Reno, NV Filming & Production: Street Closures (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- RMC Ch. 5.20, Film Permits
- Street/traffic condition
- Sec. 5.20.060(a)(5) traffic plan
- Who pays traffic control staff
- Permittee, at actual cost
- Penalty for violation
- Up to $500 fine, 6 months jail
Summary
Reno has no standalone street-closure permit for filming: the film permit ordinance itself lets the city condition approval on an adequate traffic access and circulation plan, billed to the production.
For the protection of the public health, safety, welfare and property of local residents and persons, the city may require one or more of the following conditions on a film permit:(1)Adequate crowd control;(2)A minimum number of law enforcement officers employed at the permittee's expense;(3)Adequate toilet facilities;(4)Adequate communication system;(5)Adequate traffic access and circulation plan;(6)Adequate fire protection at the permittee's expense;(7)Adequate medical facilities, including doctors and supplies; and,(8)Other conditions determined by the city to be necessary to protect the health, welfare, and property of local residents and persons attending the assembly.(b)Issuance of a film permit under this chapter does not obligate or require the city manager to provide city services, equipment or personnel. The city manager shall charge for the actual cost of:(1)The salaries of city personnel involved in traffic control, fire safety or other facility or production support; and(2)The use of city equipment and other non-personnel expense.(c)The city manager shall require payment of fees required pursuant to subsection (b), or a reasonable estimate thereof, at the time the completed application is approved, unless the city manager for good cause extends time for payment. (Ord. No. 5601, § 2, 9-22-04)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Administrative Code: Supplement 64 | Land Development Code: Supplement 5 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Under RMC Chapter 5.20, anyone filming or producing motion pictures anywhere in Reno, public or private property, needs a film permit from the city manager's office. Sec. 5.20.060 lets the city attach conditions including an 'adequate traffic access and circulation plan': the mechanism that covers lane or street closures for a shoot. The permittee, not the city, pays the actual salary cost of any city personnel assigned to traffic control, fire safety, or other production support, and the city manager can require payment upfront.
Violations & Fines
Filming without a permit, or violating a permit condition such as the traffic plan, is a misdemeanor under Sec. 5.20.140: up to a $500 fine, up to six months in jail, or both. The city can also suspend or revoke the permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Reno issue a separate street closure permit for film shoots?
Who pays for police or traffic control during filming in Reno?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Reno
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