Multnomah County, OR Filming & Production: Street Closures (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Six county-owned Willamette River bridges only
- Filming rule
- Permit required even for small crews
- Extra step
- Needs Portland or state street consent
- Penalty
- Up to $500 per day
- Bar
- Sellwood, Sauvie Island barred from full closures
Summary
Closing or using a Willamette River bridge for filming requires a Multnomah County special event permit: filming triggers the requirement even below the 200-person threshold that exempts other small events.
Except as provided in this subchapter, a special event permit is required to stage and conduct a special event. No special event permit which requires the closure or use of the roadway or sidewalks on a bridge will be effective unless the sponsor obtains written authorization from the City of Portland or the state to close or use the city or state streets, highways, bike lanes, sidewalks or ramps as appropriate that directly access the bridge.
Full Breakdown
Multnomah County's Bridge Special Events Ordinance (MCC 29.701-29.714) requires a special event permit to close or use the roadway or sidewalk of any of its six Willamette River bridges, Broadway, Burnside, Hawthorne, Morrison, Sellwood and Sauvie Island, including for filming. Filming use is expressly exempt from the 200-person threshold that lets other small gatherings skip the permit, so any bridge shoot needs one. The sponsor must also get written authorization from the City of Portland or the State of Oregon for the connecting city or state streets. This rule covers only these six county bridges, not general street closures elsewhere in unincorporated Multnomah County or inside Portland, Gresham or other cities, which set their own filming rules.
Violations & Fines
Staging an unpermitted bridge closure, or promoting a pending event without disclosing it still lacks approval, violates MCC 29.999: a civil penalty up to $500, charged separately for each day the violation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this cover filming closures on Portland streets?
Do small film shoots on a bridge need a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Multnomah County
Compare Multnomah County to another location·View the Oregon filming & production overview
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