Permit Required: A film permit is required for any commercial filming activities within the City conducted on public property, unless otherwise exempted.
A. Permit Exemptions: Filming activities within the City on public property for private, non-commercial uses do not require a film permit. Filming activities, whether for commercial use or not, wholly conducted on private property (e.g., a studio) do not require a film permit. Still photography, student, contest, and charitable films and news media filming are exempt from obtaining a film permit.
B. Non-commercial and Exempted Filming Requirements: Though exempted and non-commercial filming activities do not require a film permit, such filming activities shall:
1. Obtain all necessary location reservations, pay all fees for the use of certain public properties or other resources, and obtain permits or licenses as may be required by the City or third-party entities for the use of their public property.
2. When a non-commercial or exempted filming activity includes the brandishing of a weapon (including but not limited to a real or artificial firearm) in public, then "filming in progress" signage must be clearly posted on-site, and notices to surrounding area residences and businesses and to Ada County Dispatch and the Boise Police Department must be provided in advance of such filming activities. Such notices and signage shall provide the date, time, and location of the filming activities that include brandishing weapons in public to avoid public distress and misuse of police resources.
C. Tiers Of Impact: The tiers of filming activities impact are described as follows:
1. Low Impact: Under the low-impact tier, there may be:
a. No discernable interruption of pedestrian traffic;
b. No interruption of vehicular traffic;
c. Use of city property requiring a reservation;
d. Use of more than seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the public street parking spaces on one (1) to three (3) blocks;
e. No activities outlined in the medium, high, or high-impact with SET tiers.
2. Medium Impact: Under the medium-impact tier, there may be:
a. Significant disruption to the normal flow of pedestrian traffic or will close a sidewalk or other pedestrian rights-of-way;
b. Use of City property after regular business hours for that property when the public is not allowed access;
c. Filming outdoors (on public property) between the hours of ten o'clock (10:00) P.M. and eight o'clock (8:00) A.M. Mountain Standard Time;
d. Filming on public property within a three hundred-foot (300') radius of a residence, with a combined crew and cast of ten (10) people;
e. Use of equipment or activities that are noise as defined and regulated by the City's noise provisions of this Code;
f. Simulated sexual encounters or nudity in public or on private property visible to the public;
g. Use of seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the public street parking spaces on four (4) to six (6) blocks;
h. No activities outlined in the high or high-impact with SET tiers.
3. High Impact: Under the high-impact tier, there may be:
a. Use of City property that would be disruptive to the normal function or City business conducted on that property;
b. Brandishing of real or artificial firearms, grenades, swords, or other weaponry in public or on private property visible to the public;
c. Simulated gunfire;
d. Use of smoke effects or water effects;
e. Use of an animal capable of inflicting serious harm upon human beings, or is an animal whose possession or sale is prohibited under federal, state, or local code;
f. Disruption to the normal flow of vehicular traffic or closure of a local roadway or other vehicular public rights-of-way for one (1) to three (3) days;
g. Filming on public property within a three hundred-foot (300') radius of a residence, with a combined crew and cast of more than ten (10) but no more than twenty-nine (29) people;
h. Use of seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the public street parking spaces on seven (7) to nine (9) blocks;
i. No activities outlined in the high-impact with SET tier.
4. High Impact With SET: Under the high-impact with SET assistance tier, there may be:
a. Disruption to the normal flow of vehicular traffic or closure of a local roadway or other vehicular public rights-of-way for four (4) or more days;
b. Disruption to the normal flow of vehicular traffic or closure of an interstate highway, arterial, or collector roadway;
c. Bus or other public transportation re-route planning required;
d. Use of pyrotechnics or other explosives, open flames, or other potentially dangerous instrumentalities;
e. Vehicle chases or vehicle crashes;
f. Dangerous stunts that have a reasonable likelihood of causing substantial personal injury;
g. Erected stages, facades, or other large props;
h. Use of low-flying aircraft other than drones;
i. Filming on public property within a three hundred-foot (300') radius of a residence, with a combined crew and cast of thirty (30) people or more;
j. Significant disruption to normal business or residential activities;
k. Use of seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the public street parking spaces on ten (10) or more blocks;
l. Past film permit violations with the City.
D. Filming Without Necessary Permit Prohibited: No person who, under the provisions of this chapter is required to obtain a film permit shall commence filming activities within the City without first obtaining such permit from the City Clerk's Office. (Ord. 44-23, 12-19-2023, eff. 11-1-2024)