Kern County, CA Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)
Film location permits in Kern County, CA, sometimes called film shoot permits, production permits, or filming authorizations, cover commercial photography, video shoots, and motion picture production.
Key Facts
- Permitting authority
- Division of Countywide Communications
- Governing section
- Kern County Code § 2.47.030(H)
- Scope
- All unincorporated county limits
- Park filming fee
- Separate daily fee, § 13.04.050
- Administered by
- Chief communications officer
Summary
Kern County's Division of Countywide Communications, through its Film Commission, holds sole authority to issue location film permits for any production company or individual recording within county limits. The rule reaches commercial movie, video, and still photography work anywhere in unincorporated Kern County, not just county parks.
The functions and responsibilities of the division shall include, but not be limited to, the following: ... H.Act as the sole authority to accept and grant film permits in the county for production companies and individuals who wish to record within the county limits; and
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 59 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
47 and administered by a chief communications officer who reports to the chief administrative officer. In practice, the Kern County Film Commission (part of that division) processes commercial filming applications, and the county's published rates and fees page shows most location permits issued at no charge when the production carries valid liability insurance, a separate requirement layered on top of the code's designation of authority. 050, which lets the director of parks and recreation charge a daily fee, set by uncodified ordinance, for motion picture and still photography filming for commercial purposes on park facilities.
That means a location shoot spanning both a public roadway and a county park can trigger two separate approval layers: the Countywide Communications film permit for the county generally, and the parks department's photography fee if park property is used. County code violations tied to unpermitted commercial recording on county property are enforced the same way as other unauthorized commercial uses of county land, through the county counsel's office and the department whose property was used without authorization.
Violations & Fines
Recording commercial motion picture, video, or still photography content within unincorporated Kern County without the countywide communications division's film permit exposes a production to denial of future permits and potential civil liability for unauthorized commercial use of county property. Filming inside a county park without also paying the separate photography fee under Section 13.04.050 can result in removal from the property and forfeiture of any deposit tied to the shoot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues film permits in unincorporated Kern County?
Do I need a separate permit to film in a county park?
Is there a fee for a general Kern County location filming permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kern County
California rules heatmap·Compare Kern County to another location·View the California filming & production overview
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