Carson, CA Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)
Film location permits in Carson, CA, sometimes called film shoot permits, production permits, or filming authorizations, cover commercial photography, video shoots, and motion picture production.
Key Facts
- Still photo fee
- $100 flat
- Filming fee
- $650/wk + $500 each add'l wk
- Fee waived for
- Charitable/student productions
- Permit process
- Same track as filming
Summary
Carson treats commercial still photography as its own permit category, charging a flat $100 fee separate from the $650-per-week film rate, under the City's filming ordinance at CMC § 63127.5.
The permit fee is $650.00 per week and $500.00 each additional week thereafter, per production, for "filming," as defined in CMC § 63127.6, and $100.00 for "still photographic production," as defined in CMC § 63127.6. However, charitable and student films, as defined in CMC § 63127.6, are exempt from the fee. South Bay Pavilion and the StubHub Center located on property owned and adjacent to California State University, Dominguez Hills, shall not be required to obtain a film permit, still photography permit or business licenses for film and still photo productions occurring and contained within their premises. The StubHub Center and South Bay Pavilion will, however, be responsible for paying a fee for all film and still photo productions occurring on their property at a rate of $650.00 per week and $500.00 each additional week, per production, for "filming," as defined in CMC § 63127.6, and $100.00 for "still photographic production," as defined in CMC § 63127.6. However, "charitable and student films," as defined in CMC § 63127.6, are exempt from the fee. (Ord. 15-1554 § 1; Ord. 06-1354 § 1; Ord. 12-1490 § 1)
Full Breakdown
CMC § 63127.6(g) defines "still photographic production" as all activity attendant to staging or shooting commercial still photography, distinct from motion "filming." § 63127.5 sets its permit fee at a flat $100, versus $650 for the first week of filming and $500 for each additional week, and waives the fee entirely for charitable or student stills. Still-photo shoots are not a separate permit process, though: § 63127.7's permit-required rule covers "commercial films and/or commercial still photographs" together, so a still shoot goes through the same Director-run application, notification and insurance requirements as a film shoot.
Violations & Fines
Shooting commercial stills on public or private property without a Director-issued permit violates § 63127.7; the Director can deny an incomplete application or revoke a permit found to rest on false information under § 63127.15.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is still photography cheaper to permit than filming in Carson?
Does a photo shoot need the same permit as a film shoot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carson
California rules heatmap·Compare Carson to another location·View the California filming & production overview
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Location Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle location permits.