Placentia, CA Filming & Production: Student Filming (2026)

Placentia Municipal Code § 23.92.040(b) says no application fee is required of charitable or student films, or of filming conducted on behalf of the city or any city department or division. Subsection (a) otherwise requires an application fee for formal processing of every application under Chapter 23.92, set by city council resolution.

Section 23.92.010 defines who qualifies. Charitable or student films means any filming by a nonprofit organization that qualifies under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as a charitable organization, or by an accredited educational institution, and for which no person, directly or indirectly, shall receive a profit from the marketing and production of the film or from showing the films, tapes or photos. A project that produces profit for anyone falls outside the definition, so the fee applies.

The fee waiver is the only student-specific provision in the chapter. Section 23.92.020 requires a permit from the city administrator or designee to make commercial films on public or private property in the City of Placentia, and it carves out only news media and filming solely for private-family use. Student films are not among the exclusions listed there, so the application procedure of § 23.92.030 still applies: filing at least two (2) weeks before the first day of filming on the Orange County film commission form, with fast tracking available.

Other costs are not waived in the printed text. Under § 23.92.040(d), each permittee reimburses the city for costs of city personnel or equipment provided for assistance, security or protection, in an amount set by the city administrator or designee. Section 23.92.060 requires insurance naming the city as additional insured, though the city administrator can waive it when the use presents no significant exposure to liability. The city must approve or disapprove within five (5) days under § 23.92.070.