Film Permits

A FilmLA Film Permit is required for filming any film, digital or stills commercial projects on private property, City streets/sidewalks, public right-of-way areas or on City-owned properties, including parks or City-owned buildings in Palmdale. This is an L.A. County requirement and also applies to any “unincorporated areas” within the Greater Antelope Valley and the City of Lancaster.

Commercial filming projects are considered as, but not limited to: feature films (studio and “indie” productions), TV commercials, web ads, streaming and reality TV shows, still photo shoots, music videos, documentaries, shorts, “demo reels” and industrial/corporate projects.

Personal photography, including but not limited to, wedding portraits, family portraits, anniversary photos, school sports events and private portraits, does not require a film permit.

FilmLA is the official non-profit film permit office for Palmdale, the City of Los Angeles and the greater L.A. County area. It provides a streamlined, one-stop source for all film permits issued in Palmdale. 

Student Film Permits

A student film permit is required for students who are currently enrolled in an accredited university or certified film class at a community college. FilmLA offers student film permits at a greatly reduced cost to help educate film students on the film permit and location details and process.

ITC (Intermittent Traffic Control) and Full Road Closures:

If your production needs to arrange for intermittent traffic control (ITC) or full road closure, you will need to apply with FilmLA to coordinate with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department or the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to arrange for officers to be available on the day(s) needed.

A full road closure requires a Traffic Control Plan (TCP) that must be submitted to the City of Palmdale’s Traffic Engineering division by a licensed and registered Traffic Engineer at least 48 hours prior to your shoot day.

NOTE: Before making such arrangements with your Permit Coordinator, please confirm with the Palmdale Film Liaison that the streets and roads are available and that no road repairs or maintenance have been scheduled for that specific date.

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Basecamp Basics

Palmdale is well known for its film-friendly reputation to productions and film crews of all sizes. Like all other municipalities and communities in LA County, Palmdale follows and adheres to FilmLA’s basic rules and regulations regarding the placement of basecamps and crew parking. Respect, courtesy and consideration for neighbors are essential.

Basecamp and crew parking is required to be on private property. Unless there is a specific exemption in your FilmLA Permit, basecamps and crew parking are not allowed on City streets (residential or commercial areas) and cannot be parked on the side of the road in remote desert areas. The most likely exemption to this rule allows essential production vehicles (i.e., the Camera Cube, G&E, a Production MoHo and a Honeywagon) to be close to set.

If the production is filming any distance away (out of eyesight) from your basecamp or crew parking, it is advisable to hire a private security company to keep an eye on things and to keep any unwanted visitors away.

Additionally, a copy of your film permit must always be available for law enforcement, the fire department, a park ranger or any City official to see at any time.

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Filming Policies

Filming at City of Palmdale Facilities

The City allows filming at City-owned locations and facilities. Please contact David Halver, Film Liaison, to arrange a rental of the location and check the availability for your next film project.

Contact Film Liasion

California's Film Tax Incentive

The California Film Commission administers the Film & Television Tax Credit Program 3.0, which provides tax credits based on qualified expenditures for eligible productions that are produced in California. Learn more by visiting the California Film Commission.