Columbus Ordinance Would Require Film Permits on Public Property With Criminal Penalties
Sponsored by Councilmember Nancy Day-Achauer, the measure covers commercial and non-commercial filming across city streets and sidewalks, exempting small crews and live broadcasts while mandating indemnification and prepaid police details.
Columbus City Council is considering legislation that would establish sweeping permitting requirements for motion picture production, video shoots and still photography across municipal property, public sidewalks and city streets.
Sponsored by Councilmember Nancy Day-Achauer, Ordinance 2206-2026 proposes enacting Chapter 924 ("Film Permits") in the Columbus City Codes. The measure, introduced on first reading as 30-day legislation on Sept. 28, 2026, would grant the Department of Recreation and Parks administrative authority over visual productions, require applicants to defend the city against liabilities, empower public safety officials to mandate prepaid police and fire staffing, and create fourth-degree criminal misdemeanor penalties for violations.
Council records state that the legislation is intended to formalize an online permitting system while maintaining Columbus's reputation as a film-friendly market that generates employment opportunities, tourism, hotel occupancy, and general economic development. However, the draft ordinance's broad definitions and criminal sanctions have raised immediate practical and constitutional questions for local documentarians, independent creators and working journalists.
Broad Scope Across City Streets and Sidewalks
Under the proposed code, a film permit would be mandatory before any person conducts filming activity within or above City Property or on a public Right-of-Way. The ordinance defines public right-of-way broadly to include roadways, berms, ditches and pedestrian sidewalks.
The reach of Chapter 924 extends far beyond traditional Hollywood-style feature films. The measure defines regulated activity as the staging, shooting, filming, videotaping, photographing, or other similar process conducted for the making of still photographs, motion pictures, television or video series, pilots, feature films, documentaries, commercials, music videos, infomercials, public service announcements, and the like, whether the final product is intended for commercial use or not.
By explicitly capturing non-commercial projects alongside commercial ventures, the ordinance brings student filmmakers, documentary documentarians, community storytellers and commercial advertising crews under a unified administrative process overseen by the Recreation and Parks director, whose rules and regulations would be enforceable by every law enforcement officer.
Narrow News and Small Crew Exemptions
The proposal carves out two primary exceptions to the permit mandate, but both contain stringent operational limits.
First, the legislation provides an exemption for news gathering, but limits it specifically to instances when the Filming Activity involves reporting by journalists for the purpose of a live news program. Broadcast news crews airing live field reports from a sidewalk would not need a permit. However, the text does not extend that automatic statutory shelter to investigative reporters recording packages for later broadcast, print photojournalists, magazine videographers or freelance documentary journalists gathering recorded material on city sidewalks.
Second, the ordinance creates an exception for crews of six or fewer individuals, but only if they satisfy seven cumulative restrictions. To qualify for the small-crew exemption, crews must not obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic, erect any temporary structures like tents or canopies, use lighting equipment or generators requiring external power sources, use prop weapons or open flames, claim exclusive space, or require city services. Handheld tripods and monopods are permitted only within the operator's immediate footprint. If an independent seven-person crew gathers on a sidewalk, or a five-person team plugs a single light into a portable generator, the small-crew exemption dissolves, triggering full permit requirements.
Mandatory Indemnification and Prepaid Safety Details
For productions that fall outside the exemptions, the administrative hurdles and financial costs are substantial.
Applicants must execute a written legal contract agreeing to indemnify and hold the City of Columbus, its officers, directors, employees, agents, boards, and commissions, harmless from liability and defend it against claims arising from the permit or production conduct.
In addition, permit approval requires that the applicant has secured the police officers and fire personnel required under Section 924.06 and prepaid the expense therefor. The ordinance assigns sole discretion to the Director of the Department of Public Safety to dictate whether Columbus Division of Police or Division of Fire personnel are necessary based on crowd size, location and complexity, establishing that the safety director's staffing determination shall be final. For non-profit filmmakers or low-budget creators, having to prepay city safety details could impose prohibitive upfront costs.
Criminal Penalties and Constitutional Questions
Unlike many peer Ohio municipalities where park systems regulate commercial filming through property-specific rules—such as Cincinnati Parks, which maintains localized photography permits and specific conservatory authorizations rather than citywide sidewalk restrictions—Columbus's proposal backs its broad permitting framework with criminal penalties.
Under Section 924.99, anyone who recklessly conducts filming activity without a permit on city property or public rights-of-way is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, carrying potential jail time and criminal fines under Ohio law. A separate fourth-degree misdemeanor applies to anyone who knowingly violates any term or condition stated in the Film Permit.
Legal scholars and First Amendment advocates frequently caution that requiring advance government permits and fees to record in traditional public forums, such as public sidewalks and streets, imposes a prior restraint on protected speech. Acknowledging legal vulnerabilities, the drafted legislation includes an express severability clause providing that if any provision is held unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the rest of the chapter remains intact.
Next Legislative Steps
In legislative materials accompanying the bill, the administration noted that input has been gathered from the Columbus Film Commission and industry stakeholders that have obtained permits from the City in the past and asserted there were no known issues.
Because Ordinance 2206-2026 was introduced on first reading as 30-day legislation under the Rules & Policy Committee on Sept. 28, 2026, it must remain on file for at least 30 days before Columbus City Council can hold a second reading and take a final vote. That timeline gives community creators, local journalists, labor unions and council members until late October to review the text, propose amendments to the exemption criteria, or debate the criminal penalty provisions.
How we know this
The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
Supporting evidence (15)
Sponsored by Councilmember Nancy Day-Achauer, Ordinance 2206-2026 proposes enacting Chapter 924 ("Film Permits") in the Columbus City Codes.
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To enact new Chapter 924- Film Permits to establish permitting requirements for commercial and non-commercial filming/photography by the Department of Recreation and Parks. ($0.00)
Council records state that the legislation is intended to formalize an online permitting system while maintaining Columbus's reputation as a film-friendly market that generates employment opportunities, tourism, hotel occupancy, and general economic development.
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The City of Columbus is a film-friendly location. The City desires to make it easier to film in Columbus as it brings employment opportunities, tourism, hotel occupancy, and general economic development to the community.
Under the proposed code, a film permit would be mandatory before any person conducts filming activity within or above City Property or on a public Right-of-Way.
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No person shall conduct Filming Activity within or above City Property or on a public Right-of-Way without first applying for and obtaining a Film Permit from the Department.
The measure defines regulated activity as the staging, shooting, filming, videotaping, photographing, or other similar process conducted for the making of still photographs, motion pictures, television or video series, pilots, feature films, documentaries, commercials, music videos, infomercials, public service announcements, and the like, whether the final product is intended for commercial use or not.
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the staging, shooting, filming, videotaping, photographing, or other similar process conducted for the making of still photographs, motion pictures, television or video series, pilots, feature films, documentaries, commercials, music videos, infomercials, public service announcements, and the like, whether the final product is intended for commercial use or not.
By explicitly capturing non-commercial projects alongside commercial ventures, the ordinance brings student filmmakers, documentary documentarians, community storytellers and commercial advertising crews under a unified administrative process overseen by the Recreation and Parks director, whose rules and regulations would be enforceable by every law enforcement officer.
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The Director shall have the authority to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this chapter, including application requirements and provisions for interdepartmental review.
By explicitly capturing non-commercial projects alongside commercial ventures, the ordinance brings student filmmakers, documentary documentarians, community storytellers and commercial advertising crews under a unified administrative process overseen by the Recreation and Parks director, whose rules and regulations would be enforceable by every law enforcement officer.
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Every law enforcement officer may enforce the provisions of this chapter as well as rules adopted by the Director pursuant to this chapter.
First, the legislation provides an exemption for news gathering, but limits it specifically to instances when the Filming Activity involves reporting by journalists for the purpose of a live news program.
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No Film Permit is required for News Coverage when the Filming Activity involves reporting by journalists for the purpose of a live news program, provided it is done in compliance with the standards found in Section 924.04.
Second, the ordinance creates an exception for crews of six or fewer individuals, but only if they satisfy seven cumulative restrictions.
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Small Crew Exemption. No Film Permit is required for Filming Activity when conducted by a crew of six (6) or fewer individuals, provided that all of the following conditions are met:
Applicants must execute a written legal contract agreeing to indemnify and hold the City of Columbus, its officers, directors, employees, agents, boards, and commissions, harmless from liability and defend it against claims arising from the permit or production conduct.
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The applicant for a Film Permit shall agree in writing to indemnify and hold the City of Columbus, its officers, directors, employees, agents, boards, and commissions, harmless from liability and defend it against claims of injury or damage to persons or property arising from the issuance of the Film Permit and from the intentional, reckless, or negligent acts or conduct of the applicant or participants.
In addition, permit approval requires that the applicant has secured the police officers and fire personnel required under Section 924.06 and prepaid the expense therefor.
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The applicant has secured the police officers and fire personnel required under Section 924.06 and prepaid the expense therefor.
The ordinance assigns sole discretion to the Director of the Department of Public Safety to dictate whether Columbus Division of Police or Division of Fire personnel are necessary based on crowd size, location and complexity, establishing that the safety director's staffing determination shall be final.
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If the Director of the Department of Public safety determines that Division of Fire and/or Division of Police personnel are necessary for the safe conduct and operation of filming, then the applicant for the Film Permit shall be informed of the necessary number of Division of Fire and Division of Police personnel and the cost to secure same.
Under Section 924.99, anyone who recklessly conducts filming activity without a permit on city property or public rights-of-way is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, carrying potential jail time and criminal fines under Ohio law.
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Whoever recklessly violates Section 924.03 (A) is guilty of conducting Filming Activity without a permit, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
A separate fourth-degree misdemeanor applies to anyone who knowingly violates any term or condition stated in the Film Permit.
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Whoever knowingly violates any term or condition stated in the Film Permit issued to that person is guilty of a fourth degree misdemeanor.
Acknowledging legal vulnerabilities, the drafted legislation includes an express severability clause providing that if any provision is held unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the rest of the chapter remains intact.
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The provisions of this chapter shall be deemed severable; and, if any such provision shall be held unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the decision of such court shall not impair any of the remaining provisions.
In legislative materials accompanying the bill, the administration noted that input has been gathered from the Columbus Film Commission and industry stakeholders that have obtained permits from the City in the past and asserted there were no known issues.
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Input has been gathered from the Columbus Film Commission and industry stakeholders that have obtained permits from the City in the past. There are no known issues.
Columbus City Council · 2026-09-28
Supporting evidence (2)
The measure, introduced on first reading as 30-day legislation on Sept. 28, 2026, would grant the Department of Recreation and Parks administrative authority over visual productions, require applicants to defend the city against liabilities, empower public safety officials to mandate prepaid police and fire staffing, and create fourth-degree criminal misdemeanor penalties for violations.
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FIRST READING OF 30-DAY LEGISLATION
Because Ordinance 2206-2026 was introduced on first reading as 30-day legislation under the Rules & Policy Committee on Sept. 28, 2026, it must remain on file for at least 30 days before Columbus City Council can hold a second reading and take a final vote.
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FIRST READING OF 30-DAY LEGISLATION
https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cincyparks/customer-service/permits/
Supporting evidence (1)
Unlike many peer Ohio municipalities where park systems regulate commercial filming through property-specific rules—such as Cincinnati Parks, which maintains localized photography permits and specific conservatory authorizations rather than citywide sidewalk restrictions—Columbus's proposal backs its broad permitting framework with criminal penalties.
Read supporting passage
Photography Permit