Clark County, NV Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)
Film location permits in Clark County, NV, sometimes called film shoot permits, production permits, or filming authorizations, cover commercial photography, video shoots, and motion picture production.
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Clark County Code Ch. 6.20
- Permit trigger
- affects public safety or traffic
- Permit fee
- none, only processing fee
- Advance filing
- 10 calendar days before shoot
- Liability insurance
- $100,000-$1,000,000 required
Summary
Still photography counts as "filming" under Clark County's motion-picture ordinance, so a permit is required whenever a shoot on public, private, or state property could affect public safety or traffic in the unincorporated county, including the Strip.
A film permit shall be obtained for filming on public property, on private property or on state property when such filming impacts public safety, vehicular or pedestrian traffic, or when filming has the potential to impact public property or when filming includes unmanned aerial vehicles commonly referred to as drones, pyrotechnics, flame, special effects or laser. Use of drones, pyrotechnics, flame, special effects, lasers, etc., must comply with CCC 30.48.140. No permit fee shall be charged; however, the applicant shall be required to pay a processing fee as set forth in Section 6.08.030. Permits shall be valid for a thirty-day period unless otherwise extended by the film administrator. Issuance of a film permit only authorizes lawful activities by those so permitted. The application for a film permit shall be submitted to the department on forms provided by the director at ten calendar days in advance of filming.
(Ord. 1774 § 5, 1996)
(Ord. No. 5041, § 6, 5-16-2023)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 147).
Full Breakdown
Clark County Code Chapter 6.20 defines "filming" to include still photographs, so a professional photo shoot is treated the same as a movie or TV production. A permit from the county film administrator is required whenever the shoot is on public property, or on private or state property in a way that impacts public safety, traffic, or uses drones, pyrotechnics, flame, special effects, or lasers. Applications go to the Department of Business License at least ten calendar days ahead; no permit fee is charged, only a processing fee, and a $100,000-$1,000,000 liability policy naming the county and LVMPD is required. This chapter covers the unincorporated Strip townships of Paradise and Winchester.
Violations & Fines
Violating the film permit chapter is a misdemeanor under the county's general penalty clause: a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clark County require a permit for still photography shoots?
Is there a fee for a Clark County film permit?
Are news photographers exempt?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clark County
Compare Clark County to another location·View the Nevada filming & production overview
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