Phoenix, AZ Filming & Production: Street Closures (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit authority
- City Manager, before filming
- Standard fee
- $350 per permit
- Approval criteria
- Traffic, safety, disruption, property
- Exemptions
- News coverage, established studios
- Appeal path
- Hearing, then City Council
Summary
Phoenix requires a City Manager permit before any motion picture or TV production can use public streets, right-of-way, or property, with permit rules set by traffic, safety, and disruption criteria.
No person shall use any public property, facility or right-of-way belonging to the City of Phoenix for motion picture or television productions without first applying for and receiving permit from the City Manager. ... The rules and regulations shall be based upon the following criteria: 1. Traffic congestion at particular locations within the City; 2. The safety and convenience of all persons; 3. The disruption of normal activities of all persons at particular locations within the City; and 4. The safety of property within the City.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance G-7524, passed June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Phoenix City Code Article VIII, no one may use any public street, sidewalk, facility, or other right-of-way belonging to the City of Phoenix for a motion picture or television production without first applying for and receiving a permit from the City Manager. The City Manager sets rules governing the form, timing, and location of filming activity, and those rules must be based on traffic congestion at the location, the safety and convenience of all persons, disruption of normal activities, and the safety of property. The standard permit fee is $350. Coverage of current news events and shoots by an established local studio are exempt from the permit requirement; charitable or educational productions still need a permit but the fee can be waived.
Violations & Fines
Filming on a Phoenix street or other public right-of-way without a City Manager permit violates City Code Article VIII; the City Manager can deny or revoke a permit, with the decision appealable to the City Council after a hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to close a Phoenix street for filming?
How much does a Phoenix filming permit cost?
What factors decide whether Phoenix will approve street use for filming?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Phoenix
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