Pasadena, CA Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)
Film location permits in Pasadena, CA, sometimes called film shoot permits, production permits, or filming authorizations, cover commercial photography, video shoots, and motion picture production.
Key Facts
- Short-term cap
- 6 days/quarter, 24 days/year, residential
- Short-term cap, other zones
- 15 days per quarter
- Long-term review authority
- Hearing Officer, Filming CUP
- Long-term hearing notice
- 300 feet, 14 days ahead
- Filming CUP max term
- 90 days, extendable
Summary
Filming anywhere in Pasadena requires a Filming Permit issued through the Film Liaison. Short-term shoots get an administrative permit capped by days per quarter; anything longer needs a Filming Conditional Use Permit from the Hearing Officer.
a.Short-term Filming Permits. A Short-term Filming Permit may be approved by the Film Liaison for commercial motion picture filming, professional photographing, and videotaping at the same location for:(1)Six or fewer days per quarter of a calendar year, and up to 24 days of a calendar year, in residential, open space, public, and semi-public zoning districts; or(2)15 or fewer days per quarter of a calendar year in all other zoning districts.b.Long-term Filming Permits. A Filming Conditional Use Permit may be approved by the Hearing Officer allowing Long-term Filming Permits for commercial motion picture filming, professional photographing, and videotaping at the same location for:(1)More than six days per quarter of a calendar year in residential, public, and semi-public zoning districts; or(2)More than 15 days per quarter of a calendar year in all other zoning districts.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
090 sets up the city's location permit system for motion picture, photography, and videotaping activity. Under subsection B, filming cannot be conducted, established, or operated anywhere in the city without a valid Filming Permit, though subsection C exempts personal-use filming and news gathering, investigative reporting, and public or municipal access station work. a: those cover the same location for six or fewer days per quarter (up to 24 days a year) in residential, open space, public, and semi-public zones, or 15 or fewer days per quarter everywhere else, and no public hearing is required for the Film Liaison's decision.
76, with mailed and posted notice within 300 feet of the filming location at least 14 days before the hearing date. 3, and the Film Liaison can extend it once without a new hearing, with the Hearing Officer able to grant a further 90-day extension only after a new noticed public hearing and the same findings required for the original approval.
Violations & Fines
Operating a filming location without a valid Filming Permit violates Section 17.61.090.B. The Film Liaison can revoke a Filming Conditional Use Permit immediately for violating its terms under subsection I.2, and permits are also barred from sites with outstanding uncorrected Zoning Code or Fire Code violations under subsection G.2.c.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues filming permits in Pasadena?
How many days can a short-term filming permit cover?
Is a filming permit required for a student project or news crew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
California rules heatmap·Compare Pasadena to another location·View the California filming & production overview
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Location Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle location permits.