Film Permits: The Permitting Process

To submit a photography and fliming request, you must contact the forest office that is responsible for the area where you are interested in filming.

You will be referred to the ranger district office where the decision will be made to issue a permit to film on National Forest System lands.

Required documents

You must:

• Provide a detailed description of your planned filming activity.
• Use the Photography and Filming Request to describe your proposed use of National Forest System lands.
• Provide a map showing specific filming locations.
• Submit liability insurance naming the U.S. Government as “additional insured.” 

We will determine the appropriate amount of insurance coverage. Depending on the location and type of production, we may impose additional requirements such as bonding.

Timeframe

At a minimum, plan to submit your proposal at least 60 days before you want to start filming. Complex filming proposals may require more time. This depends on the level of analysis we determine needs to be completed before a permit can be issued.