Filming & Production in California (2026)

Any commercial filming activity on public or private property in Alhambra, including private residences, needs a…

The City of Bellflower requires a permit before anyone shoots a commercial motion picture, TV, radio, or photographic…

Buena Park requires a film permit before shooting motion pictures, video, or television anywhere in the city outside an…

Every film production in Camarillo needs a film permit under Municipal Code Section 19.63.022, applied for through the…

Chino Hills requires a City-issued film permit before anyone shoots commercial photography or video in the city's open…

Anyone filming, video taping, or producing motion pictures for public exhibition or television anywhere in Corona…

Cupertino Municipal Code Section 5.51.030 requires anyone, including students, to obtain a City permit before using…

El Dorado County Code Section 5.58.020 requires anyone filming motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media…

Folsom requires a film permit from the city manager before any motion picture, television, commercial, or new media…

Fremont requires a film office permit before any filming activity, staging, shooting, videotaping, or photographing for…

Anyone filming a commercial production on a Garden Grove street, sidewalk, park, or other public property needs a…

Filming or taping a motion picture, TV show or commercial anywhere in Glendale outside an established studio, or…

Hayward requires a film permit from the Chief of Police before any filming activity takes place anywhere in the city…

Anyone shooting commercial motion pictures, television, or still photography on public or private property, or at a…

Filming in Irvine is regulated as a special event: Sec. 1-18-143 pulls film productions into the same permit chapter as…

Lake Forest requires a film permit from the City Manager's office before using any city-owned property for commercial…

Lakewood requires a City Manager permit before anyone uses public or private property for motion pictures, television…

Manteca requires a city manager-issued permit before shooting commercial motion pictures, television or still…

Movie production companies filming anywhere on Mendocino County streets or on County-owned land or buildings need a…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 7-3.106(b) requires anyone who wants to film, tape, photograph or record staged activity…

Any commercial movie, television, or commercial production filming on Monterey County roads or county-owned land or…

Moorpark requires a community development director permit to film motion pictures, TV, or still photography on any…

Moreno Valley requires a film permit from the city's film permit coordinator before anyone uses public or private…

Newport Beach requires a permit from the City Manager or Film Liaison before anyone stages, shoots or records images on…

Anyone filming, video taping, or producing motion pictures for public exhibition anywhere in Oceanside outside an…

Orange requires a permit from the City Manager before anyone films a commercial production on any city street, park or…

Palm Springs requires a motion picture or still photography permit from the film permit officer before shooting…

Anyone filming motion pictures, television, or still photography on Palmdale public or private property, rights-of-way…

Commercial filming inside any Redwood City park, park building or recreation area requires a Temporary Exclusive Use…

Filming a motion picture or TV production anywhere in unincorporated Sacramento County, on public or private property…

Filming or photographing on San Luis Obispo County property for motion pictures, TV, or still photography requires a…

Any filming activity in unincorporated Santa Barbara County, or on county-owned property, needs a film permit from the…

Commercial filmmaking or photography in any Santa Clara County Park needs a Valid Permit from the Parks Director, and…

Santa Clarita Municipal Code Section 11.46.020 requires a City film permit before anyone uses public or private…

Turlock Municipal Code § 10-4-03 makes it unlawful to film on City-owned property, streets, parks, trails, and public…

Vallejo requires a film permit before anyone may use public property to shoot a motion picture, television production…

The City of Ventura requires a permit before anyone films on public or private property under Municipal Code Section…

Vista requires anyone conducting filming, videotaping, or photography within city limits, on public or private…

No one may use any public or private property, facility, or residence in Westminster for a filming activity without…

Yolo County bans commercial filming or photography in county parks unless the Director gives written permission first…

Alameda requires a film permit before shooting still photographs, motion pictures, television programs or commercial…

Anyone shooting commercial motion pictures or television photography on public or private property in Anaheim must get…

Baldwin Park requires a business license for any filming crew working in the city, charging a flat $100 for each day…

Commercial for-profit filming in any Berkeley park or on any public street, sidewalk or alley that requires street…

Filming a commercial, movie, or video at a specific Brentwood site requires a temporary use permit under Municipal Code…

Anyone shooting motion pictures for commercial purposes in Carlsbad pays a license tax under Municipal Code § 5.08.100…

Carson treats commercial still photography as its own permit category, charging a flat $100 fee separate from the…

Chino requires a location permit from the city manager before anyone shoots commercial motion pictures, television…

Clovis requires a temporary use permit before filming commercials, movies, or videos at a specified location. The…

Compton requires a City permit before anyone uses public or private property for commercial filming, television or…

Commercial motion picture production on public property, or any filming that requires county services, needs a filming…

Before shooting a commercial film anywhere in Costa Mesa, on a city street, park or sidewalk, or on private property…

Downey requires a permit from the City Manager's office before any commercial motion picture, television, or…

Eastvale requires a permit before anyone shoots commercial motion pictures, television, or still photography on public…

Anyone filming or videotaping for commercial motion picture or TV production anywhere in El Monte outside an…

Any use of public or private property, including a private residence, for a motion picture or television production in…

Fullerton requires a City Manager permit before anyone shoots commercial motion pictures, television, or still…

Filming anywhere in Hawthorne, on public or private property or in the airspace above it, requires a film permit from…

Applicants for a Hemet filming location permit submit contact, schedule, and equipment details to the city manager's…

Filming a commercial photo or video shoot on Huntington Beach public property, from streets to parks and the pier…

Kern County's Division of Countywide Communications, through its Film Commission, holds sole authority to issue…

Filming or shooting still photography on Lancaster public or private property, including a residence, requires a permit…

A filming activity permit application in Long Beach must be filed with the City Manager at least three working days…

Still photography shoots in Los Angeles run through a zoning exception, not a use that needs its own zone change. LAMC…

Commercial still-photography shoots with 15 or more on-site cast and crew, held outside an approved production facility…

Filming a commercial motion picture, TV show, ad, or still photography anywhere in Madera, public or private property…

Filming on location in unincorporated Madera County requires a county film permit, filed at least ten business days…

Marin County requires a permit from the responsible department director before commercial motion-picture or television…

Merced requires a permit from the finance officer before anyone stages or shoots a commercial motion picture…

Monterey's Zoning Ordinance treats commercial filming as a regulated land use tied to how many days a production works…

Murrieta regulates on-location commercial filming as a temporary use permit under Development Code Section…

Any commercial filming activity in Norwalk, from a single still shoot to a full production, requires a film permit…

Anyone filming or videotaping a scene for public viewing in Ontario, from a single shot to a full production, owes a…

Still photography on County of Orange property or facilities requires a film permit; annual permits expire in one year…

Oxnard requires a filming permit before anyone uses public or private property for commercial filming, videotaping or…

Filming anywhere in Pasadena requires a Filming Permit issued through the Film Liaison. Short-term shoots get an…

Anyone filming motion pictures or television on public or private property in Perris must get a city filming permit and…

Filming a movie, TV show, commercial or other nontheatrical production on location anywhere in Petaluma requires a film…

Anyone filming for commercial purposes on county-owned property, or on a private facility or residence in…

Rancho Cordova requires a general business license before using any public or private property in the city for a…

Anyone filming, videotaping, or producing a motion picture for public exhibition or television at any location in…

Commercial filming, videotaping and still photography anywhere in Redlands outside an established studio requires a…

Redondo Beach requires a Film Permit before any commercial or crew-based filming on public or private property, applied…

Riverside requires a permit from the City's issuing authority before anyone shoots commercial motion pictures…

Riverside County has waived all film permit fees in unincorporated areas and offers free use of County-owned properties…

Anyone filming on Roseville public property, streets, parks, or city buildings needs a film permit from the film permit…

Sacramento requires a city-manager permit before anyone uses public or private property, a facility or a residence to…

Commercial filming counts as a temporary land use under Salinas Municipal Code Sec. 37-50.300, requiring a temporary…

Commercial filming anywhere in unincorporated San Bernardino County, or on any County-controlled facility, requires a…

San Clemente requires a city filming permit under Section 5.44.020 before anyone conducts commercial filming activity…

San Diego offers free film permits through the Special Events and Filming Department. All filming on City public…

Commercial motion picture, TV, and still-photo shoots on public or private property in unincorporated San Diego County…

Commercial still photography in San Francisco counts as "film production" under the Film Commission ordinance…

Commercial still or motion photography on San Joaquin County's Airport requires advance permission from the Airport…

San Leandro requires a permit for any professional filming location within city limits, issued by the Film Liaison…

Commercially operating a motion picture, video or other camera in a San Marcos municipal park requires a Park Use…

Commercial cameras in unincorporated county parks need a written permit from the Parks Director before shooting, with a…

Commercial filming on private property in San Ramon is a temporary land use requiring a Temporary Use Permit from the…

Santa Ana requires a permit before anyone shoots a commercial motion picture or video tape on property the city owns or…

Santa Clara requires a City-issued permit before anyone, including students, films on public or private property, a…

Any filming activity within Santa Maria, from staging and shooting to videotaping or photographing motion pictures, TV…

Location filming in Santa Rosa runs through the city's Temporary Use Permit system, but Section 20-52.040(C)(3) exempts…

Shooting a commercial motion picture, TV production, or still photography on public or private property in Simi Valley…

The City of Sonoma requires anyone shooting motion pictures, television, digital media or commercial still photography…

South Gate requires a permit for any commercial still photography where the photographer sets up stationary equipment…

Commercial still-photography shoots in Thousand Oaks that use lighting rigs, generators, or temporary structures need a…

Filming a motion picture, TV production, or commercial anywhere in Upland, on public or private property, requires a…

Filming in unincorporated Ventura County needs a Film Permit: a ministerial Zoning Clearance for shoots under 60 days…

Fresno County exempts on-location filming of commercials, movies and videos from the Temporary Use Permit otherwise…

Corona film permits let the Board of Zoning Adjustment limit filming that produces unusual noise, gunfire, sirens, PA…

Film shoots in unincorporated Madera County can be conditioned by the permit clerk to restrict firearms, explosions…

Any for-profit or fee-based filming, or use of amplified sound equipment, in a Moorpark park or open space requires a…

Before issuing a location filming permit, Oceanside's city manager must weigh noise, traffic hazards, fire hazards, and…

Sacramento County Code § 4.50.150(a) lets the Treasurer-Tax Collector condition every motion picture production's…

Turlock Municipal Code § 10-4-08(g) lets the film permit coordinator attach conditions restricting firearms…

In the City of Ventura, Municipal Code Section 8.120.350 lets the administrator deny a film permit when filming would…

Alameda's film-permit office can restrict explosions, noise and hazardous devices that might disturb the peace during a…

Filming in Alhambra, including setup and teardown, is confined to 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. unless the City Manager…

Berkeley bars commercial filming between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. in residentially zoned areas unless the City Manager finds…

Noise from a Brentwood filming location, like any other temporary use, is a regulated nuisance factor under Municipal…

Buena Park can restrict motion picture and television production activity to the hours between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. under…

Carson restricts filming to 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. unless 80% of nearby residents and businesses sign off, and…

Cupertino Municipal Code Section 5.51.060 confines Film Production activity to the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., the…

Elk Grove licenses every motion picture and television production in part because filming can create noise that…

Folsom film permits can carry specific noise conditions. Section 5.80.080(J) lets the city manager restrict the noise…

Fremont's film office can attach noise-specific conditions to any location filming permit, including limits on…

Garden Grove can deny a filming permit outright if a shoot would disturb neighbors: Municipal Code Section…

Hawthorne's film permit chapter requires production companies to get special permission, which the city can refuse…

Hayward's film permit process treats noise as a mandatory review factor: the Chief of Police weighs it before approving…

Because Irvine regulates film productions through its Special Events permit chapter, a shoot's noise can sink the…

Norwalk conditions film permits on restricting gunfire, explosives and other noise-generating or hazardous activity…

Bull horns, gunfire, PA systems and sirens on a Pasadena film set can't violate the city's Noise Ordinance, and any…

Perris directs the city manager to write filming rules limiting undue disruption to residents, weighing health, safety…

Petaluma's film permit ordinance lets the city manager restrict or condition the use of gunfire, explosions and other…

Filming that would push sound above the county's noise limits in the unincorporated area needs a separate exception…

Before issuing a film permit, Rancho Cucamonga's film permit officer must weigh whether a production's noise will…

Roseville's film permit coordinator can attach conditions restricting firearms, explosions, and other noise-creating or…

Commercial filming in unincorporated San Diego County requires Chief Administrative Office authorization and proof of…

San Leandro confines professional filming to daytime and evening hours. Section 2.4.700 bars filming between 7:00 p.m…

When the film permit officer issues a county film permit, Sec. 14C-10(g) requires conditions restricting amplified…

Santa Maria doesn't set a blanket decibel limit for movie and TV shoots. Section 4-16.8 instead lets the film…

Vallejo requires film permit applicants to disclose amplified sound, night lighting, or other annoying activity before…

A Ventura County film permit is denied if the shoot's noise exceeds what's normal for the area, unless the noise…

Vista's film permit law sets no decibel limit, but Section 12.25.010 declares that filming must not unreasonably…

Whittier's film permit rules tie every production directly to the city's general noise limits instead of granting a…

Unlike almost every other noise source in unincorporated Los Angeles County, motion picture production and related…

A film permit that includes closing a public street cannot be decided by city staff alone in Camarillo: Municipal Code…

Any Compton filming permit that would impair traffic flow must use the City's law enforcement agency and follow…

A production that needs to close a Corona road must file its film permit application at least ten working days ahead…

Folsom's Film Permit Ordinance, Municipal Code Chapter 5.80, requires a city manager permit before any production…

A filming permit that would slow traffic in Garden Grove comes with mandatory traffic control: Municipal Code Section…

Closing a Huntington Beach street for a commercial photo or film shoot requires a City Manager permit, and the Police…

Kern County treats a commercial film, TV, video or still-photo shoot that closes a public street the same as any other…

A film production that needs to close a public street in unincorporated Madera County must request it in the permit…

Filming on Monterey County roads in the unincorporated area triggers a separate road usage fee on top of the film…

Moorpark requires a community development director permit before filming affects public streets, and the applicant must…

Closing a public street for a film or TV shoot in Oceanside goes through the special events committee, not the film…

For filming that affects traffic, Orange requires permittees to hire City-designated law enforcement, including County…

A filmmaker who needs to close an Alameda street for a shoot must request the closure on the film permit application…

Alhambra gives itself extra time to review any film permit that needs road closures along the city's major…

Before Bellflower will issue a filming permit that involves closing a street, the City Manager must find the closure…

Filming that closes or partially closes a Berkeley street needs at least three business days' notice, or seven days if…

Brentwood has no permit written specifically for film shoots, but a production that needs a public street closed goes…

Productions needing street closures in Buena Park must file at least ten business days before filming: longer than the…

Carson caps interim street closures for filming at three minutes at a time, no more than once every 20 minutes on major…

Chino requires filming permit applicants to disclose expected impacts on streets and alleys and to reimburse the city…

Filming permits that require closing a county road take longer to process: Section 56-8.410 gives the Department of…

Filming that blocks or slows Costa Mesa traffic triggers mandatory traffic-control conditions under Section 9-478(d)…

Cupertino Municipal Code Section 5.51.060 requires any film production that would affect movement in the public…

Any Downey filming permit that will block traffic needs its own layer of approval. Municipal Code Section 6911 requires…

Filming productions that need a public road or facility closed in El Dorado County must obtain the Section 5.58.020…

When a shoot would disrupt traffic, Elk Grove's City Manager can condition the required film license on the time, place…

Fremont lets a film permit applicant request a street closure, but the city engineer must review and approve a separate…

When a film or TV shoot exclusively occupies or otherwise disrupts free public use of a Glendale street, sidewalk or…

Hawthorne's film permit chapter bars production crews from blocking pedestrian or vehicular access to homes and…

Hayward film permits can require productions to fund and place traffic control devices and signs at their own expense…

Any film shoot that will close an Irvine street counts as a 'special event' under Sec. 2-10-802 and needs the same…

Filming that would impair traffic flow in Long Beach must use City law enforcement personnel and comply with Caltrans…

Filming that uses the public road right-of-way in unincorporated Los Angeles County, including lane or street closures…

When a Madera film shoot affects traffic or needs street parking cleared, the permittee must give two to four working…

Marin County bars using county-maintained roads and right-of-ways for commercial motion-picture or television filming…

When a Merced film shoot would slow traffic, Municipal Code Section 5.52.110 requires the production to hire local law…

A Moreno Valley film permittee must notify every affected owner and occupant at least 48 hours before any filming that…

A Norwalk film permit that requires closing a street gets a 10-business-day review under Municipal Code Section…

Oxnard gives its designated film liaison up to ten business days to approve a filming permit that involves closing a…

When a film or TV shoot in Perris needs the city to close streets, direct traffic or arrange special utility work…

Petaluma's film permit ordinance lets the city manager deny or condition a filming permit when a shoot would disrupt…

A production planning to close a street for filming in unincorporated Placer County can be required to survey affected…

A film shoot that would impair traffic flow in Rancho Cucamonga needs a separate temporary major closure application to…

Anyone filming commercial motion pictures, TV, commercials or still photography on public or private property in…

A film production that needs to close a Roseville street must get a separate encroachment permit reviewed by the city…

Closing or temporarily using a County road for filming requires a separate, non-refundable road encroachment permit…

San Clemente holds filmmakers who need to close or partially close a public street, park, right-of-way, or the…

Film productions requiring street, sidewalk, or right-of-way closures in San Diego must submit permit applications at…

Unincorporated San Diego County requires a Road Commissioner permit to close a street for a parade or special event…

Film productions closing San Francisco streets apply through the Film Commission and ISCOTT under the Transportation…

San Rafael, California, in Marin County has no dedicated film-permit ordinance; instead it treats any private closure…

Filming crews wanting to close a county road need a film permit from the film permit officer, and the board of…

Filming that would impair traffic flow in Santa Clara requires the production company to hire Santa Clara Police…

A film permit applicant who needs to close a Santa Maria street must request the closure on the film permit application…

South Gate requires filming permit applicants to give the city seventy-two hours' notice before any street closure and…

A Turlock film permit requiring a street closure needs a separate encroachment permit and 24 hours' written notice to…

When filming in Vallejo requires closing a street or encroaching on the public right-of-way, Municipal Code Section…

A Ventura County film shoot can't block a public or private road for more than three minutes under a standard…

Before issuing a Vista film permit, the City Manager must confirm the shoot will not close any public space, street…

Whittier does not let a film crew manage its own street closure or traffic detour. Section 5.44.010(A)(2)(c) requires…

Lakewood treats student films the same as commercial productions. The filming ordinance's definition of regulated…

Turlock's film permit ordinance defines student filming to fulfill a school course requirement, but § 10-4-04's…

Ventura County's road ordinance defines student filmmaking as commercial filming. A student shooting a class project in…

Westminster defines a 'charitable or student film' as nonprofit or accredited-school production with no profit motive…

Whittier's filming permit law treats student filmmakers differently from casual hobbyists: Municipal Code Section…

Alameda does not exempt student filmmakers from its permit rules: Municipal Code Section 5-30.4 states that student…

Bellflower still requires student filmmakers to get the standard motion-picture/photography permit, but it cuts the…

Compton still requires student filmmakers to get a City filming permit, but Section 9-27.6(c) waives the security…

El Dorado County Code Section 5.58.010 defines regulated motion-picture activity to expressly include student films…

Fullerton's filming code names student films made for a post-secondary course requirement as regulated activity, not a…

Hemet's filming ordinance defines regulated activity to include student films made for a college course requirement…

Enrolled students filming non-commercial work on Orange County property still need a film permit, but the County waives…

Student filmmakers shooting in Palmdale still need a permit from the City's Film Liaison before using any public or…

Placer County's filming ordinance folds student films into its general definition of regulated production, so a student…

Riverside County's filming ordinance names student films among the productions it regulates, requiring a free permit…

Student filmmakers in unincorporated San Bernardino County still need a filming permit but skip the processing fee with…

Student filmmakers in Santa Clara must obtain the same City permit as any other production, even though SCCC §…

Simi Valley requires a location filming permit from the City Manager's office for any motion picture, television, or…

Student filmmakers in the City of Sonoma still need a location filming permit like any commercial production, but…

South Gate still requires a production permit for student filmmakers, but the city waives its daily administrative…

Thousand Oaks still requires a film permit for student productions, but TOMC Section 4-8.06(b) lets the Film Liaison…

Student and nonprofit film projects in Alhambra still need a Photography/Filming Permit and must reimburse the city for…

Carson waives its film permit fee for charitable and student productions, but student filmmakers still must apply and…

Chino waives the filming permit business fee for classroom and educational video projects, but a permit application and…

Costa Mesa waives the filming permit application fee entirely for documentary, charitable and student productions…

Cupertino still requires students to obtain a filming permit under Section 5.51.030, but exempts charitable and student…

Eastvale waives commercial filming permit fees for student filmmakers under Municipal Code Section 6.16.040(b)…

Student and charitable films get a break from Garden Grove's filming rules: Municipal Code Section 8.80.040(B) waives…

Students enrolled in a school, college or university who are filming or videotaping a class project in Glendale get at…

Hawthorne exempts student films from the film permit fee and still-photography fee under HMC § 5.96.050, but a reduced…

Lancaster still requires a student filmmaker to get the same Chapter 5.46 film permit as any other production, but…

In unincorporated LA County, verified student film productions skip the Fire Code permit fee for filming and…

Marin County still requires the Chapter 5.36 commercial filming permit for student or educational productions, but…

Moorpark waives its filming-permit application fee for student productions made to satisfy a school course requirement…

Newport Beach still requires a film permit for student productions, but Section 5.46.030 waives both the application…

Orange waives filming permit fees for nonprofit and student productions. Section 5.45.010 defines 'charitable or…

Perris waives the filming permit issuance fee for student films made as part of an accredited school's instructional…

Student films still need a Redlands filming permit, but the city waives the permit fee entirely for productions made by…

Redondo Beach still requires a Film Permit for student projects, but waives the usual security deposit for filmmakers…

Student filmmakers in Riverside skip the Chapter 5.70 permit fee entirely. RMC § 5.70.040(D) waives fees for any…

San Leandro waives the professional filming application fee, but only the fee, for student productions. Section 2.4.400…

Student filmmakers still need a county film permit to shoot on county property, but Sec. 2.11.053(b) waives the permit…

Santa Clarita's film ordinance defines a "student film" as motion or still photography made to satisfy a course or…

The City of Ventura lets the film permit administrator waive any Chapter 8.120 fee for student filming under Municipal…

Vista exempts student filming from the film-permit requirement entirely when it does not involve placing equipment…

El Monte exempts noncommercial filming from its Chief of Police permit process. Municipal Code Section 5.64.040(D)…

Folsom exempts student filming from its film permit ordinance. Under Municipal Code Section 5.80.040(C)(6), students…

Moreno Valley exempts genuine student films from its Chapter 5.24 film permit requirement. A production made to satisfy…