Brentwood's Filming & Production: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles filming & production a little differently. In Brentwood, California, there are 3 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Street Closures

Brentwood has no permit written specifically for film shoots, but a production that needs a public street closed goes through the same encroachment permit process as any other temporary use, and its own code lists filming alongside parades and concerts as a purpose covered by that permit.

Key details: Dedicated film ordinance: None exists. Governing mechanism: Encroachment permit, Chapter 12.08. Street closure authority: City Engineer, Section 12.08.300. Council referral: Discretionary, at engineer's option. Filming named as covered use: Section 5.64.020.

Closing or using a public street for filming without an approved encroachment permit is treated the same as any unpermitted encroachment: enforceable under Section 12.08.330, with the city engineer authorized under Section 12.08.340 to order an immediate stoppage for a public safety issue and to require the production to restore the street to its prior condition at its own expense.

Location Permits

Filming a commercial, movie, or video at a specific Brentwood site requires a temporary use permit under Municipal Code Section 17.850.007(D), reviewed administratively by the community development director. The permit can run for up to twelve months, and the underlying temporary use permit requirement in Section 17.850.004 makes filming without one unlawful.

Key details: Governing section: BMC § 17.850.007(D). Permit type: Temporary use permit. Reviewing official: Community development director. Max duration: Up to 12 months. Required: Insurance certificate and performance bond.

Filming at a location within Brentwood without an approved temporary use permit violates Section 17.850.004, which bars any temporary use from being conducted, established, or operated without one. The community development director can revoke or modify an issued filming permit under Section 17.850.011 for noncompliance with its conditions or for misrepresentation used to obtain it, and the site must be restored and cleared of debris once filming ends under Section 17.850.010(D).

Production Noise

Noise from a Brentwood filming location, like any other temporary use, is a regulated nuisance factor under Municipal Code Section 17.850.009(E), and Section 17.850.008(G) subjects amplified sound at qualifying temporary uses to the city's Chapter 9.32 noise ordinance. The community development director can set operating hours and limits as a permit condition.

Key details: Governing section: BMC § 17.850.009(E). Noise cross-reference: Chapter 9.32, per § 17.850.008(G). Who sets hours: Community development director. Shutdown authority: Chief of police, § 17.850.009(I). Enforcement: Permit revocation under § 17.850.011.

A film production that generates noise beyond what the community development director authorized, or that ignores hours-of-operation conditions set under Section 17.850.009, can have its temporary use permit revoked under Section 17.850.011, and the police chief can order the shoot shut down under Section 17.850.009(I) for failing to satisfy permit conditions. Where the minor temporary use permit path under Section 17.850.008(G) applies, amplified sound violations are also enforceable under Chapter 9.32's noise regulations.

The Bottom Line

Brentwood's filming & production rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Brentwood is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Brentwood can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.