Do I Need a Permit?
The Suffolk County Film Commission is dedicated to making the application process for filming in Suffolk County as convenient as possible. Let us be your guide to identifying the appropriate permits, county services, and police contact for your production.
Municipal Town and Village Permits:
Most permits and insurance filings will be done at the town or village level:
Suffolk is comprised of 10 towns and 33 incorporated villages
Municipal Permits are filed for the town or village of the location where you will be filming: Town and village permits can be found here
For additional information on municipalities visit our FAQ page
Suffolk County Permits:
County owned locations will require you to file a permit with Suffolk County: located here
All Suffolk County Permits need a minimum of five days to process.
Suffolk County Park DRONE Permits: Drone Application for Unmanned Flying Aircraft.pdf DRONEpolicy rev 1-MS 6-23-16.pdf
New York State Permits:
New York State Department of Parks
NYS L.I. Regional Permits Office
Phone: (631) 321-3515
longislandpermits@parks.ny.gov
parks.ny.gov
Click here for NYS Parks permit
New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT Region 10)
Olu Fajolu, 631-952-6022, Olumuyiwa.Fajolu@dot.ny.gov
Filming on State Highways, Special Use Permit information and link to Permit Form 33f
Where temporary traffic control (lane closure/road closure & detour/sidewalk closure) is in place for greater than 10 minutes…either for staging or actual filming, then this application is required. This is almost ALWAYS required from what we’ve encountered.
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/oom/transportation-systems/repository/perm33.pdf
The insurance requirements for ALL Permits changed on July 14, 2014 and are as follows:
- Insurance Requirements: Acord 25 (minimum limits $1,000,000.00) with NYSDOT as an additional insured. The Certificate Holder’s box on the Acord form should read NYSDOT Traffic Engineering & Safety, 250 Veterans Memorial Highway, Rm. 6A-7, Hauppauge, NY 11788
- Acord 855
- Provide proof of Workers Compensation Insurance (Form C-105.2, U-26.3 or SI-12) or proof of exemption (Form CE-200).
- Provide proof of Disability Benefits Coverage (Form DB-120.1 or DB-155) or proof of exemption (Form CE 200).
Republic Airport
Filming at Republic Airport has become a cost-effective location for a broad range of metropolitan based production companies. With its secure and controlled environment and broad open spaces, the airport has hosted productions ranging from commercials, to television programs, to feature films. These productions have used Republic for both aviation and non-aviation venues.
For more information click here
U.S. Federal Permits:
National Park Service Special Use Permits for Commercial Filming.
Long Island National Park Service contact info: 631-687-4758 or via e-mail.
The Coast Guard Station, Fire Island, Command Duty Officer 631-661-9101. The USCG Sector for Long Island SOund is based out of New Haven, CT. All marine event permits start with this office.
Location Expenditure Reports
In order for Suffolk County and our Towns and Villages to serve the film industry in a productive and cost-effective manner, we need your data. Please fill out the Location Expenditure Report form and email it back to diana.cherryholmes@suffolkcountyny.gov. Thank you for helping to move the Suffolk County film industry forward!
Special Permits and Production Guidelines
If you do not know the ownership, or entities involved with a location where you would like to film, please contact us for assistance:
phone: 631-853-4800 email: diana.cherryholmes@suffolkcountyny.gov