Some information on this page may be incorrect or out of date, so please verify.
A note Regarding California Work Permits For Minors
California is very strict regarding the employment of minors in the film and TV industry. At a minimum, you must have Workers' Compensation Insurance that covers all extras and actors (including minors) and an "entertainment permit to employ minors," which can be obtained for free. A couple of things to keep in mind when employing minors is that 1) the production company is ALWAYS considered the "employer," not the casting agency (the only exception is "lead" actors, who negotiate their own contracts); and 2) Under California Labor Law, minors, both extras and actors, are NOT considered independent contractors. If you need more information than what we have provided, please contact a local District Office for the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.

The links shown on this page will help direct you to the appropriate sites and agencies for obtaining filming permits.

Probably the best place to start is to contact Sheri Davis (909.888.9011 ext. 207) or Dan Taylor (909.888.9011 ext. 206) of the Inland Empire Film Commission. They not only handle the permits for Riverside County, San Bernardino County and the U.S. Forest Service, but are also a great resource on permits when dealing with the Bureau of Land Management, desert cities and state jurisdictions.

WARNING:  Except for studio lots, permits are ALWAYS REQUIRED, even on PRIVATE PROPERTY!   Important reasons for following this rule... if caught, a production can be shut down and need to be rescheduled ($$$$$) and if an accident occurs during a shoot when there is no permit, your production insurance can deny the claim, leaving the production / producers fully liable and crew with no recourse but to sue. On BLM (federal desert) land, the BLM can also confiscate your production equipment. Think about the risk, both to your production and to the crew. Permits are probably the cheapest "insurance" there is.

Film Commissions & Offices
Inland Empire Film Commission Palm Springs Film Office
Oversees permitting for Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and working with the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service.
Inland Empire Film Commission
Dan Taylor    909.888.9011 ext. 206
dtaylor@filminlandempire.com
Sheri Davis    909.888.9011 ext. 207
sheridavis@filminlandempire.com
Morongo Film Office
The film office for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa.
City Agencies
City of Palm Springs (Map)
Film Permit Application (pdf)
City Filming Policy & Regulations (pdf)
Janice Lopez -- (760) 323-8272
janicel@palmsprings-ca.gov
Processing Time: 1-3 Days
Permit Fees:
$150 fee + $40 p/day motion
$75 fee + $15 p/day still
Insurance: $1 million liability
Police/Sheriff: $46/hour per officer
(8 hr. min.)
Fire: $35/hour per officer (8 hr. min.)

Cathedral City (Map)
Film Permit Application (pdf)
Lynn Mallotto -- (760) 770-0346
Processing Time: 1-3 days
Permit Fees: $100 motion / $50 still
Insurance: $1 million liability
Police/Sheriff: $35/hour + equipment
Fire: Not automatically required
Note: Requires Business Permit

Rancho Mirage (Map)
Bruce Williams -- (760) 324-4511
Processing Time: 1-3 days
Permit Fees: $100 Motion / $50 Still
Insurance: $1 million liability
Police/Sheriff: $37.80/hour per officer + mileage (4 hour minimum)
Fire: Not usually required.
Special Provisions: Filming is allowed on a case by case basis. They do not allow filming in residential areas. If, for some reason, they do approve a residential shoot, it will take 20 days to process a permit.
Palm Desert (Map)
Film Permit Page
Robert Bishop
-- (760) 346-0611, x 340
Processing Time: 5 days with no encroachment, 2 weeks with.
Permit Fees:
Insurance: $1 million liability
Police/Sheriff: $37.80/hour per officer + mileage.
Fire: Payment for services as needed; not usually required.
Roads: road encroachment permit required if using roads.
Indian Wells (Map)
Sergio Medera
-- (760) 346-2489, x252
Processing Time: 3-8 days
Permit Fees: $24
Insurance: $1 million liability
Police/Sheriff: $37.80/hr per officer -
4 hr min.
Fire: Payment for services as needed.
La Quinta (Map)
Film Permit Application (pdf)
Deby Conrad
- Community Safety Manager -- (760) 777-7022
Processing Time: 1-3 Days
Permit Fees: $100 motion, $50 still
Insurance: $1 million liability
Police/Sheriff: $37.80/hour per officer -
4 hr. min. + mileage.
Fire: Off duty volunteers available (donation basis).
Roads: Need Sheriff's approval.
Indio (Map)
Mark Glosserman -- (760) 391-4000
Processing Time: 1-3 days
Permit Fees: $100 +: $25/day, $125/seven days (motion) or $10/day, $50/seven days (still)
Insurance: $1 million liability
Police/Sheriff: $73/hour per officer
Fire: Payment for services as needed.
Roads: $150 min. encroachment permit fee.
Coachella (Map)
Rene Rozales (Code Enforcement) --
(760) 398-3502 x116
Processing Time: 1-5 days
Permit Fees: $300 flat fee
Insurance: $1 million liability minimum depending on filming requirement.
Police/Sheriff: At cost, in advance, as determined by city and local Police Authority.
Fire: At cost, in advance, as determined by city and local Fire Authority.
Roads: Included in fee in most cases.
Special Provisions: All filming requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Desert Hot Springs (Map)
Cynthia Lugo -- (760) 329-6411 x103
Processing Time: 5 business days
Permit Fees: $100
Insurance: $1 million liability
Police/Sheriff: $37.80/hour - (4 hr. min.)
Fire: varies - if needed
Town of Yucca Valley (Map)
Robert Kirshwin -- (760) 369-6575
Processing Time: 1-5 working days
Permit Fees: >3 Days Notice - $24
3 Days Notice - $120
2 Days Notice - $360
Insurance: $1 million liability
Police/Sheriff: Handled through San Bernardino County
Fire: Handled through S.B. County
Roads: Contact Public Works
Twentynine Palms (Map)
Alex Meyorhoff -- (760) 367-6799 x121
Processing Time: 1-2 Days
Permit Fees: $100 (discounted to $25 if submitted 30 days prior to filming)
Police/Sheriff: $32/hour per officer
Fire: Nothing established.
Insurance: $1 million liability, additionally insured endorsement.
Roads: Contact Public Works
Blythe (Map)
Jennifer Wellman -- (760) 922-6161 x246
Processing Time: 10 days
Permit Fees: None, no permits issued.
Police/Sheriff: $87.34-$109.96/hour per officer - $32/hour per reserve officer.
Fire: Volunteer, not to be hired on a hourly basis.
Insurance: $500,000 liability
Roads: Contact Public Works Director
Special Provisions: Barricading of public streets required when used for filming.
County, State & Federal Agencies
County of Riverside
The Inland Empire Film Commission handles filming permits for Riverside County.
Inland Empire Film Commission
Dan Taylor    909.888.9011 ext. 206
dtaylor@filminlandempire.com
Sheri Davis    909.888.9011 ext. 207
sheridavis@filminlandempire.com

Film Permit Application (pdf)
Processing Time:
1-5 days
Permit Fees: Motion:
$150 / Still: $100
Insurance:
$1 million auto liability; $1 million general; $1 million Workers Compensation; $10 million aircraft
Police/Sheriff:
CHP: $45-$69/hour
(4 hour min. per officer)
Fire:
$126 deposit (balance refundable)
3-10 day permit processing for FX
Roads:
ITCs - Processing Fee: $112.00; Permit Fee: $ 91.50 per day; Full Road Closure - All ITC fees plus closure Processing Fee: $156.00; Closure Permit Fee: $91.50 per day (Traffic Control Plan required).
Special Provisions:
Film friendly - location assistance and photos available.

County of San Bernardino
The Inland Empire Film Commission handles filming permits for San Bernardino County.
Inland Empire Film Commission
Dan Taylor    909.888.9011 ext. 206
dtaylor@filminlandempire.com
Sheri Davis    909.888.9011 ext. 207
sheridavis@filminlandempire.com
Film Permit Application (pdf)
Processing Time: 1-5 days
Permit Fees:
Motion: $150 / Still: $100 / Processing fee: $100
Insurance:
$1 million liability; $10 million liability for aircraft; $1 million liability naming County Roads Dept. as additional insured for roads.
Police/Sheriff:
Roads: hourly via CHP.
Other: hourly via Sheriff.
Fire:
Fire permit required for all hazardous/SFX shoots ($100=Stills - $125=Motion).
Hourly for personnel & equipment
Roads:
1-5 days. Fees -- 2 full working days notice or more=$32.00; Less than 2 full working days=$332.00; Road encroachment permit & CHP approval required.
Salton Sea State Recreational Area (Map)
Film Permit Information Page
Kathy Dice - location information (760) 393-2460
David Booth - permit information (800) 858-4749, Ext. 106
Bureau of Land Management
Contact the Inland Empire Film Commission (IEFC) for advice and info on obtaining filming permits through the Bureau of Land Management.
Inland Empire Film Commission
Dan Taylor    909.888.9011 ext. 206
dtaylor@filminlandempire.com
Sheri Davis    909.888.9011 ext. 207
sheridavis@filminlandempire.com

BLM PERMITS:
Diane Gomez -- (760) 251-4852
Processing Time: 2 weeks
Permit Fees: Motion: 1-30 people $250/day; 31-60 people $500/day; over 60 people $600/day
Still: 1-10 people $100/day; 11-30 people $150/day; over 30 people $250/day
Insurance: $1 million liability
Police/Sheriff: varies - if needed
Fire: varies - if needed
Roads: varies - if needed
Special Provisions: Case-by-case stipulations for each location. Environmental review needed on many applications but not all.
Box Canyon Road (case-by-case)
Painted Canyon Road (case-by-case)
Palen Sand Dunes (case-by-case)
Windmills on BLM land (case-by-case)
United States Forest Service
Contact the Inland Empire Film Commission for filming permits.
Inland Empire Film Commission
Dan Taylor    909.888.9011 ext. 206
dtaylor@filminlandempire.com
Sheri Davis   909.888.9011 ext. 207
sheridavis@filminlandempire.com
Film Permit Application (pdf)

Permit Fees:
Motion: 1-10 people $150/day; 11-30 people $200/day; 31-60 people $500/day; over 60 people $600/day
Still: 1-10 people $50/day; 11-30 people $150/day; over 30 people $250/day
Insurance:
$1 million Additional Insured
Police/Sheriff:
varies - if needed
Fire:
varies - if needed
Special Provisions:
Most provisions are based on federal regulations.

Joshua Tree National Park (Map)

JOSHUA TREE N.P. IS NOW OFF LIMITS TO FILMING!

Film Permit App. (crew up to 10) (pdf)
Film Permit App. (crew >10) (pdf)
Don Roberts - Park Ranger
(760) 367-5545
Processing Time: 1-5 days
Permit Fees: $100-$225 application fee
$125 processing fee
$50/hour monitoring fee per monitor
(2 hour min.)
Insurance: $1 million liability
Police/Sheriff: Varies - if needed
Fire: Varies - if needed

Special Provisions: Bonds: $2,000-$5,000 (refundable barring any resource damage). No aircraft or animals allowed. Number of vehicles limited. Five (and only five) specific locations set aside for filming in park.

Native Tribes
Morongo Band of Mission Indians
Tribal land in and around the Banning Pass. For filming permits see Morongo Film Office.
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Tribal land in and around the City of Palm Springs.
Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
Tribal land in and around the City of Indio.