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--- Document: Boardwalk Entertainer Permit Document ---
CITY OF OCEAN CITY
AMERICA’S GREATEST FAMILY RESORT
861 ASBURY AVENUE, CITY HALL, OCEAN CITY, NJ 08226-3642
609-399-6111 Fax: 609-525-0301
www.ocnj.us
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
Boardwalk Entertainer Program – Overview
The Boardwalk Entertain Program is governed by City ordinance § 18-13 BOARDWALK
ENTERTAINERS and it states, in summary, the following:
1. Permits are required for all performances between May 1st and October 31st shall take place only
within the two designated entertainment zones listed below:
a. Entertainment Zone 1 – 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Streets.
b. Entertainment Zone 2 – 12th, 13th and 14th Streets.
2. An entertainer must fill out the entertainer application form and submit it to the Department of
Community Services. Applications for entertainers under the age of 18 years must be signed by
both the entertainer and the entertainer’s legal guardian.
3. Sound produced by an entertainer (or group of entertainers) shall not be audible 30 feet from the
Boardwalk railing adjacent to which the entertainer(s) is/are performing. No electronic amplifiers
are permitted for performances. An electronic instrument, such as a keyboard, is permitted
provided that the music is not audible thirty (30') feet from the Boardwalk railing adjacent to
which the entertainer is performing.
4. The use of any sharp or dangerous weapons, except sword swallowers, is prohibited.
5. Performances should be appropriate for a general audience and profanity is prohibited. Nudity is
not permitted. Performances involving animals, paints, markers, pencils, charcoal, fire,
drums, balloons or crayons are not permitted.
6. The hat or other receptacle for donation collection must remain stationary. No sign requesting
contributions shall exceed eight inches by eight inches in size.
7. A Boardwalk Entertainer License shall entitle a performer to perform on the Boardwalk on
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The right to perform is subject to other
permitted uses which may take precedence over a street performer license. Examples of other
permitted uses include, but are not limited to, Special Events such as Family Night, Character
Night, Mummers Night and parades. Entertainers are permitted to perform at designated
performance locations on designated days between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
8. No entertainer(s) shall remain at any said location for more than 4 hours per forty-eight-hour
period.
9. The application must be verified before a notary public or other officer authorized to administer
oaths.
10. The fee is $200 per entertainer. A group such as a band shall be required to pay one annual fee.
A group cannot exceed four (4) individuals.
11. If a badge is lost, the Department of Community Services shall issue a replacement badge on
payment by the licensee of a fee of $15.
12. A street entertainer may not set any fee or require any donation for his or her performance; or
suggest any minimum or maximum donation.
Please be advised that this application must be notarized before a permit can be issued. The
form does not need to be notarized in Ocean City, however the City of Ocean City can notarize
this form (complimentary) during normal business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
at City Hall.
CITY OF OCEAN CITY
AMERICA’S GREATEST FAMILY RESORT
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
Boardwalk Entertainer Program
Sign Up and Location Assignment Information
1.
Entertainers must complete the license application on the following page. All sections of this
form must be completed in order for your license to be processed.
2.
Entertainers are required to have their picture taken. The photo will be included on your
Boardwalk Entertainer Permit.
3.
Licenses will be issued at City Hall in Room #214, Monday thru Friday only, from 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. via appointment. No applications will be processed via mail.
Appointments can be made via email at Events@ocnj.us or by calling 609-525-9280.
4.
All entertainers will be loaded into our recreation software system, RecDesk. If you would
like to create your account on RecDesk in advance, you may do so here:
www.ocnj.recdesk.com/Community/Member/Signup
•
NOTE: If you have previously participated/enrolled in any recreation program,
summer camp, or have an Aquatic & Fitness Center membership, you may already
have an active RecDesk account.
5.
2026 daily entertainer performance sign-ups and spot assignments will be coordinated
electronically. There will no longer be in-person sign-ups at any location. The sign-upprocess
is simple. Directions are detailed below:
•
Beginning on Monday, Wednesday and Friday performance days, sign-ups will open
online at 10:00 a.m. on the RecDesk Website. For Saturday performances, the sign-
up window will open at 11:00 a.m. on Fridays and for Sunday performances, the
sign-up window will open at Noon on Fridays.
•
Sign-ups may be accessed at www.ocnj.recdesk.com by clicking on the
“PROGRAMS” tab on the home page and clicking on the “BOARDWALK
ENTERTAINER” option on the Category Filter on the left side of the webpage.
Choose the specific day you would like to sign-up for and click “REGISTER NOW”
on the right side of the webpage.
•
Sign-ups will remain open until all spots are filled. If you are placed on the waitlist,
you are not guaranteed a spot for that night. If you do not get an email for a spot, that
means you will not have one, sign-up is on a first come, first serve basis.
•
Please be aware you are not signing up for a specific location, you are only signing
up to perform on the specified day. The Community Services Department will assign
specific locations in accordance with city ordinance § 18-13 BOARDWALK
ENTERTAINERS. All spot assignment are FINAL. Entertainers are NOT permitted
to switch spots.
•
Spot assignment will be done at 4:30 p.m. on the specified performance date. An
email will be sent from events@ocnj.us to those who have signed up for a
performance spot informing them of the assigned performance location for that
specific night. Entertainers will not be permitted to start performing until 7:00 p.m.
SPECIAL NOTE: The spot assignment process is now entirely online. There will no longer be in-
person sign ups at the Civic Center or Music Pier. The Ocean City Police Department will conduct
nightly spot checks to confirm entertainers are adhering to the rules and regulations set forth by city
ordinance § 18-13 BOARDWALK ENTERTAINERS.
861 ASBURY AVENUE, CITY HALL, OCEAN CITY, NJ 08226-3642
609-399-6111 Fax: 609-525-0301
www.ocnj.us
CITY OF OCEAN CITY
AMERICA’S GREATEST FAMILY RESORT
861 ASBURY AVENUE, CITY HALL, OCEAN CITY, NJ 08226-3642
609-399-6111 Fax: 609-525-0301
www.ocnj.us
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
Applicant(s) Signature
Date
______________________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature (if applicable)
Date
Sworn and subscribed to before me
this_______day of____________,
A.D.,____________.
___________________________
For Internal Use Only:
Date Fee Paid:_______ Cash:_______ Check #:_________ Badge #__________
2026 Boardwalk Entertainer Application
Name:____________________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________________
Cell Phone:________________________________________________________
Email Address:_____________________________________________________
Date of Birth:______________________________________________________
Age_______________
Description of entertainment to be performed:_____________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
If applicant is minor, provide parent/guardian contact information. Performers under the age of
sixteen (16) will need one of the persons listed below to be present during performance.
Name
Address
Phone
Email
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
The Applicant (or Entertainer) hereby agrees to indemnify and save harmless the City from and
for any claims, suits, actions, damages or injury, including death and/or property loss, and any
and all costs, charges and expenses incurred in defending such claims, suits, actions, damages
or injury, but only to the extent that they are found to have been caused by a negligent act, error
or omission of the Applicant (or Entertainer).