a special waiver is granted by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, minors under 16 are prohibited from working before 7 a.m. or after 11:30 p.m., while minors between the ages of 16 and 18 are prohibited from working before 6 a.m. or after 11:30 p.m. The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development does not have the authority to alter or amend the total hours in the day during which a minor may work. Contact the Motion Picture and Television Commission for more information about obtaining a waiver of hours when night filming is required.

Minors under 16 must be accompanied at all times by an adult who is a parent, or an officially appointed guardian. For minors under 8 years of age, a signed physical examination or note from the doctor must be presented. These documents must contain a doctor’s signature, be no more than a year old, and certify that the minor is in good health and will not likely be endangered by the working conditions of the prospective employment. There is no minimum age requirement for children working on theatrical productions, however the use of infants and toddlers should be further governed by an abundance of caution, common sense, and good judgment.

There are very important rules and regulations that must be adhered to when incorporating drone photography. Drones are permitted in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to FAA regulations and flight restrictions put into place by local governments. Drone operators are required to be FAA Certified and follow standard federal guidelines. Maintaining proper distance from no-fly-zone locations, such as airports, and avoiding highly populated areas are just two of the safety precautions that must be adhered to. Drone operators must obtain permission from the controlling entities in the areas where drone photography will be taking place: including but not limited to local municipalities, parks departments, and the Department of Transportation. In some cases, the State Police, must be formally notified.

General information about usage of drones can be found at:
https://www.faa.gov/uas

For specific information and guidance on the use of drones in New Jersey, contact the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission

Special effects sequences, depending on their nature and scope, may require specific permits and/or permissions from the state, its counties, or municipalities.

Effects using explosives must be performed by an effects coordinator who is LICENSED TO USE EXPLOSIVES IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. Advanced inspection of a given site by the local utility companies may also be necessary in some cases.

Pyrotechnical effects must be performed in cooperation with local fire department officials, who may inspect designated location sites and materials to be used. In certain instances, permission from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection must also be granted.

Your first contact when using and storing devices and materials related to explosives and squibs is:

Inspector Dave Melegari 
Department of Labor & Workforce Development 
1 John Fitch Plaza, 3rd Floor 
P.O. Box 386 
Trenton, NJ 08625 
609-203-2084 

Inspector Samantha Lewis 
Department of Labor & Workforce Development 
1 John Fitch Plaza, 3rd Floor
P.O. Box 386 
Trenton, NJ 08625 
908-334-4905 

Once the Municipalities are informed and approve, the Division of Fire Safety gives final approval.  

EXPLOSIVE PERMIT APPLICATION:

https://www.nj.gov/labor/safetyandhealth/programs-services/public-safety-compliance/index.shtml#explosivesforms 

For Environmental Impact/Safety Review: 

Joe Corleto 
Department of Environmental Protection 
Office of Permit Coordination and Environmental Review 
609-292-9451

Although working automatic and semi-automatic weapons are illegal in New Jersey, provisions have been made for the use of theatrical firearms of every variety. Written authorization must be obtained from the New Jersey State Police in order to use or transport such theatrical firearms in state. Out-of-state permits are not valid.  In addition, specific information about the firearms and the parties responsible for them must be provided to both the New Jersey State Police and to the local police in the jurisdiction where said weapons are to be used.

Please send all firearm requests via email to: firearmsinvestunit@njsp.org

The Firearms Investigation Unit of the New Jersey State Police can be contacted at 609-882-2000 Ext. 2060, 2061, 2063, 2064 or 6617.

Consult the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission for further information.

SAFETY BULLETINS:

• SAFETY BULLETIN #1 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SAFETY WITH FIREARMS AND USE OF "BLANK AMMUNITION"
• SAFETY BULLETIN #2 SPECIAL USE OF "LIVE AMMUNITION" THIS BULLETIN SHALL ONLY BE ISSUED IF "LIVE AMMUNITION" WILL BE UTILIZED

In order for a production company to work in New Jersey and apply for the Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program, the production company must register to do business in the state and obtain a New Jersey tax ID number. This process applies to legal entities only [Corporations, Nonprofit Corporations, Limited Liability Company (LLC), Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP), Etc.]. The link below will give you detailed steps to guide you, as well as a link to help you check on the current registration status of an existing business.

Download - REGISTERING TO DO BUSINESS IN NEW JERSEY

A production company filming in New Jersey and applying for the New Jersey Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program must utilize vendors registered to do business in the state. Purchases, rentals and services MUST be obtained from NJ registered vendors in order for associated expenses to qualify for tax credits.

To determine the business registration status:

1. Goto: https://www.njportal.com/DOR/BusinessNameSearch/Search/BusinessName
2. Enter the BUSINESS NAME and click SEARCH
3. Obtain the BUSINESS ENTITY I.D. #
4. Go to: https://www1.state.nj.us/TYTR_BRC/jsp/BRCLoginJsp.jsp

Enter the first four letters of the business NAME and the BUSINESS ENTITY I.D.# in the appropriate fields, and click SEARCH

The current Sales Tax rate is 6.625% and the specially designated Urban Enterprise Zones rate is one half the Sales Tax rate. Certain items are exempt from sales tax, such as food, clothing, drugs, and manufacturing/processing machinery and equipment. A resale exemption also exists. Click here to learn more about the UEZ Program.

Hotel Room Occupancy Tax is 5%, but occupancies of 90 or more consecutive days are exempt.

Information about our state’s Sales Tax Exemption for Filmmakers can be found here.

The Workman's Compensation rate in New Jersey is currently 74 cents per 100 dollars of payroll. For more information, contact the Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau at 201-622-6014.

For more specific information about New Jersey Tax Laws, contact the New Jersey Division of Taxation at 609-292-5995.

IMPORTANT: Please note that all production companies and associated vendors working in the State of New Jersey must register with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) for tax purposes.

Information about this is available at:
https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/film.shtml

If you need further information or have any questions, contact:

Luis Mayen
Division of Taxation
973-648-7182 (office)
609-306-2115 (cell)

Most of New Jersey falls under the jurisdiction of the unions and guilds based in New York City. They are as follows:

Productions seeking to recap or disconnect service for streetlights must first fill out an application. More information about this process can be found on the PSE&G website at this location:

https://nj.pseg.com/businessandcontractorservices/constructionandrenovationservices/upgradesandnewinstallationsnew#MovieInfo

Most New Jersey counties, cities, towns, state parks, county parks, national parks, historic sites, highways, railroad and airport terminals, and military posts have their own unique regulations pertaining to production.  New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission staff members are well versed in these matters and should be consulted before specific communities are approached.

As a rule, filmmakers working in New Jersey are required to carry general liability insurance in the amount of $1 million ($2 million in the City of Newark). Additional insurance may be required of crews using pyrotechnic effects or performing stunts.  Property owners must be relieved of all liability in connection with production work taking place on their respective locations. Typically, production companies are asked to present certificates of insurance naming property owners as "additional insured."