Novi, MI Filming & Production: Student Filming (2026)
Key Facts
- Waived for students
- Processing fee and property-use fee
- Not waived
- Monitoring fee
- Qualifying applicant
- Enrolled in courses related to the production
- Still required
- Full Article III permit application
- Governing text
- § 24-28(6)(d)(3)
Summary
Student filmmakers shooting in the City of Novi still need the standard motion-picture, television, radio or photographic production permit under Chapter 24, but Novi City Code § 24-28(6)(d)(3) waives the processing fee and the daily property-use fee for productions directed or produced by someone currently enrolled in courses related to the production.
(6)Each application shall be accompanied by a fee, as follows:a.A processing fee in an amount established by resolution of the city council to reimburse the city for the staff time required to evaluate the application and establish conditions of approval. ... d.The processing fee and the property use fee shall be waived for the following:1.Productions conducted by a cable television company operating under a franchise granted by the city which are not conducted on public property, do not interfere with public right-of-ways, and which involve fewer than two (2) motor vehicles;2.Productions for wholly charitable or educational purposes and from which no profit is derived, either directly or indirectly; and3.Student filming—Productions directed or produced by a person currently enrolled in courses related to the production.
Full Breakdown
Every Article III filming application otherwise carries three separate charges: a nonrefundable processing fee that reimburses the city for staff time spent reviewing the application and setting conditions of approval, a daily property-use fee that compensates the city for the public property's unavailability during filming, and a monitoring fee covering staff time and other city costs incurred watching the shoot (§ 24-28(6)). Subsection (6)(d) waives only the first two of those charges, and only for three categories: cable-franchise productions kept off public property, not interfering with the right-of-way, and using fewer than two motor vehicles; wholly charitable or educational productions from which nobody profits; and student filming, defined as a production directed or produced by a person currently enrolled in courses related to the production (§ 24-28(6)(d)).
The monitoring fee is not on that waiver list, so a qualifying student crew still owes it if the city assigns staff to watch the shoot. The fee break does not touch the rest of the permit process: a student production must still file the accompanying plans required by § 24-29 (site sketch, base-camp plan, traffic-control plan, cleanup plan), meet the prerequisites of § 24-31 (security personnel, notification, insurance, bonding, hold-harmless agreement) and satisfy the city manager's findings in § 24-32 before a permit issues.
Violations & Fines
A student production that skips the permit process altogether, rather than merely claiming the fee waiver, is subject to the same denial and revocation rules as any other filming permit: false statements in the application are grounds for denial (§ 24-33), and the city manager may revoke a permit issued to a student crew for the same noncompliance, riotous conduct or over-attendance triggers that apply to any permittee (§ 24-35).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a student filmmaker still need a permit in Novi?
What exactly is waived for a Novi student film shoot?
Who counts as a student filmmaker under Novi's waiver?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Novi
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