Corpus Christi, TX Filming & Production: Student Filming (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing provision
- Sec. 36-85(c)(1)
- Standard application fee
- $25.00
- Exemption for
- Accredited-institution student educational projects
- Other exempt categories
- Non-profits, local filmmakers, low-impact shoots
- Permit still required
- Fee waived, not the permit itself
Summary
Corpus Christi's standard $25 filming permit application fee can be waived for students filming as part of an educational project sponsored by an accredited institution, under Sec. 36-85(c)(1). Non-profits, registered local filmmakers, and low-impact productions get the same fee exemption option, though the permit itself is still required.
(c)Application fee. All applications for filming permits shall be accompanied by a filing fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00). Other fees may apply (i.e., public right-of-way blockage permit per section 53-195 of the Code of Ordinances). The city manager may grant exemptions to the application fee for:(1)Students filming as part of an educational project sponsored by an accredited educational institution;(2)Non-profit organizations upon proof of the organizations' non-profit status;(3)Local film makers if they are registered filmmakers with the film commission; or(4)Low-impact productions.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 36-85(c) sets the base filming permit application fee at $25, payable with every application, and notes that other charges can still apply on top of it, such as the public right-of-way blockage permit fee under Sec. 53-195. Within that same subsection, the city manager 'may grant exemptions to the application fee' for four categories: students filming as part of an educational project sponsored by an accredited educational institution; non-profit organizations that prove their non-profit status; local filmmakers registered with the film commission (defined in Sec.
36-80 as residents of Nueces, Kleberg, Jim Wells, San Patricio, Live Oak, Bee, Refugio, Goliad, Victoria or Aransas counties); and 'low-impact productions,' defined in Sec. 36-80 as a shoot with no generator, no more than ten crew members at a time, no moving production vehicles on camera, and no exclusive closure of a street or sidewalk. The exemption reaches only the $25 application fee: a student production that needs exclusive use of city property under Sec. 36-84(a) still must apply for and hold a valid filming permit and comply with every other requirement of the article, including insurance and clean-up duties, unless those are separately waived.
Violations & Fines
The fee waiver itself carries no penalty provision, but a student production that skips the underlying permit application, or that misrepresents its educational sponsorship to obtain the exemption, is treated the same as any other unpermitted filming under Sec. 36-84(g), subject to the Sec. 1-6 general penalty of up to a $500 fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do student filmmakers pay the Corpus Christi filming permit fee?
Does the student fee waiver cover other filming permit costs?
Who else besides students can get the Corpus Christi filming fee waived?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Corpus Christi
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Corpus Christi to another location·View the Texas filming & production overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.