Forest Preserves of Cook County offer reduced filming permit fees for verified student film projects from accredited Illinois colleges, including Columbia College Chicago, Northwestern, DePaul, and SAIC. Students still need insurance and a school letter; FPDCC commercial-use rules otherwise apply.
FPDCC's filming permit program offers a reduced student rate, typically a flat $50–$150 per day, for verified student film and photography projects that are not commercially distributed. Applicants must submit a letter on school letterhead identifying the faculty advisor, course, and project scope, plus proof of $1 million general liability insurance (often arranged through the school's umbrella policy). Most Illinois film schools – Columbia College Chicago, Northwestern University RTVF, DePaul Cinema, and SAIC – maintain blanket insurance coverage that meets FPDCC requirements. Suburban municipalities offer similar student concessions on a case-by-case basis. The student rate disappears the moment the project is sold or distributed commercially.
Misrepresenting a commercial production as a student film to obtain reduced FPDCC fees is fraudulent and can lead to permit revocation, retroactive billing at commercial rates, and ban from future Forest Preserve permits. Later commercial distribution triggers fee true-up.
See how Arlington Heights's student filming rules stack up against other locations.
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