3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 6 cities in Cook County, Illinois.
Verified from official government sources
Forest Preserves of Cook County issue filming permits for productions on FPDCC's 70,000 acres under FPDCC Ordinance Article VI. Suburban Cook municipalities typically run their own film offices; Chicago has its own DCASE Film Office. The county itself has no countywide film office.
Forest Preserves of Cook County offer reduced filming permit fees for verified student film projects from accredited Illinois colleges, including Columbia College Chicago, Northwestern, DePaul, and SAIC. Students still need insurance and a school letter; FPDCC commercial-use rules otherwise apply.
Commercial still photography on Forest Preserve property requires the same FPDCC permit as motion-picture filming. Editorial news photography and personal family or wedding shots are generally exempt unless they involve large crews, props, or amplified sound under FPDCC Ordinance Article VI.
6 cities in Cook County have their own filming & production rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
2 verified rules • Still Photography Permits, Student Filming
3 verified rules • Location Permits, Production Noise
3 verified rules • Location Permits, Production Noise
3 verified rules • Location Permits, Production Noise
3 verified rules • Location Permits, Production Noise
3 verified rules • Location Permits, Production Noise
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