Raleigh, NC Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)

Raleigh and Wake County handle filming through a coordinated permitting process run by the Wake County Film Office under the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, working in partnership with the North Carolina Film Office (part of the NC Department of Commerce). Commercial productions including feature films, TV series, commercials, music videos, and branded content must submit a Film Permit Application at least 10 business days before the first shoot day, listing all locations, crew size, equipment (including drones, which trigger additional FAA Part 107 requirements and city drone rules), special effects, pyrotechnics, stunts, animals, and street use. Standard requirements include a certificate of insurance with at least $1 million general liability naming the City of Raleigh and Wake County as additional insureds, signed location agreements from private property owners, and written notification to affected neighbors for residential-area shoots. Activities affecting public streets or rights-of-way (lane closures, parking holds, intermittent traffic control, sidewalk use) require a Right-of-Way Use Permit from Raleigh's Transportation Services Department with fees based on duration and street class. Productions using Raleigh-owned facilities (City Hall, Moore Square, parks, Memorial Auditorium) need separate facility-use agreements. Off-duty Raleigh Police Officers are required for any traffic control on public streets, paid through the production at published overtime rates. Student film productions, documentary journalism, news coverage, and very small crew (fewer than 5 people, handheld equipment, no traffic impact) shoots are often handled under a no-fee simplified permit or exemption. Wake County enjoys significant film tax incentives through the NC Film and Entertainment Grant program administered by the NC Film Office, which can reimburse 25 percent of qualifying in-state spending above a threshold. The Raleigh region has hosted productions including Sleepy Hollow, Under the Dome, and numerous HGTV series.