It is important that wherever you plan to film you get permission or notify the appropriate authority. You will also need to make sure you have Public Liability Insurance.

Locations (which can be sought through the Film London Directory or the Screen South database) may either be privately owned, or public property (including most streets), so you should contact the property owner, or the relevant London Borough Film Service or local authority. If filming on a 'red route' in London you will also need to apply to Transport for London (TfL).

It is good practice to inform local police for ALL exterior location filming, and it may be a legal requirement to do so. Other aspects of your script or shoot may also mean you need to get in touch with the police. Some London Borough Film Services will inform the local police for you - so always check with the BFS whether you should let the local police know about 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 a location that may have iconic, religious or government buildings.

Please note: filming the exterior of a building does not infringe its copyright. You do not need copyright from the building's owner to film its exterior (although you may still need to obtain permission from the relevant authority or property owner based on where you have physically placed your camera in order to shoot). However, a building could be considered to represent an individual, company or institution and film-makers should therefore be careful not to use this association either: (a) to endorse or exploit any product or service; or (b) in a way that might defame such individual, company or institution.

The amount of notice that you need to give in regards to filming can vary based on the size of your crew, so this is also worth bearing in mind - as a rough guide, allow 3-10 working days to process the relevant paperwork. For more details on required lead-in times, please visit our Borough Charges page.

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.

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.)

For information on the various local authorities in the South East, please visit the Screen South website.

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 license. We recommends that any production planning to film on the street contact the relevant Borough Film Service or local authority.

You should be aware that some areas that may seem like public streets are actually privately owned or managed. There are a number of other agencies that look after some of London's public areas, such as The Royal Parks, Trafalgar Square, Parliament Square, the South Bank and London Underground. You will need permission to film in any of these locations and you will usually be charged a fee.

Organisations & Agencies


If you are unsure who manages the area you would like to film at, please contact the Filming Partnership team on 020 7613 7683 or email locations@filmlondon.org.uk. For locations in the South East, please call the Pinewood number on 01753 656 412.

London Borough Film Services (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. 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 application form on the council's website or the document below.

Small Crew Notification Form

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 - and will be able to advise you on contacting the local police.

Charges, restrictions and parking arrangements vary between the 33 London boroughs, so please use the Borough Film Service (BFS) lists on the Borough Charges page for further details. On this page you can access detailed of the fees you can expect to be charged by the Borough Film Services. The four spreadsheets cover everything from Admin fees (including late fees and cancellation charges), Highway charges (such as licence charges for materials on the highway and road closure charges), Location fees (for filming or unit bases at local authority owned locations) and Parking charges (including costs of suspending bays). Alternatively, you can call the relevant officer directly for a breakdown of their charges. Borough boundaries are shown in many A-Z maps.

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.

BFS Contact List

BFS Lead Times

Metropolitan Police

There is police support available for each borough. The Metropolitan Police Service Film Unit (MPSFU) provides a single point of contact and an integrated, streamlined service for filming requests requiring police assistance across the capital.

It is essential that you contact the Met Police Service Film Unit (MPSFU) via filmunit@met.police.uk or refer to their website (www.met.police.uk/filmunit) if you are featuring:

• Fake police or military vehicles
• Fake police or military uniforms
• Re-creation of crimes
• Nudity or perceived nudity
• Use of firearms or weapons (to include prop/replica firearms and starting pistols in interior or exterior locations)

Use of Firearms in Production


It is recommended that you inform local police for ALL exterior location filming. Once you have applied to a Borough Film Service to film, check with the BFS whether they require you to inform local police.

Police List

If there are stunts taking place or management of traffic flow is needed then police supervision may also be required. For more information please refer to the Code of Practice.

Where you are informing the Metropolitan Police of filming/photography with less than 1 days notice, contact the borough police station giving all the relevant information to assist in preventing police interventions.


Small or Large Film Crew?

For productions filming on London's public streets, in theory a 'small crew' is a crew of 5 people or fewer, using a handheld or (in some boroughs) a tripod camera. A small crew 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.

If you are a small crew wishing to film in London and have no parking requirements then you can use the

Small Crew Notification Form

You can include all of your London 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.

Please be aware, this form is ONLY suitable for public highway locations, so cannot be used for: any privately managed 'public' locations, such as areas of Trafalgar Square, the South Bank, The Royal Parks etc.; or for local authority owned locations, such as commons, parks and housing estates. Filming in all of these locations require permission from the land owner. If you are unsure whether the street that you would like to film is privately owned or managed, please contact Film London on 020 7613 7683 or email locations@filmlondon.org.uk.

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. Information on required lead-in times, as well as details about additional charges, can be found on the Borough Charges page.