Monroe County, FL Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)

Section 6-111 of the Monroe County Code gives production crews a distinct path into the county's permitting system: a special permit issued at no cost, covering the temporary facilities and improvements that go with motion picture, commercial, and television production work, expressly including sets, stages, tents, and supporting power hookups. The Building Official administers this permit alongside the rest of Chapter 6's construction permitting scheme. Two limits matter for producers scouting Key Largo, the Lower Keys, or Stock Island locations. First, the permit requires the site be restored to its original condition once the production wraps, so temporary sets and platforms cannot be left standing.

Second, the special permit is not a substitute for any other permit that the work would otherwise need under Chapter 6 or Part II, the Land Development Code; if the shoot requires grading, land clearing, or a structure that would otherwise need a separate building permit, that permit is still required on top of the production permit. Because Monroe County sits entirely within a state-designated Area of Critical State Concern, productions planning work near shoreline, wetlands, or habitat areas should expect the Planning and Environmental Resources Department to weigh in through the normal Part II review process, since Section 6-111 only reaches the temporary-structure piece of the shoot.

Productions involving temporary structures kept up longer than the shoot itself may also need to look at Section 6-112's six-month temporary structure permit, which is a separate authorization from the no-fee production permit.