Jacksonville, FL Special Events & Permits: Commercial Filming on Public Right-of-Way (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issued by
- Film Commissioner, Office of Economic Development
- Application deadline
- At least 10 working days before
- Once permit issued
- No other City permits required
- Penalty for filming without permit
- Class D offense
- Insurance required
- $1,000,000 minimum general liability coverage
Summary
Jacksonville requires a single motion photography production permit for commercial filming on City property, and once issued it replaces separate special-event or assembly permits for the same shoot.
No person shall film or take photos or do any other type of motion photography for any commercial purpose within a State or local publicly owned or controlled site, facility, or right-of-way within the City of Jacksonville without first obtaining a permit. ... Once a production permit has been signed and issued, ... no other City permits shall be required for any of the activities forming a part of the production.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Anyone filming, photographing, or shooting video for commercial purposes on City-owned or controlled property, streets, sidewalks, or rights-of-way must first get a production permit from the Film Commissioner in the Office of Economic Development under Ordinance Code § 123.205. The application (§ 123.206) covers location, duration, insurance, and any street or sidewalk closures. Crucially, § 123.207 states that once the production permit is signed and issued, no other City permits are required for the production, so a commercial shoot large enough to otherwise trigger Chapter 191's special-event permit is instead handled entirely through this one-stop film permit.
Violations & Fines
Filming commercially without a production permit is a class D offense under § 123.205(c); continuing production after suspension or revocation is also a class D offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a film shoot in Jacksonville need a separate special-event permit?
Who issues Jacksonville's filming permits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jacksonville
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Jacksonville to another location·View the Florida special events & permits overview
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