Santa Fe, NM Filming & Production: Location Permits (2026)
Film location permits in Santa Fe, NM, sometimes called film shoot permits, production permits, or filming authorizations, cover commercial photography, video shoots, and motion picture production.
Key Facts
- Permit type
- Temporary Use Permit, Chapter 14 SFCC 1987
- Fee
- $125.00 per permit
- Adopted by
- Ordinance No. 2020-23, § 5
- First civil fine
- $100.00 for a first offense
- Repeat civil fine
- Up to $500.00 for a third offense
- Appeal window
- 15 days to request a hearing
Summary
Santa Fe treats location filming as a land-use activity requiring its own Temporary Use Permit. The city's Chapter 14 fee schedule, Table 14-13.1-1, lists the permit at $125.00 per permit and specifically names filming of motion pictures as a covered activity, alongside related temporary-use fees for event structures, noise permits, and itinerant vendors.
14-13.1 - Fees. Fees for permits and other matters associated with Chapter 14 SFCC 1987 are established in Table 14-13.1-1 below: ... Home Occupation $175.00 Application Special Event Permit, Temporary Structures $100.00 Per Permit Temporary Use Permit (including filming of motion pictures) $125.00 Per Permit Noise Permit $25.00 Per Permit Itinerant Vendors $150.00 Per Permit ... (Ord. #2020-23, § 5)
Full Breakdown
Motion-picture and video production on location in Santa Fe falls under the city's Temporary Use Permit, a Chapter 14 land-use approval rather than a standalone film office program. 1-1, adopted by Ordinance No. 00 Special Event Permit fee that applies when a production or event erects temporary structures such as tents or staging. 00), reflecting how the land use department bundles short-duration activities that need inspection or review but not a full development approval. 00 for a third or subsequent offense within any 36-month period, on top of any general penalty available under Section 1-3 SFCC 1987.
A production cited for filming without the required permit, or for exceeding the scope approved on it, has 15 days from a written civil citation to pay the fine or request a hearing before a city-appointed hearing officer, with a further right to appeal an adverse decision to the First Judicial District Court under Rule 1-074 NMRA.
Violations & Fines
Filming without the required Temporary Use Permit, or exceeding what a permit authorizes, exposes a production to the land use director's Article 14-11 remedies: permit revocation or withholding, plus escalating civil fines of $100.00, $250.00, and $500.00 for repeat offenses inside a 36-month window. A cited party has 15 days to pay or request a hearing, and can appeal an unfavorable ruling to district court under Rule 1-074 NMRA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Santa Fe require a permit to film on location?
What can the city do if a production films without a permit?
Can a filming permit citation be appealed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Fe
Compare Santa Fe to another location·View the New Mexico filming & production overview
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