Newport Beach, CA Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)

46 governs commercial film production citywide. 010 bars using residentially zoned property, public property or a public facility for staging, shooting, making, capturing, taking or recording images for a commercial or business purpose without first obtaining a permit from the City Manager or Film Liaison. Applicants must file at least 14 days before the shoot date on a City form, though the City Manager or Film Liaison can waive that lead time. The application must disclose who is conducting and supervising the activity, the dates, hours and locations, the approximate crew size, a list of major equipment such as trucks, buses, limousines and cameras, and a general description of the activity.

Each application (other than a student film) carries a Council-set fee, and permittees pay a daily permit fee, though an approved permit substitutes for a business license unless the permittee keeps a permanent office in the City. Before approving a permit, the City Manager or Film Liaison must find the activity will not unduly interfere with traffic or pedestrian movement, endanger residents' peaceable enjoyment of their property, disrupt normal City operations, create a fire hazard, or require diverting so many officers that other areas lose police protection.

Standard conditions require the permittee to indemnify the City, comply with all governmental regulations, refrain from transferring the permit, and post a deposit for City costs, reimbursing any overage within 10 days. The City Manager or Film Liaison must act within 10 days of filing and mail a written decision, stating reasons if disapproved.