Filming & Production in Placer County, CA (2026)
4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Placer County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Location Permits
Anyone filming for commercial purposes on county-owned property, or on a private facility or residence in unincorporated Placer County, must first obtain a film permit from the Placer-Lake Tahoe Film Office under County Code § 5.25.020(A), and must separately secure the property owner's consent.
Placer County Filming Location Permit Requirement
Some RestrictionsPlacer County Code § 5.25.020(A)
A. Permit Required. No person shall use any county owned or controlled or private property, facility or residence in the unincorporated area of the county of Placer for the purpose of taking motion pictures, television, commercials, digital content, or still photography for commercial use, without first applying for and receiving a film permit pursuant to this article.
Production Noise
Filming that would push sound above the county's noise limits in the unincorporated area needs a separate exception under County Code § 9.36.080, and the film permit application itself, § 5.25.030(B)(10), makes the production disclose upfront whether that noise exception will be needed.
Placer County Filming Production Noise Exceptions
Some RestrictionsPlacer County Code § 9.36.080(C); cross-referenced at § 5.25.030(B)(10)
C. If the applicant can show to the county that the characteristics of a special event indicate that immediate compliance with the requirements of this article would be impractical due to the type of event or unreasonable due to its temporary nature or short duration, a permit or administrative approval allowing an exception from the provisions of this article may be issued by the planning dire...
Street Closures
A production planning to close a street for filming in unincorporated Placer County can be required to survey affected residents and businesses, and must comply with the county's traffic control rules under County Code § 5.25.030(E)(6) and (E)(10), typically coordinated through the California Highway Patrol.
Placer County Filming Street Closure Requirements
Some RestrictionsPlacer County Code § 5.25.030(E)(6), (E)(10)
6. Surveys. Where the filming includes extraordinary activities such as a street closure, involves pyrotechnics, excessive noise, low flying aircraft, requests to film beyond the standard hours, or requests to film for extended periods of time, the applicant may be required to survey affected residents and/or businesses within a 200 foot radius and the results of that survey used to identify ad...
Student Filming
Placer County's filming ordinance folds student films into its general definition of regulated production, so a student project shooting on county property, a private business, or a residence in the unincorporated area needs the same commercial film permit as a studio production, unless one of three narrow exemptions applies.
Placer County Student Film Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsPlacer County Code § 5.25.010
"Film, motion picture, television, still photography" shall mean and include all activity attendant to staging or shooting commercial motion pictures, television shows or programs, commercials, digital media, and student films produced to satisfy a school course requirement at an educational institution in any medium including film, tape or digital format.
Filming & Production by City in Placer County
1 cities in Placer County have their own filming & production rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Placer County ordinances
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