Carlsbad, CA Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)
Film location permits in Carlsbad, CA, sometimes called film shoot permits, production permits, or filming authorizations, cover commercial photography, video shoots, and motion picture production.
Key Facts
- Private property rate
- $30 first day, $10/day after
- Public property rate
- $100 first day, $50/day after
- Adopted
- Ordinance 6040, 1967; amended NS-68, 1989
- Governing code
- Carlsbad Municipal Code § 5.08.100
- Chapter
- 5.08 License Taxes, Title 5
Summary
Anyone shooting motion pictures for commercial purposes in Carlsbad pays a license tax under Municipal Code § 5.08.100: $30 for the first day and $10 per day after that on private property, or $100 for the first day and $50 per day after that when the production uses public property. The tax is separate from any location agreement or property access needed for the shoot.
The license tax for the taking of motion pictures, shots or scenes for commercial purposes, or for commercial use, or in connection with the production for commercial purposes of any motion picture play or production is $30.00 for the first day and $10.00 per day thereafter, when private property exclusively is used, and $100.00 for the first day and $50.00 for each day thereafter when public property is used.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5007221; v20 updated 2026-06-16).
Full Breakdown
00 for each day after. The section was adopted by Ordinance 6040 in 1967 and last amended by Ordinance NS-68 in 1989. 030 makes it unlawful to conduct the taxed activity, filming for commercial purposes, without first obtaining a license, with each day of unlicensed filming a separate violation. 100 tax, since the license tax section itself only sets the fee schedule and does not by itself grant location access rights.
Violations & Fines
Filming for commercial purposes in Carlsbad without first paying the § 5.08.100 license tax is unlawful under § 5.04.030's general licensing-violation provision, and each day of unlicensed commercial filming is treated as a separate violation. Producers who file false statements to obtain the film license are separately guilty of a violation under the same section.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Carlsbad's film permit tax?
Does the license tax cover filming on Carlsbad's public land, like beaches or parks?
Is Carlsbad's filming tax a substitute for a business license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carlsbad
California rules heatmap·Compare Carlsbad to another location·View the California filming & production overview
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Location Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Diego County handle location permits.