No citywide film permit.
Lead time Right of way: 3 business days for a commercial or mobile film permit, 2 for a student permit, and police (APD) approval 5 business days ahead
Fees Right of way: a film permit application fee (waived for student and b-roll shoots), plus parking permit application and usage fees where spaces are reserved
| Do you need one? | No citywide film permit. A right-of-way permit is required for any filming in a street, sidewalk, alley or parking lane, including b-roll, stills and student work, and for anything that stops or reroutes traffic. City parks require a filming permit. Private property needs no city permit, though insurance is required for all public property. |
| Who issues it | No single film office issues permits. Streets, sidewalks and parking go through Austin Transportation and Public Works, Office of Special Events (OSE); city parks through the Parks and Recreation special events office; the Austin Film Commission (Visit Austin) and the city's creative industries ombudsman help route requests. |
| Lead time | Right of way: 3 business days for a commercial or mobile film permit, 2 for a student permit, and police (APD) approval 5 business days ahead. Parks: at least 7 days, 14 or more for popular parks, multiple locations or large crews. |
| Fees | Right of way: a film permit application fee (waived for student and b-roll shoots), plus parking permit application and usage fees where spaces are reserved; amounts are set each fiscal year and not listed on the page. Parks photo sessions are $50 per 2-hour block; park filming fees are not listed. |
| Insurance | City of Austin property generally needs commercial general liability of at least $500,000 per occurrence with the City named as additional insured; more may apply by activity. The airport requires $5 million for certain liabilities. Student shoots in the right of way may use the school's policy. |
| Police, fire and traffic | APD approval is part of every right-of-way application. Intermittent traffic control (stops of 5 minutes or less) is run only by APD officers. Off-duty rates not published. |
| Street and lane closures | Holding any part of the right of way longer than 5-minute increments needs a full closure, which requires a traffic control plan signed and sealed by a licensed engineer and set up by a certified traffic control company. Reserved unmetered parking needs 7-foot regulation signs posted at least 48 hours ahead; towing only if the OSE process was followed. |
| Telling neighbors | Fronting properties must sign off on the closure, and the notification record must be notarized. Not required for mobile filming. |
| Students and nonprofits | Student films still need a right-of-way permit but pay no application fee, can file 2 business days ahead, and can use the school's insurance. |
| Drones | The parks office says state law (Texas Government Code chapter 423) and FAA rules apply; no separate city drone permit is described. |
| Also | One right-of-way application per shoot covering every location, with separate applications for b-roll. Streets and sidewalks around the Texas Capitol are the City's; the grounds belong to the State Preservation Board. Filming at Austin-Bergstrom airport is on hold. Austin Public Library and the Austin Center for Events handle their own requests. |
From the official pages: City of Austin - Film production city permits ↗︎ · Austin TPW Office of Special Events ↗︎ · Austin Parks special events policies ↗︎ · Austin Film Commission - Insurance requirements ↗︎. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you shoot. Not legal advice. Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.