www.simivalley.org/filming

A Message to Filmmakers:

For more than 70 years Simi Valley has played a significant role in the Southern California Film Industry. Our rugged mountain vistas, picturesque streets and parks and expansive Movie Ranches provide a rich and exciting venue for film production. This, coupled with a film-friendly community, ensures that your experience in our city will be an efficient and rewarding experience for all film production companies. As you will see, we offer an impressive array of filming locations, production facilities, and a one-stop permitting process that will make your decision to film here, in “The Zone”, a simple one.

The City of Simi Valley works, along with our City, County and State film offices, to keep the Southern California Film Industry healthy, vital and local. Our long-term relationship with the Film Industry would not be possible without the help and hospitality of the residents and businesses in our great community. We invite you to come visit Simi Valley. Your next location-filming decision just got a little easier. Talk to us. We’re ready to help. We want your business!

Sincerely,

Paul Miller
Mayor

General information:

• Minor filming permit applications (1-day shoot on private property, no street closures, no pyrotechnics, no aerials, and no other significant impacts) should be submitted to the City at least three days prior to filming.
• Major filming permit applications (multiple-day, filming on public property, street closures, pyrotechnics, “no parking” posting, aerials, or other significant impacts) should be submitted to the City at least five days prior to filming.
• [City staff will make every effort to accommodate “emergency” filming requests, provided that permit application submittals are complete and City personnel are available to provide requested services (e.g., Police services, “no parking” posting, etc.).]
• A complete location filming permit application form will include:
  • The site location and additional descriptive drawings of the site if needed
  • Location of crew parking areas
  • Certification that filming notifications have been provided to all residences/ businesses within 500 feet of the site (or a larger/smaller radius as determined by the City Manager’s Office)
  • Descriptions of any special effects, outdoor lighting, aerials, or other impacts
  • Dates, specific times, and locations of any temporary street closures or traffic control requirements
  • Specific dates and times of any parking restrictions
  • Copies of written consent of the property owner(s), and any consents required from neighboring property owners/residents/occupants as determined by the City Manager’s Office
  • Proof of compliance with insurance requirements as specified by the City
  • Payment of permit fees.

• It is a general policy of the City of Simi Valley that no filming which has traffic impacts shall take place between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., or between 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday on any of the streets listed below:

Los Angeles Avenue
First Street
Easy Street
Cochran Street
Erringer Road
Country Club Drive
Madera Road
Sequoia Avenue
Sinaloa Road
Royal Avenue
Sycamore Drive
Tierra Rejada Road
Alamo Street
Tapo Street
Wood Ranch Parkway
Kuehner Drive
Tapo Canyon Road
Yosemite Avenue
Stearns Street

Exceptions to this general policy may be considered on a case by case basis depending on the mitigating measures proposed by the permit applicant.

• Once approved, the City will provide a complete permit package, including all conditions to the applicant. The permit package must be available for review at the filming location during all dates and times covered by the permit.

Permit Processing:

Minor Permit: $354.00

Major Permit: $750.00

Temporary Use Permit (TUP): $46.00

Business License Fee: $100.00 (per day of filming)

Encroachment Permit (for filming or camera set-up within the public right-of-way): $207.00

No Parking Posting: $75.00 + $.15/lin. ft. of posting

Police Services: $100 per hour for each requested/assigned officer (2-hour minimum)

The cost for a typical Minor Permit (Minor Permit fee, TUP, Business License Fee) is currently $500.00 plus $100.00 per day for additional filming days.

The cost for a typical Major Permit (Major Permit fee, TUP, Encroachment Permit, Business License Fee) is currently $1,103 plus the cost for any “no parking” posting, Police services, and $100.00 per day for additional filming days.

Permits shall not be required for the following location filming activities provided that no obstruction or impairment of the use of public rights-of-way or public property results from such activities:

(a) Filming, video taping, or still photography of current news by reporters, photographers, and camera operators employed by a newspaper, news service, broadcasting station, or similar entity when actually engaged in reporting news events concerning those persons, scenes, or occurrences which are in the news and of general public interest.

(b) Filming, video taping, or still photography at commercial facilities designed and operated principally for filming or broadcast purposes such as motion picture, television, and photography studios.

(c) Filming, video taping, or still photography solely for personal or family use.

(d) Filming, video taping, or still photography where a person or business has contracted to produce an advertisement or commercial, where such filming, video taping, or still photography activities are conducted entirely on private property and no obstructions or impairment of the public use of the public rights-of-way or other public facilities will result.

(§ 1, Ord. 724, eff. March 1, 1990, as amended by § 1, Ord. 804, eff. November 11, 1993)