Filming in Scottsdale

A film permit is required for the commercial use of any public street, road, alley, or right-of-way. A permit is not required for filming or videotaping on private property or for filming of persons, scenes, occurrences or events, which is done for news gathering purposes in the general public interest, for use in criminal investigations by law enforcement agencies or for use in any judicial proceedings.

Filming on public property is regulated by the Scottsdale Revised Code, Chapter 16: Sec. 16-431 through Sec. 16-451. All requests for photo shoots, commercials, television, feature films or any other film production that utilize the right-of-way are processed by the Tourism and Events department.  A film permit application must be completed and emailed with the required certificate of insurance. A Certificate of Insurance naming the City of Scottsdale as "additional insured" must be submitted with the completed application. The address for the certificate is 7447 E. Indian School Rd. Suite 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. Permits will not be issued without a certificate of insurance.

If you are filming at a specific city facility, please contact them directly for approval. Facility rental and permit fees apply.

• Canal Banks - email or call 480-312-7834.  
• City Parks - email or call 480-312-7707.  For more information visit Parks.
• Civic Center Mall - email or call 480-874-4604. For more information visit Civic Center Mall.
• McCormick Stillman Railroad Park - email or call 480- 312-2731. For more information visit McCormick Stillman Railroad Park.
• McDowell Sonoran Preserve - email or call 480- 312-2778. For more information visit Preserve.
• Old Town - email or call 480-312-7177. 
• Scottsdale Airport - email or call 480-312-8482. For more information visit Scottsdale Airport.
• Scottsdale Public Library - call 480-312-7060. For more information visit the library.
• Scottsdale Sports Complex - email or call 480-312-7521. For more information visit Scottsdale Sports Complex.
• Scottsdale Stadium - email or call 480-312-7120. For more information visit Stadium.
• WestWorld - email or call 480-312-6825. For more information visit WestWorld.

Depending on the nature of the activity proposed, applications will be reviewed by the appropriate department staff including but not limited to fire, police, risk management and traffic engineering officials. If your film project requires police officers for safety reasons or to provide traffic control, officers may be contracted through the Scottsdale Police Department. To hire Scottsdale Police Officers email or call 480-312-4385. For more information visit hiring an off-duty officer.