Miami-Dade County, FL Filming & Production: Production Noise (2026)

Section 2-11.14(b)(1) of the Miami-Dade County Code bars any person from filming or taking photos within a publicly-owned or controlled site, facility or right-of-way in the participating incorporated or unincorporated area without first obtaining a permit. The noise limit lives in the exception that follows. Under subsection (b)(2)(i), individuals using a hand-held camera, or one camera on one tripod, with hand-held props or equipment and a cast, crew and personnel size of less than three people, need no permit, but only when they meet nine conditions at once. Two of those conditions are about sound. Condition (5) rules out using or projecting noise with profane, vulgar, or indecent language, or other language in public that is likely to incite violence or panic. Condition (6) rules out creating noise which is frequent, habitual or long, and plainly audible at a distance of one hundred (100) feet from the area where the individual is located.

The 100 foot test is measured from the spot where the person filming stands, and it has three parts that work together: the noise must be frequent, habitual or long, and it must be plainly audible at that distance. A single short sound does not trip the exemption by itself, while a repeating generator, a looped playback speaker or sustained shouting on set does. The tripod exception does not apply on public transit or public transit platforms, where the permit requirement stays in place whatever the crew size.

The other conditions keep small crews from drifting into a full production: no exclusive use of County owned or controlled property, no prop weapons, fire, pyrotechnics, animals, prop vehicles, stunts or actors in police uniform, no parking privileges for production vehicles, no real or simulated fighting, no filming at County property under contract to a private party, no simulated drug use or sale, and no request for an exemption from County rules. Employees of print or electronic news media filming breaking news, meaning an event that is currently occurring or developing, are exempt separately under (b)(2)(ii), but not for re-enactments, pre-arranged interviews or scripted content.

Once a production needs a permit, the County Mayor or the Mayor's designee grants it unless the shoot unduly impedes governmental business or public access, conflicts with previously scheduled activities, imperils public safety, or violates an applicable interlocal agreement. Applicants must identify themselves, show public liability insurance in the amount set by the governing body, and list the locations and the agencies that will assist. Anyone aggrieved by a permit's terms, a denial or a revocation has ten (10) days to appeal to the County Mayor, whose decision rests on a preponderance of the evidence and is final. Section 2-11.14 was last amended by Ord. No. 21-44 on June 2, 2021.