Hawaii County, HI Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)

HCC §15-22 sits in Article 2 of the parks chapter, alongside the rules on advertising, nuisances, and vehicle parking that apply throughout county park areas. It requires written permission from the Department of Parks and Recreation's director before any motion picture, television production, or soundtrack can be recorded on county park land, but only when the shoot uses a professional cast, professional settings, or a professional crew; the section expressly excludes bona fide newsreel and news television personnel, so ordinary news-gathering is not a permit trigger.

A commercial production that also involves paid vendors or ticketed access can additionally fall under the separate commercial-activity permit in §15-20(b), and a shoot that alters, removes, or damages any natural or historic feature needs the director's authorization under §15-28. 1-52(d)(4) treats "pyrotechnics for the creation of special effects during filming or motion pictures, television programs, or other commercial video, photography or creative arts production activities" as a form of regulated open burning that needs the Department of Health director's approval on top of any county film permit.