For Updated COVID-19 Information click here.
The Arizona Office of Film & Digital Media is here to assist you with film permits for usage of city property, state-owned lands, tribal, and federal lands in Arizona. Your project may require various permits, along with fees and proof of insurance, depending upon each specific location. We've provided some helpful links below to some primary permitting agencies to get you started. Not every permit requires a fee.
Currently, there are no application fees for permits requesting to film on State park lands, highways, or roads. Find your location first and the jurisdiction, then see if a permit is needed to film there. If you need further assistance, Register Your Project and tell us about the locations you'd like to use and we'll be glad to help direct you to the proper permitting authority.
Permit Time Frames: (Subject to Change)
Permits NOT submitted in advance of a jurisdiction's time frame MAY NOT BE GRANTED.
City of Phoenix: 24 Hours
City of Tucson: 24 Hours
AZ Dept. of Transportation: 10 Business Days
AZ State Parks & Trails: 10 Business Days (Small Scale); 30 Business Days (Large Scale)
AZ Federal Lands: (Ranges below, check with specific jurisdiction)
Bureau of Land Management: 30 - 60 Business Days
National Park Service (NPS), Monuments, Recreation Areas: 10 - 45 Business Days
Grand Canyon National Park - 10 Days
Glenn Canyon National Rec Area (Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend) - 45 Days
National Forest Service (NFS): 60 Business Days
AZ Tribal Lands: 30-60 Business Days (May 2021 - Some Tribal Authorities have suspended permitting, such as Navajo Nation, with parks remaining closed. Havasupai Falls is closed thru 2/2022.)
CITY AND COUNTY
For filming on or within City and County areas, contact the nearest local film office. For additional assistance, you can also reach out to our government and industry liaisons known as our Film Resource Coordinators - Film Office/Film Resource Coordinators.
STATE
For more information on filming on state roads, parks and highways see the permit links below. Currently, there are no application fees for permits to film in state parks and along state roads and highways. If you need further assistance, please contact us.
Arizona Department of Transportation
Permit Application
Permit Resources: Find a State Road, Interactive State map with mileposts, Find Arizona Airports
Rest Areas, Traffic Advisories, VIEW roadways in various areas (Use filters to search for specific areas).
Arizona Department of Public Safety
Hire Off-duty Highway Patrol Officers for security and traffic control:
Contact: Brandy Reissner
Phone: (602) 223-2855
Mobile: (602) 769-4788
Arizona Parks & Trails -
Details on what's open/closed.
Permit Application
Permit Resource: Find a State Park
Arizona State Trust Lands
Permit Application
Public Information Request
(Account creation needed for access)
FEDERAL
(COVID-19 Impacts - Some federal locations and permitting authorities in Arizona are being impacted by the current pandemic. Please review the notations below.)
Federal permits may be required for filming on national parks and forest lands in Arizona. This includes on waterways within these areas. Permits are governed by the administrator of the land which could be either the National Park Service (NPS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the National Forest Service (NFS).
National Parks, Monuments, Recreational Areas
There are 24 National Park Service (NPS) units in Arizona, including three national parks (Grand Canyon (CV-19 Info), Petrified Forest, Saguaro). Additionally, there are four national monuments administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - (Agua Fria, Parashant-Grand Canyon, Ironwood Forest, Sonoran Desert, Vermillion Cliffs).
Permits - National Park Service (No drones allowed)
Lake Mead Recreational Area - Permit information
Find information about - Arizona National Parks, National Monuments, and National Recreation Areas
Bureau of Land Management
Permits - Bureau of Land Management (Fire restrictions: Using exploding targets, fireworks, tracer ammunition, paper/sky lanterns, and other incendiary devices is prohibited year-round on all BLM-managed public land in Arizona.)
National Forests
There are six national forests located in Arizona, administered by the USDA's National Forest Service (NFS). Map
Permits - National Forest Service (Drone regulations)
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Coconino National Forest
Coronado National Forest
Kaibab National Forest
Prescott National Forest
Tonto National Forest
TRIBAL LANDS
Filming and commercial photography on tribal lands require the approval of respective tribal governments.
Average permitting length: AZ Tribal Lands: 30-60 Business Days from time of submission. Some jurisdictions may process permits shorter or longer than the expected times above depending on staffing, permit scope, and impacts on the approval process,
NOTE: As of May 2021, some Tribal authorities have suspended permitting, such as within Navajo Nation, with parks remaining closed until further notice. Havasupai Falls is closed thru 2/2022.
For permit information for tribal nations other than Navajo Nation, please contact us.
Native American Tribes in Arizona (Tribal information/Arizona Office of Tourism)
Additional Travel Tips & Guidelines (Arizona Office of Tourism)
NAVAJO NATION:
COVID-19 Impacts - (Permitting temporarily suspended)
Film & Commercial Photography Permits - Outside Tribal Park locations submit your permit applications to Navajo Nation TV & Film Office.
Film & Commercial Photography Permits - Within Tribal Park locations submit your permit applications to Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation. Permits are approved by each tribal park jurisdiction: Little Colorado River, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, Four Corners, Canyon de Chelly – Campground, Bowl Canyon, and the Navajo Veterans Memorial Park.
Filming Guidelines: Please be aware of all Navajo Nation Laws while visiting tribal parks. There is NO CREMATION, NO LITTERING, NO CLIMBING, and NO DRONES inside the Navajo Tribal Parks.
MAP of locations within Monument Valley Tribal Park that require a permit
Locations within Lake Powell Tribal Park that require a permit