Orlando, FL Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)
Film location permits in Orlando, FL, sometimes called film shoot permits, production permits, or filming authorizations, cover commercial photography, video shoots, and motion picture production.
Key Facts
- Permitting authority
- Film Commissioner (Mid-Florida Industrial Development Commission)
- Application window
- 5 to 180 days before filming begins
- Required disclosure
- All production location(s), §3.06(2)(a)
- General liability insurance
- $1,000,000 minimum, City as additional insured
- Governing section
- Orlando City Code §3.06
- Penalty for filming without a permit
- Up to $500 fine, 60 days jail (§1.08)
Summary
Anyone shooting a commercial motion picture, TV, video or film production in Orlando must get a production permit from the City's Film Commissioner before starting. The application must list every filming location plus duration, insurance and equipment, filed under oath five to 180 days before production begins under City Code Chapter 3.
(1)Any person seeking the issuance of a production permit shall file an application with, and on forms provided by, the Film Commissioner. Said application shall be filed not more than one hundred eighty (180) days before, and not less than five (5) working days before the commencement of production. The application shall be signed, under oath, by an authorized representative of the applicant.(2)The application shall contain the following information:(a)Location(s) of the production.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 92).
Full Breakdown
Orlando's Motion Photography Production Permit Ordinance (City Code Chapter 3) makes the Director of the Motion Picture and Television Division of the Industrial Development Commission of Mid-Florida the City's Film Commissioner, and puts that office in charge of issuing every production permit. 06(1), anyone seeking a permit must file an application on Film Commissioner forms, signed under oath by an authorized representative, no more than 180 days and no less than five working days before production starts. 06(2) then requires nine categories of information, led by (a) the location(s) of the production, plus duration and type, proof of at least $1,000,000 in general liability insurance naming the City as an additional insured, details of any pyrotechnics or explosives (which trigger a $5,000,000 insurance requirement and a licensed pyrotechnician), planned use of City equipment, a written summary of the portion of the shoot occurring within Orlando, the number of vehicles/equipment/personnel on location, and an agreement to pay for extraordinary City services.
04 states 'no other City permits shall be required' for the production: this is a one-stop permit covering the location itself. 05(1), and the Film Commissioner can suspend an active shoot for breaching the permit's location terms.
Violations & Fines
Starting or advertising a production before the location permit issues violates Section 3.05(1) and is punishable under Section 1.08: a fine up to $500, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. The Film Commissioner may also suspend an active production immediately, first orally, then by written order, and revoke the permit outright for continued non-compliance under Section 3.05(2).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every video shoot in Orlando need a location permit?
How far ahead of shooting must I apply?
What exactly must I tell the City about my filming location?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orlando
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Orlando to another location·View the Florida filming & production overview
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