Film Permits
Film SLO CAL is your resource for film permitting information in SLO CAL® (San Luis Obispo County). We understand that obtaining a film permit in a timely manner is essential to meet your production deadlines. At Film SLO CAL, we can quickly direct you to the respective permitting agencies for your selected locations, resulting in a quick turnaround time and streamlined process.
Each jurisdiction in San Luis Obispo County has its own special permitting requirements, and we are here to help navigate you through the process. Your shoot is extremely important to us as we work closely with you and the permitting agencies to obtain a successful outcome.
Permitting fees, processing times and requirements vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. We encourage you to contact the appropriate permitting area early in the pre-production stages for detailed information and to ensure you have the proper permits in hand by the time of production. Please allow at least five to seven business days at a minimum for most permits to process.
Filming on private property? No problem! Most cities in San Luis Obispo County do not require filming permits on private property. If you are hoping to film on private property and would like some guidance as to what each city requires as best practices, please contact us at Film@SLOCAL.com.
Below you will find a list of contacts for each City, State and National permitting district.
City Permits
Arroyo Grande Commander Greg Pierce P: 805-473-5112
Atascadero Terrie Banish P: 805-470-3490 F: 805-470-3491
Grover Beach Megan Martin P: 805-473-4520
Morro Bay Kirk Carmichael P: 805-772-6282; Permit Application
Pismo Beach Brianna Whisenhunt P: 805-773-4658 Permit Application | Permit Information & FAQ
Paso Robles Paul Sloan P: 805-237-3888 Permit Application
San Luis Obispo Devin Hyfield P: 805-781-7295 Permit Application
County Permits
Unincorporated Areas (Including Avila Beach, Cambria, Cayucos, California Valley, Carrizo Plains, Nipomo, San Simeon, Santa Margarita, Templeton) Kurry Wannagat, Filming Permit Coordinator P: 805-781-5563
SLO County Film Permit Information Portal
State Permits
Montana de Oro State Park, Morro State Park, Morro Strand State Beach, San Simeon State Park and Leffingwell Landing: Aja Myers P: 805-927-2070 Permit Application
Pismo Beach State Vehicular Recreation Area (Oceano Dunes, Monarch Butterfly Grove) Jennifer Holiday and Roger Jacobs District Planning Chief, Sr. PRS P: 805-904-4018 Permit Application
Hearst Castle: Jim Allen P: 805-712-4855
Cayucos State Beach, Pier and Parking Kurry Wannagat, Filming Permit Coordinator P: 805-781-5563
SLO County Film Permit Information Portal
Other Locations
Cal Poly (Uniform Permit Application) Matt Lazier P: 805-756-7109
Port San Luis Harbor District: Jennifer Szeliga, Will Friedman and Jeff Minnery P: 805-595-5400 Permit Application
Cal Trans Permitting: California Film Commission P: 323.860.2960 Permit Application
Local Cal Trans Office: Valerie Beard (District Permit Engineer)
California Highway Patrol Jon Dockweiler P: 213.703.2070
Lake Nacimiento (Monterey Parks and Recreation) Dona Luna P: 831-755-5455
Los Padres National Forest/Santa Lucia Wilderness David Betz P: 805-925-9538 x227 Permit Application (Please allow 3-4 weeks to process)
Piedras Blancas Light Station: Ryan A Cooper at the Bureau of Land Management
