Filming Permission
Do I need permission to film in London?
It is important that wherever you plan to film in London you get permission or
notify the appropriate authority. Locations may either be privately owned, or public property (including street filming) - please see below for a definition of each category.
Privately owned locations
To film in private locations such as residential properties, you will need to
apply directly to the property owner. Please remember that if you are filming
in a flat or on a housing estate it may be owned by a Housing Association or Council
so you will need to contact ALL relevant parties.
We have approximately 3,000 locations in our online Directory and approximately 6,000 in our locations library. You are welcome to visit the
library during office hours (Monday - Friday, 9am - 6pm). This is a free service.
Street filming and public properties
London is divided into 33 separate boroughs and each has its own Borough Film Service (BFS) that deals with filming requests for all Local Authority managed locations
(e.g. streets, estates, commons, town halls, some schools, shopping and leisure
centres etc.)
There are no laws to prevent anyone filming on public streets, however it is
an offence to cause an obstruction or to place materials on the highway without
an appropriate licence. In theory a small crew (5 people or fewer) using a handheld or tripod camera should be able to film
on the street without obtaining permission, however legislation in this area is
open to interpretation and if the Local Authority is not aware that you will be
filming in the area there is a chance that you may be asked to stop.
Film London recommends that any production planning to film on the street contact
the relevant Borough Film Service. The BFS will be able to advise you on any areas where you will need filming
permission, inform you of potential filming hotspots - or of anything going on
in the area that may disrupt your filming, assist with any parking requirements
and will be able to advise you on contacting the local police.
In addition, there are a number of other public agencies which look after some
of London's public areas, such as The Royal Parks, Trafalgar Square, Parliament
Square and London Underground. You will need permission to film in any of these
locations. Please refer to our Popular Locations and London Landmarks sections for more general information.
You might find our Organisations and Agencies list a useful point of reference:
 [Microsoft Excel] | Organisations & Agencies List (MS Excel) |
 [Acrobat PDF] | Organisations & Agencies List (PDF) |
How do I get filming permission?
If you are a small crew (fewer than 5 people) with hand held equipment you may need to notify the Borough Film Service at least 3 days before you plan to film.
For larger, more complex shoots the amount of notice required depends on the complexity of your shoot and whether you require parking suspensions. Up to 10 working days notice may be required.
Please note: to film in any of these locations you will need Public Liability Insurance.
Please refer to the following flow chart to show the basic process for gaining permissions to shoot:
Small crews
If you are a crew of fewer than 5 people, using only a hand-held or tripod cameras
and have no parking requirements then you can use the Small Crew Notification
Form (see below).
You can include all of your street filming locations on one form and we will
send the form on to all of the relevant Borough Film Services: so using Film London's notification form will save time if you are planning
to film in multiple boroughs. You will need to return the form at least 3 days
before you plan to film, with a copy of your Public Liability Insurance document.
 [Microsoft Word] | Small Crew Notification Form (MS Word) |
| [Acrobat PDF] | Small Crew Notification Form (PDF) |
Crews of 5 or more, or complex shoots
All of the Borough Film Services (with the exception of Westminster) accept the Film London Application Form
(see below). The amount of notice required depends on the complexity of your shoot
and whether you require parking suspensions. Details on lead-in times and charges
can be found below.
We encourage all film-makers to seek guidance from the Borough Film Service (BFS) at
the earliest possible point in preparation of the location. You may wish to invite
the BFS to join the technical recce.
Please note: Westminster has the longest application process (up to 10 working days). They
also require more information on their Filming Application Form - it is recommended
you download this directly from their website: www.westminster.gov.uk/filming.
The BFS will confirm receipt of your Filming Application Form within 48 hours
and will give you written permission for the filming to go ahead. This may be
a confirmation email or a contract, depending on the nature and location of your
shoot.
The impact of failing to inform relevant authorities could result in unnecessary
police resources being deployed and disruption to the community and to your filming. This is particularly important when you are filming in Westminster and Lambeth
boroughs and the City of London, or any other location that may have iconic, religious
or government buildings.
Please also refer to our Popular Locations section for more general information.
| [Microsoft Word] | Filming Application Form (MS Word) |
| [Acrobat PDF] | Filming Application Form (PDF) |
What is a Borough Film Service (BFS)?
A BFS exists as a council representative - the first point of call for any filming
on the streets, public land or in council owned properties in that borough (such
as town halls and leisure centres). They will liaise on your behalf with council
departments, including parking and refuse collection. It is best to make your
initial enquiry by phone and then apply formally using either the Filming Application
Form or Small Crew Application Form (see above).
Please refer to the boroughs map for a basic graphic breakdown of the 33 areas of London or the full list below:
| [Microsoft Excel] | Borough Film Services / BFS List: Contacts (MS Excel) |
| [Acrobat PDF] | Borough Film Services / BFS List: Contacts (PDF) |
| [Microsoft Excel] | Borough Film Services / BFS List: Charges (MS Excel) |
| [Acrobat PDF] | Borough Film Services / BFS List: Charges (PDF) |
| [Microsoft Excel] | Borough Film Services / BFS List: Lead Times (MS Excel) |
| [Acrobat PDF] | Borough Film Services / BFS List: Lead Times (PDF) |
Parking, restrictions and charges
Charges, restrictions and parking arrangements vary between the 33 London boroughs,
so please refer to the Borough Film Service (BFS) lists or boroughs map for further details (see above), or call the relevant officer directly for a
breakdown. Borough boundaries are shown in many A-Zs.
The BFS is normally also able to suggest good places for parking, especially
unit bases, so it is worthwhile calling them for general information.
Please note: unless approved by the relevant Highways Authority, unit direction signage on
the highway is illegal. Please contact the relevant Borough Film Service if you require any additional information.
