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Josephine County, OR Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Film location permits in Josephine County, OR, sometimes called film shoot permits, production permits, or filming authorizations, cover commercial photography, video shoots, and motion picture production.

Key Facts

Outright use threshold: 45 days or less, no permit
Beyond 45 days: Conditional use, § 19.64.040(L)
Review type (over 45 days): Quasi-judicial, Chapter 19.45 JCC
State authority cited: ORS 215.306
Zones: Exclusive Farm (EF) and Farm Resource (FR)

Summary

In the Exclusive Farm and Farm Resource zones outside the Grants Pass and Cave Junction urban growth boundaries, on-site filming and its accessory activities need no permit at all for 45 days or less under § 19.64.020(C), but once filming runs longer than 45 days it becomes a conditional use under § 19.64.040(L), requiring quasi-judicial review.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Josephine County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

C. Filming. On-site filming and activities accessory to on-site filming for 45 days or less as provided for in ORS 215.306. ... L. Filming. ... On-site filming and activities accessory to on-site filming that exceed 45 days, as provided for in ORS 215.306.

View official code

Full Breakdown

306 as the authorizing statute. 41 JCC, except for film sets authorized under subsection (C), which are exempt from that structure-permit step. 306. 095. The 45-day line is the only variable between the two provisions; the underlying activity description is identical.

Violations & Fines

Filming operations that run longer than 45 days without obtaining the conditional-use approval § 19.64.040(L) and Chapter 19.45 JCC require are operating outside the outright-use exemption in § 19.64.020(C) and are subject to enforcement as an unpermitted use. Even a short shoot that erects permanent structures beyond a temporary film set must still meet the applicable development standards of § 19.64.095 and secure a development permit under Chapter 19.41 JCC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to film on farm-zoned land in Josephine County for a few days?

No. § 19.64.020(C) allows on-site filming and its accessory activities for 45 days or less as an outright use in the Exclusive Farm and Farm Resource zones, meaning no permit or authorization is required to conduct the filming itself.

What happens if my shoot runs past 45 days?

§ 19.64.040(L) reclassifies filming and its accessory activities that exceed 45 days as a conditional use, which means quasi-judicial review under Chapter 19.45 JCC and site plan review under Chapter 19.42 JCC, plus a development permit under Chapter 19.41 JCC before the extended shoot can proceed.

Can I build permanent structures for the film set without a permit?

The 45-day outright-use exemption in § 19.64.020 covers the filming activity itself, and the section's own text carves film sets out of the usual structure-permit requirement imposed on other outright uses; anything beyond a temporary set still needs to meet § 19.64.095's development standards.

Sources & Official References

[1]Josephine County Code §§ 19.64.020(C), 19.64.040(L)

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All Josephine County rules

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