Murrieta, CA Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)
Film location permits in Murrieta, CA, sometimes called film shoot permits, production permits, or filming authorizations, cover commercial photography, video shoots, and motion picture production.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Murrieta Code of Ordinances § 16.70.060(K)
- Permitting authority
- City Manager, under the Temporary Use Permit program
- Insurance required
- Certificate naming City of Murrieta as additional insured
- Right-of-way filming
- Needs separate Engineering Dept. encroachment permit
- Exempt filming
- News gathering and private family use
- Appeal path
- Chapter 16.78 of the Development Code
- Infraction fines
- $100 first, $200 second, $500 subsequent (§1.32.010)
Summary
Murrieta regulates on-location commercial filming as a temporary use permit under Development Code Section 16.70.060(K). Motion picture, television, commercial and still-photography shoots on public or private property, other than street rights-of-way, require City Manager authorization and a certificate of insurance naming the City of Murrieta as an additional insured. News gathering and private family filming are exempt from the permit.
K. Commercial Filming. Temporary commercial motion picture production, television production (including commercials), still photography and related activities on public or private property (excluding public roads rights-of-way), for occasional commercial filming on location, subject to the following: 1. All commercial filming activities shall be conducted under the auspices of the City Manager. A certificate of Insurance indemnifying the City of Murrieta as an additional insured shall be provided. 2. Prohibited activities: a. Any filming activity that creates a substantial risk of injury to persons, damage to property or a significant degradation of the environment or that is contrary to the public health, safety or welfare, including but not limited to, disruption of emergency access to surrounding properties.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-23: A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Murrieta, California through Ord. 634-26, passed 7-7-2026).
Full Breakdown
70. Productions must operate under the auspices of the City Manager and carry a certificate of insurance naming the City of Murrieta as an additional insured before shooting begins. The code bars any filming activity that creates a substantial risk of injury, property damage or significant environmental degradation, or that disrupts emergency access to surrounding properties, and it separately bars filming that violates other city codes, expressly naming the Grading and Noise Ordinances. If filming becomes the principal use of a property or structure rather than an occasional activity, the operation is no longer treated as temporary and must instead comply with the full Development Code, including the applicable zoning district's use table.
060(K) authorization. News crews filming current events and anyone shooting motion pictures or video solely for private family use fall outside the permit requirement entirely. 040: an applicant submits a planning application with the required fee, a plot plan and a letter of consent from the property owner, and the director issues a written decision stating any conditions of approval or reasons for denial. 78 of the Development Code. 060, such as limits on operating hours, parking provisions or a performance bond to guarantee cleanup and restoration once filming wraps.
Violations & Fines
Murrieta enforces temporary use permit violations, including unpermitted or noncompliant commercial filming, under the Municipal Code's general penalty chapter, Section 1.32.010. A first infraction carries a fine up to $100, a second violation of the same provision within a year up to $200, and each further violation within that year up to $500; the city may instead prosecute repeat or serious violations as misdemeanors. The Planning Director can also condition, suspend or deny future temporary use permits for a production that violates its approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a city permit to film a commercial or TV production in Murrieta?
Is filming on a public street or sidewalk covered by this permit?
Does news coverage need a filming permit in Murrieta?
What happens if a production violates its filming permit conditions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Murrieta
California rules heatmap·Compare Murrieta to another location·View the California filming & production overview
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Location Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle location permits.