Fullerton, CA Special Events & Permits: Commercial Filming on Public Right-of-Way (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- City Manager or designee
- Governing chapter
- FMC Chapter 3.80
- Required insurance
- $1,000,000 liability coverage
- STR overlap section
- FMC § 15.55.020(F)(11)
- Exemptions
- News, private use, licensed studios
- Violation remedy
- Notice, then permit revocation
Summary
Commercial filming anywhere in Fullerton, including inside a short-term rental, needs a City Manager filming permit under Chapter 3.80. Section 15.55.020(F)(11) separately bars commercial filming inside a short-term rental unless it is permitted under Chapter 3.80, closing the gap between the two ordinances.
§ 3.80.020 PERMITS, APPLICATIONS AND EXEMPTIONS. (A) Permit required. No person shall use any public or private property, facility or residence for the purpose of taking commercial motion pictures or television pictures or commercial still photography without first applying for and receiving a permit from the City Manager or his or her designee. ... § 15.55.020(F)(11): Nonresidential uses not permitted. Weddings, auctions, commercial filming, unless permitted pursuant to Chapter 3.80 of this code, commercial functions or other similar events that are inconsistent with the residential character of the neighborhood as determined by the City Manager are prohibited within a short-term rental.
Full Breakdown
020(A) requires anyone using public or private property, a facility, or a residence to take commercial motion pictures, television pictures, or commercial still photography to first apply for and receive a permit from the City Manager or a designee. 020(B) must identify the production company, the exact filming location, the dates and hours of the shoot, the number of personnel, the equipment and vehicles involved, and any activity likely to cause public alarm, such as gunfire, pyrotechnics, animals, or low-flying drones. 020(C). 030, and the production company must reimburse the city for police, fire, or maintenance personnel and for any repair or cleanup its activity requires.
050 requires $1,000,000 in liability insurance naming the city as additional insured, workers' compensation coverage, a hold harmless agreement, and a refundable security deposit for site cleanup. 80, or the City Manager determines the event is not inconsistent with the neighborhood's residential character. 80 process required anywhere else in the city.
Violations & Fines
Filming without the required Chapter 3.80 permit, or exceeding what a permit allows, lets the city issue verbal or written notice of violation under § 3.80.060; if the violation is not corrected, the city may revoke the permit and require all filming activity to stop immediately. Commercial filming staged inside a short-term rental without Chapter 3.80 authorization is also a prohibited nonresidential use under § 15.55.020(F)(11), exposing the host's rental permit to the same administrative enforcement under Chapter 6.01 that applies to other short-term rental violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to film a commercial or movie scene in Fullerton?
Can a short-term rental be used as a filming location?
What insurance does a filming permit require?
What happens if a production violates its filming permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fullerton
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