Sterling Heights, MI Filming & Production: Student Filming (2026)

Sterling Heights requires a film permit from the city's Film Office before any commercial or organized filming activity in the city, under § 12-152. ' A student production that stays off public streets and sidewalks and is not shot outdoors in a residential neighborhood needs no permit, fee, insurance certificate, or hold-harmless agreement. Once a student shoot moves onto a public way, such as filming on a city street or sidewalk, or is conducted outdoors in a residential zone, the exemption no longer applies and the production is treated like any other filming activity under the ordinance: it must obtain a permit from the Film Office, pay the processing fee, post the required deposit, and carry an insurance certificate before filming begins (§§ 12-155, 12-156).

weekdays, later starts on weekends, § 12-165) and the noise, traffic, and public-safety conditions the Film Office may impose under § 12-160. A permit that becomes necessary because the student exemption was lost is processed within ten business days for a standard application, or up to 15 business days if the shoot requires road closures (§ 12-162).