Joliet, IL Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)

Section 5-46 triggers the permit requirement whenever a film or television production records on, or its work impacts, any public way or public property, expressly including streets, sidewalks, alleys and parks; a shoot confined entirely to private property with no spillover onto the public way falls outside the article. Section 5-47 carves out four categories that do not need a permit regardless of location, news crews, interviews, documentaries and B-roll recording, but only if none of them interferes with vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Section 5-48 sets the insurance floor for anything that does need a permit: a certificate of insurance naming the City of Joliet as an additional insured, with $1,000,000 in general liability coverage and $1,000,000 covering bodily injury, property damage and automobile liability combined.

Section 5-50 adds procedural requirements: applications must be filed at least 30 days before production begins, or an expedited processing fee under the city's fee schedule applies; parking signs and meter covers can only be posted by the police department at the production's expense, and only the City of Joliet can relocate parked vehicles from a permitted zone. Crew parking arrangements must be worked out with the Joliet Police Department in advance. absent prior Joliet Police Department approval, and at least 72 hours' notice must reach residents within a two-block radius, with the notification flier naming the production company, filming times, parking or traffic restrictions, any special effects, and on-site contact information.