film
permits
san francisco
film
permits
san francisco
Film permits are required to shoot in San Francisco for film and media production, for commercial or non-commercial use.
Permits are key for a successful production in San Francisco. San Francisco does not offer blanket permits to film the entire city.
Whether you have one location or twenty locations, a well coordinated permit strategy can keep you on schedule, on budget and in my experience, has proven to be stress free.
The San Francisco Film Commission (filmSF) permit office is the first stop. They are your friends and they’ll help make your project happen.
The permit-location discussion should start in pre-production. Be aware that while the SF permit office needs seven business days to process a permit, there are many other elements that may come into play depending what you plan to do. San Francisco does not offer blanket permits to film the entire city.
The SFFilm Commission is the hub where all the other city permits are joined together — but don’t confuse it with the National Park service, which can be mistaken as part of the city of San Francisco.
For example, if you want to shoot at the beaches on the westside of the city, that would be under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service — a completely different permit agency. They can take four to 15 business days to process a permit, and they require a non-refundable application fee.
The SFO airport requires three weeks to review a proposed shoot. Parks and Recreation needs 5 business days to process a permit. There are many jurisdictions within the city that have their own timelines and fees and they will all want fees up front before the permit(s) can be issued.
As a Scout, I offer permit assistance as a service for productions I scout for. I can assist with the process as a consultant, advisor and strategist, deliver neighborhood notifications, attend special meetings, or tech scout with you to show your Location Manager what they need to know. In addition, I may be available remotely while you are on location to answer questions.
But remember, The SfFilm Commission rocks. They’re your friend, and they’ll do their best to keep you on course.
sffilm permit info
a partial list
Film permits are required to shoot in San Francisco for film and media production, for commercial or non-commercial use.
Permits are key for a successful production in San Francisco. San Francisco does not offer blanket permits to film the entire city.
Whether you have one location or twenty locations, a well coordinated permit strategy can keep you on schedule, on budget and in my experience, has proven to be stress free.
The San Francisco Film Commission (filmSF) permit office is the first stop. They are your friends and they’ll help make your project happen.
The permit-location discussion should start in pre-production. Be aware that while the SF permit office needs seven business days to process a permit, there are many other elements that may come into play depending what you plan to do.
San Francisco does not offer blanket permits to film the entire city
The SFFilm Commission is the hub where all the other city permits are joined together — but don’t confuse it with the National Park service, which can be mistaken as part of the city of San Francisco.
For example if you want to shoot at the beaches on the westside of the city, that would be under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service — a completely different permit agency. They can take four to 15 business days to process a permit, and they require a non-refundable application fee.
The SFO airport requires three weeks to review a proposed shoot. Parks and Recreation needs 5 business days to process a permit. There are many jurisdictions within the city that have their own timelines and fees and they will all want fees up front before the permit(s) can be issued.
As a Scout, I offer permit assistance as a service for productions I scout for. I can assist with the process as a consultant, advisor and strategist, deliver neighborhood notifications, attend special meetings, or tech scout with you to show your Location Manager what they need to know. In addition, I may be available remotely while you are on location to answer questions.
But remember, The SFFilm Commission rocks. They’re your friend, and they’ll do their best to keep you on course.
The SFFilm Commission rocks
sffilm permit info
a partial list
As a Scout, I offer permit assistance as a service for productions I scout for.
