Film permitCity
Filming in Denton
Anyone filming in Denton for commercial purposes needs a film permit.
Lead time At least 10 working days for the film permit
Fees No fee for the film permit
What it takes
| Do you need one? | Anyone filming in Denton for commercial purposes needs a film permit. Private use, news media and city business are exempt. Blocking or closing any public right of way needs a separate street closing permit. |
| Who issues it | City of Denton Economic Development (Film Friendly Denton); the City Manager issues permits. |
| Lead time | At least 10 working days for the film permit; at least 14 working days for a street closing permit (both waivable by the City Manager). The street closing petition is due 5 days before the closure. |
| Fees | No fee for the film permit. |
| Insurance | At least $1 million combined single limit general liability per occurrence, with the City of Denton as certificate holder; the City Manager may require more. A signed hold harmless agreement is required. |
| Police, fire and traffic | Traffic control plans are coordinated with Denton Police; if traffic must be directed, only police officers may do it. Off-duty Denton officers can be hired for security or traffic control. |
| Street and lane closures | Circulate a petition and collect signatures from all abutting owners, tenants and merchants. Emergency vehicles and city staff must always have access, and owners must have reasonable access. Date or location changes need approval 5 working days ahead, and a schedule shift requested by the production must be told to abutting owners at least 48 hours ahead. |
| Telling neighbors | Written notice to all adjacent properties reasonably affected by filming. |
| Hours and noise | The City Manager may deny a permit if locations, hours, noise or traffic disruption are unreasonable. |
| Also | Certified Film Friendly Texas since 2018. |
From the official pages: City of Denton - Film Friendly Denton ↗︎ · City of Denton film permit ordinance (PDF) ↗︎. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you shoot. Not legal advice. Photo: Aaron Jacobs, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons.