Compton, CA Filming & Production: Student Filming (2026)
Key Facts
- Definition requirement
- proof of current school enrollment
- Fees waived
- security deposit and application fee
- Still required
- $1,000,000 liability insurance, hold-harmless agreement
- Permit process
- same as commercial productions
- Violation penalty
- misdemeanor or infraction
Summary
Compton still requires student filmmakers to get a City filming permit, but Section 9-27.6(c) waives the security deposit and application fee for productions made to satisfy a course requirement. Students must prove current enrollment, and liability insurance and a hold-harmless agreement remain mandatory before any permit is issued.
STUDENT FILMS The motion pictures, television programs or commercials or still photography produced to satisfy a course or curriculum requirement at an educational institution. The student filmmaker must supply proof that he/she is currently enrolled. ... The security deposit and permit application fee shall not apply to or affect: 1. City-produced or City-sponsored government or educational access productions; 2. Student films; and 3. Productions by charitable organizations that have been issued 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service and are in good standing.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4952997; v15 updated 2026-07-14; through 07-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
3 defines STUDENT FILMS as motion pictures, television programs, commercials or still photography produced to satisfy a course or curriculum requirement at an educational institution, and requires the student filmmaker to supply proof of current enrollment. 6(a)-(b). 5(b) before issuing a permit or attaching conditions. 7 is explicit that liability insurance, at least $1,000,000 for general and auto liability, plus a City-approved hold-harmless agreement, applies to 'both for-profit, nonprofit and student filming activities' before any permit can be issued. 6(d) still bills that cost to the permittee. 9.
Violations & Fines
A student production that films without first getting the permit, or that breaches its conditions, is guilty of a misdemeanor or, at the City Attorney's discretion, an infraction under Section 9-27.11, the same standard applied to commercial productions. Losing the fee waiver doesn't excuse the underlying permit requirement: uninsured or unpermitted student filming can still trigger an on-site suspension by police, fire, code enforcement or the Permit Coordinator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Compton student filmmakers pay a permit fee?
What counts as a 'student film' under Compton's ordinance?
Do students still need insurance to film in Compton?
Can a student filming permit be revoked?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Compton
California rules heatmap·Compare Compton to another location·View the California filming & production overview
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Student Filming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle student filming.