Monterey County, CA Filming & Production: Street Closures (2026)
Key Facts
- Fee basis
- Road usage fee, separate from permit fee
- Set by
- Board of Supervisors Fee Resolution
- Critical roads
- Public Works Director can bar filming
- Traffic control cost
- Borne by the production company
- Appeal window
- 10 days to Board of Supervisors
Summary
Filming on Monterey County roads in the unincorporated area triggers a separate road usage fee on top of the film permit fee under Monterey County Code Section 7.50.080, and the Public Works Director can bar filming on roads deemed critical to the county's transportation system under Section 7.50.050.
In addition to the film permit fee set forth in Section 7.50.070, a road usage fee shall be charged if filming takes place on County roads. The fee shall be in the amount as established by the Board of Supervisors in the Monterey County Fee Resolution.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
50 treats using county roads for filming as a distinct, chargeable activity. 070. The production company must supply, at its own cost, all labor, materials, and devices needed for traffic control, and those devices must conform to the State of California Manual of Traffic Controls, Warning Signs, Lights, and Devices for use in Performance of Work Upon Highways. 050 gives the Public Works Director authority to determine that certain roads are critical to the County's transportation system and to bar those roads from being used for filming altogether, independent of whether the Sheriff would otherwise grant a permit.
The Sheriff, who administers the overall film permit, must also deny an application where reasonable conditions will not prevent a substantial risk of unwarranted traffic disruption or the creation of traffic hazards. 090 further requires the production company to reimburse the County for costs associated with road closure, traffic control, and crowd control that the County itself provides during filming, to pay reasonable rental for County property used, and to indemnify and insure the County against damage or liability arising from the road closure. 060.
Violations & Fines
Filming on County roads without paying the Section 7.50.080 road usage fee, or filming on a road the Public Works Director has designated critical under Section 7.50.050, is grounds for permit denial or revocation under the Section 7.50.040 permit requirement. A production company that fails to supply required traffic-control devices or to reimburse the County's road-closure and traffic-control costs under Section 7.50.090 also breaches its permit conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Monterey County charge extra to film on county roads?
Can the county block filming on certain roads entirely?
Who pays for traffic control during a Monterey County film shoot?
What if my film permit is denied over road use concerns?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
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