Welcome to FilmApp DeKalb

The DeKalb Entertainment Commission Office Hours:
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM EST Monday - Friday 

HOLIDAY MORATORIUM:
Below are the REMAINING moratorium dates for 2024-2025. Crew parking, lane, and street closures are prohibited in residential areas during the following dates:
November 26 – December 1, Thanksgiving
December 22 – 28, Christmas
December 29, 2024 – January 5, 2025, New Years

*In addition, this moratorium includes no equipment or production vehicles left over and/or parked in lanes in the residential areas.*

A film permit shall be submitted five (5) business days in advance of the proposed prep date.  A rush fee shall be assessed to permits submitted with less than five business days of processing time.  Applications or documents submitted after the close of business (5:30 PM EST) on any given day will not be counted as RECEIVED until the next business day.  A complete fee schedule is available for download from the menu on the right. 
The online credit card payment gateway accepts VISA, MASTER CARD and DISCOVER.

Before completing your permit application, please select the following link to ensure you are filing in the correct jurisdiction
Application fees are NON-REFUNDABLE): DeKalb GIS Map

Georgia Film, TV COVID-19 Resources and Film Industry Best Practices CLICK HERE

The DeKalb Entertainment Commission manages film permits forUnincorporated DeKalb County and the City of Tucker
(Please note the City of Stonecrest has a FilmApp page. Please click here to go to that page)

To support DeKalb County’s rapidly expanding film industry, the DeKalb Entertainment Commission has streamlined the permitting process for film productions with the launch of our new online application software FilmApp DeKalb. A film permit is not required for filming on public property for news gathering purposes.  Please see the county film ordinance, film fee schedule, and other useful documents to the right of this page for more informtion. The film permit application fee is nonrefundable. To determine the correct city to file your film permit application, here is the county jurisdictional film permits map (click here) 
The process and fees are different for student filmmakers. Download the fee schedule on the right for more information. Students will need to provide proof of current enrollment and insurance to receive student rates.


PRODUCTION ELEMENTS CHECKLIST
Additionally, filming activity that occurs containing any of the following elements will require a permit:

  • Filming outdoors between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM within a 300-foot radius of a dwelling unit, residence, place of worship, or business
  • Filming on public property and/or in buildings that are owned by the county and not leased to a third party, or in a building of which the county is a lessee
  • Filming requires the setup of barricades, street closure, lane closure, or sidewalk closure
  • Occupation of the right-of-way
  • Use of Pyrotechnics or other explosives
  • Smoke effects, water effects, or flame effects
  • Use of any equipment that can be potentially dangerous
  • Display or use of real or artificial firearms, grenades, or other weaponry
  • Vehicle chases and/or crashes
  • Dangerous stunts that have a reasonable likelihood of causing substantial personal injury
  • Use of equipment that has a reasonable likelihood of causing damage to public property
  • Filming that includes sound as defined and regulated by the DeKalb County Noise Ordinance
  • Use or presence of any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm or capable of inflicting serious harm upon human beings, or any animal whose possession or sale is prohibited by federal, state, or local law
  • Use of temporary structures (tents) or generators
  • Use of intellectual property belonging to DeKalb County
  • Use of public property that is owned or maintained by the Department of Watershed Management
  • Filming in a park, school or building maintained by DeKalb County, Georgia. 
GETTING STARTED CHECKLIST: See Useful Documents in the margin to the right for the checklist

DeKalb Fire Marshal Policy:
The DeKalb Fire-Rescue Department, Fire Marshal Office (FMO) handles all fire and life safety oversight for motion picture and television production studio sound stages, approved production facilities and production locations, and all commercial digital media production within DeKalb County, Georgia.   An FMO Preliminary site inspection is required for ALL film sets and should be coordinated with a minimum 5 business days advance notice to be performed during normal business hours. 

Based on the circumstances of the shoot, the applicant may be required to hire Fire Safety Officers (FSO) as determined by the FMO Chief, FMO Coordinator, or designated FMO representative.  The FSO shall have the jurisdictional authority to enforce DeKalb County ordinances as well as the State of Georgia and U.S fire code regulations. A permit will be denied if proper FSO coverage is not confirmed. The DeKalb County Fire Marshal’s Office Coordinator, Inspector Greg Spieks, can be reached at pgspieks@dekalbcountyga.gov or dekalbFMO@dekalbcountyga.gov. 404-687-8648

DeKalb County Police Policy:
Based on the circumstances of the shoot and public safety considerations, the applicant shall be required to hire off-duty POST-certified police officers as determined and directed by the DeKalb Entertainment Commission and the DeKalb County Police Department (DKPD).  These officers shall have the jurisdictional authority to enforce DeKalb County ordinances, ordinances for the cities of Tucker and State of Georgia law.  DKPD will not assess a separate "coordination fee" for the use of their off-duty officers; however, the following is the general pay information for the use of Off-Duty Officers. The Officer(s) flat rate fee is a minimum of $50 per hour with a four-hour minimum.  For productions requiring multiple Officers, there will be a designated “Police Coordinator” who will have a flat-rate fee of a minimum of $55 per hour with a four-hour minimum. Officers are working as private contractors for the production company and no officer will be permitted to work for a production company while on regular duty, except for the Police Liaisons.  Payment shall be made immediately after the completion of a work cycle or immediately after completion of “police safety duties” as mutually determined by both parties.  A 48-hour advance notice is required for all schedule changes and absent notice of cancellation, the Police Officer will be paid the four-hour minimum.  Any requests made within 24-hours of the shoot time will be assessed at a minimum of $60 per hour (Police Coordinator at $70 per hour) with a four-hour minimum.  Please be advised that 24-hour requests are not guaranteed.  A permit will be denied if proper police coverage is not confirmed. The DeKalb County Police Liaisons are Major Nicole Rutland (narutland@dekalbcountyga.gov) and Lt. James Smith (jesmith@dekalbcountyga.gov), Special Services Division.

DeKalb County Water Meter Rentals:
To obtain a Fire Hydrant Meter/WATER METER:  Applicant must include a copy of the completed water meter application in their film permit application.  Email the completed water meter agreement and the approved film permit to hydrantrental@dekalbcountyga.gov.  Watershed Customer Support Representatives will respond to applications and questions with instructions on how to pay for the water meter in-person or online or for help call (404) 371-2677 or (404) 371-2697.

In-person fees are paid at the Watershed Finance Office at 774 Jordan Lane, Decatur, GA 30033.  Once the deposit is paid the applicant is sent to Watershed Maintenance at 1580 Roadhaven Dr., Stone Mountain, GA 30083 to pick up a meter.  Water meter readings can also be sent via email to hydrantrental@dekalbcountyga.gov.  The meter should be returned to Watershed Maintenance at 1580 Roadhaven Dr., Stone Mountain, GA 30083.  Fire Hydrant Meter Application is located on this page under Useful Documents to your right.

Filming on Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Property:
Include a site plan under the Supporting Documents section of your application includes a county park. A screenshot of Google Maps indicating where you would like to film is sufficient. The DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs charges the following fees for filming on park property:
  • Commercial Feature Film, Video or Television Production - $1,200 for eight hours, $100 each hour thereafter (per day)
  • Documentary - $100 per hour
  • Public Service Announcement - $50 per hour
  • Student Filming/Photography – Free if not-for-profit, otherwise $50 per hour
  • Commercial Still Photography - $100 per hour
  • For parking services only for base camp, crew or trucks - $500 per day
*Note: When filming at a DeKalb County park or recreation facility, please submit your application via the following link:  Apply to Film

DeKalb County School System Film Policy:  
In Order to rent space in DeKalb County School Facilities you will need to do the following:
  • Submit your request 30 days prior to the event start date (Contact: Adrein Walker, Project Specialist (Adrein_Walker@dekalbschoolsga.org)
  • Provide Insurance - Minimum $1,000,000 general liability or public liability for each occurrence/aggregate
  • Submit to a criminal background check by the DeKalb County School District Department of Public Safety at 5861 Memorial Dr., Stone Mountain, GA 30083
  • Obtain written approval from the school principal
  • To gain access to available spaces for rent, please click on the link below and register

Filming at the DeKalb County Superior Courthouse:
The DeKalb County Courthouse located at 556 North McDonough St., Decatur, GA 30030 has suspended all filming activities inside the courthouse until further notice.

Filming at the DeKalb History Center, aka Old DeKalb County Courthouse:
Filming is allowed at the Old Courthouse, now known as the DeKalb History Center, located at 101 East Court Square, Decatur, GA 30030.  Please contact the Rental & Reservation Coordinator - Mallory Donaldson, at 404-373-1088, ext. 1002.  You will find rental agreement documents on their website at https://dekalbhistory.org/private-events-historic-dekalb-courthouse.    

Filming at the DeKalb County Jail:
The DeKalb County Jail has suspended all filming activities inside the jail until further notice.

Filming at DeKalb Peachtree Airport (PDK):
PDK does not allow filming on runways and/or service roads.  Filming cannot interfere with operations of the airport and/or tenants in the immediate area when filming in a corporate hangar.
FBO’s (Terminal)—Scouts must submit a request to the FBO to film inside an FBO facility before completing a film permit application:
Atlantic Aviation - 770-454-5000                               
Epps Aviation - 770-458-9851
Signature Flight Support - 770-452-0010 and 

A Tech Scout must occur when filming at PDK. Please contact Hunter Hines, Deputy Director at 770-936-5445 (Office) @chhines@dekalbcountyga.gov to schedule a site visit. Filming at PDK will require two applications, one with DeKalb County and the other with the City of Chamblee. Wylly Harrison is the point of contact for the City of Chamblee (wharrison@chambleega.gov).

Filming using a Drone or other unmanned aircraft system:
The use of a drone or other unmanned Aircraft System for filming requires a film permit application which will be reviewed by PDK Airport Director and the DeKalb Police Department Aerial team will be notified. Production is responsible for adherence to FAA rules: 
https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/airport/uas-drones-info

Filming at a DeKalb County-Owned Facility:
Managed independently by departments and may include a fee.  Please email the DeKalb Entertainment Commission Office for location information. (production@dekalbentertainment.com)

GDOT Film Policy:
A permit is required for use of the right-of-way on all Georgia State Routes for film purposes. Permits are issued by the various District Traffic Operations Offices. If locations requested are in multiple Districts, a separate Permit must be issued for each District.  Please follow the link for more information.  http://www.dot.ga.gov/PS/Permits 
GDOT Contact:  Michelle Meeks, Metro Atlanta District 7 Traffic Specialist, 770-216-3894 
Email: mmeeks@dot.ga.gov

MARTA Film Policy & Application:
Be sure that all sidewalk, lane and road closures do not impede MARTA bus routes, bus stops or transit stations.  Visit http://www.itsmarta.com/Default.aspx for access to MARTA Transit maps and schedules. A signed license agreement is required to film any commercial photography, television shows, short features or any other film projects on MARTA Property. MARTA will approve or reject the filmmaker's request based on how the project will affect the normal transit service schedule.  Be aware that all film requests must be submitted at least 30 days before filming begins. Please follow the link for more information.  http://www.itsmarta.com/photography-and-film.aspx 
MARTA Contact: Justin Wilson, Communications Specialist, 404-848-5792 Email: jwilson1@itsmarta.com 


Contact the DeKalb Entertainment Commission for more information at
404.687-2748 or via email at production@dekalbentertainment.com