Small crew? Your permit is free and instant
Where they stand
Karen Bass
No response yet
Nithya Raman
Supports
A free permit, issued on the spot, for any project with a crew of fewer than 5 people and a budget under $50,000. Small footprint, small paperwork.
What’s the problem?
Right now, a two-person crew with a camera and a tripod goes through [CURRENT PROCESS: permit cost and wait time, from FilmLA]. That system was built for 100-person shoots with trucks and street closures.
So students, documentarians and first-time filmmakers do one of three things: pay up, shoot without a permit, or shoot somewhere other than LA.
The fix
If your crew is under 5 people and your budget is under $50,000, you get your permit online, instantly, for free. The location and safety rules stay the same. The paperwork built for big productions goes away.
How would it affect me?
If you’re a student or first-timer
You can shoot your thesis or first short legally, in your own neighborhood, without a fee eating your budget.
If you run a small crew
Docs, music videos and run-and-gun shoots get a same-day yes instead of a reason to shoot outside LA.
If you live here
More small shoots come out of the shadows and onto the books, with the same rules about your street.
In plain English
Adopting this means
- Free permits for crews of 4 or fewer with budgets under $50K
- Approval online, on the spot
- Small shoots still follow location and safety rules
It doesn’t mean
- Fewer rules for big productions
- Skipping neighbor notice where it’s required [CONFIRM]
- Replacing the expedited permit (Proposal 4)
More reading
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