Filming permit Sydney: when you need one

Short answer: if you're filming in the City of Sydney with six people or fewer, handheld gear, no road use, no parking permits and no drone, you don't need a filming permit. The City calls that "no impact", and there's no application and no fee. Go to seven people, or add parking, a vehicle base or a drone, and you're into "low impact". That means an application at least five full business days ahead and $280 in fees for 2026/27.

The catch is that the City isn't the only landholder. The Rocks, Circular Quay, the Royal Botanic Garden and the harbour foreshore all sit with other authorities, and each runs its own rules. This guide covers who controls what, what it costs and how far ahead to apply. It's the checklist to run before any shoot, including our own Sydney video production jobs.

Filming itself isn't what needs approval

This surprises most marketing teams. Under the NSW Local Government Filming Protocol (June 2025), the act of filming doesn't need council approval and doesn't attract a fee. What needs approval is the stuff that comes with filming: parking trucks, taking over a footpath, closing a road, building a set, or using council land that needs a licence.

That's why the permit question is really a footprint question. How many people, how many vehicles, how much gear, and whose land you're standing on.

The protocol also sets a few ground rules that every NSW council has to follow:

Councils must acknowledge your application within 2 business days.
If they refuse it, they must tell you why in writing within 3 business days of deciding.
Their fees are maximums. A council can charge less, or nothing.
They can't charge filmmakers more than the general public pays for the same thing, and they can't set peak-season fees.
Application fees aren't refundable. Parking fees are, if the shoot doesn't go ahead.

The four impact levels, and where your shoot lands

Every council in NSW sorts shoots into the same four bands from the protocol. The City of Sydney uses them directly.

No impact: six people or fewer

Six or fewer cast and crew in total, minimal handheld equipment, vehicles parked legally, nothing driven onto footpaths or plazas, and no drone. No application, no fee. Most interview and B-roll days for a corporate video fit here if you plan them tightly.

Two things push a shoot out of this band even with a tiny crew. Weapons, explosives, special effects or excess noise lift it to at least low impact. So does any need for a permit to use Crown or community land.

Low impact: 7 to 25 people

Seven to 25 cast and crew, no more than four trucks or vans, and usually one or two locations with minimal equipment and lighting. This is where a typical brand shoot with talent, hair and makeup, and a small lighting package ends up.

Medium impact: 26 to 50 people

Twenty-six to 50 people, up to 10 trucks, a vehicle base, and up to four locations. Dollies, jibs and medium cranes live here.

High impact: more than 50 people

More than 50 people, more than 10 trucks, a large vehicle base, extensive equipment or significant construction. Shoots that affect road users need prior consultation with council, and traffic plans on top.

City of Sydney: fees and lead times for 2026/27

The City of Sydney covers the CBD and its surrounding suburbs. Its fees run from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 and are GST exempt.

Low impact: $100 assessment plus $180 approval. Apply at least 5 full business days ahead. Late fee $450.
Medium impact: $100 assessment plus $385 approval. Apply 7 business days ahead. Late fee $963.
High impact: $100 assessment plus $670 approval. Apply 15 business days ahead if there are road closures. Late fee $1,675.

Parking is separate. A filming parking space costs $95 for a weekday full day, $47.50 for a half day, and $65 for a weekend full day. Two vans for a weekday shoot adds $190.

You also have to tell the neighbours. Residents and businesses affected need notice 5 days ahead, or 14 days if there's a road closure. Public liability insurance is required at $10 million or $20 million depending on the production type, so check which applies before you lodge.

Filming on private property inside the City still needs a filming management plan lodged with the City. The building owner saying yes isn't the end of it.

North Sydney Council

Cross the bridge and you're dealing with a different council. North Sydney Council's 2026/27 fees are structured differently from the City's:

Lodgement fee: $104.
Assessment fee: $187 for low impact, $400 for medium, $695 for high.
Late fees: $467 for low, $999 for medium, $1,737 for high.
Public liability: at least $20 million.

Filming on private land in North Sydney doesn't need council approval, but you still have to notify council. Bookings go to bookings@northsydney.nsw.gov.au. The council also says shoots with 100 or more people, or with firearms or police uniforms, need police approval.

The Rocks, Circular Quay and Darling Harbour

This is where most people get caught. The Rocks, Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and the Pyrmont wharves aren't City of Sydney land. They're managed by Place Management NSW (02 9240 8500), which issues filming licences through Cushman and Wakefield.

A permit is typically needed for commercials and B-roll in The Rocks. Its published fees are $0 for ultra-low impact, $229 for low, $458 for medium and $686 for high. The page doesn't state which financial year those apply to, so confirm when you apply.

Allow 10 business days for low to high impact, and 2 for ultra-low.
Minimum public liability is $20 million.
Drones are generally not allowed. Where one is considered, allow 15 business days.

Barangaroo, the Sydney Opera House forecourt and Centennial Parklands each have their own managers too. Train stations and state roads go through Transport for NSW. If your location sits on or near the harbour, assume it's not council land until you've checked.

Royal Botanic Garden and The Domain

The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is the strictest location on this list, and the most expensive. Every shoot needs a permit, commercial or private. Allow 5 business days.

Commercial low impact (usually fewer than 10 people): $3,700 a full day, $2,100 a half day.
Commercial high impact: $5,400 a full day.
Drone filming: $4,200 a full day.

Those are 2026/27 rates. The applicant has to be on site for the shoot. Amplified sound isn't allowed unless authorised, and drones for a corporate event are prohibited. If a garden backdrop is a nice-to-have rather than essential, it's worth pricing a council park first.

Harbour Trust and National Parks

Harbour Trust sites use three levels: a permit for low impact, a standard licence for medium, and a custom licence for high. Recreational drones aren't allowed.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service manages Sydney Harbour National Park. Commercial filming there needs written approval.

Small-scale shoots (one camera operator, one assistant, no talent) have no fee.
Low impact covers 3 to 25 crew and talent. Allow 7 business days.
Medium and high impact need 10 business days.
Commercial drones need separate approval, with 10 business days' notice.
Minimum public liability is $10 million.

A quick planning checklist

Find the land manager first. Council, Place Management NSW, the Botanic Garden, Harbour Trust, National Parks or Transport for NSW. One wrong guess costs you the lead time.
Count heads honestly. Everyone on set counts, including the client team. Seven people puts you in low impact.
Decide on the drone early. It changes the authority, the fee and the lead time at almost every location. Drone flights also sit under federal CASA rules, which this guide doesn't cover.
Book parking with the permit. Don't leave vans to chance in the CBD.
Get your insurance certificate ready. Most authorities want $10 million or $20 million public liability on file before they approve.
Work back from the lead time. Five business days is the shortest you'll see for anything above no impact. The Rocks wants 10.

Why the permit is a planning tool, not a chore

Most of the cost on a shoot day isn't the permit. It's the crew standing around because security moved you on, or the hero location you lost because nobody applied in time. A permit forces the decisions that make a shoot run: who's there, where the vans go, what time you start, and what happens if it rains.

City of Sydney is one of the organisations we've made video for. The shoots that go smoothest are the ones planned around the footprint, not squeezed into it at the last minute.

Questions people ask us about filming permits

Do I need a permit to film a corporate video in Sydney?

Not always. In the City of Sydney, six or fewer people with handheld gear, no road use, no parking permits and no drone is "no impact" and needs no application. Bigger crews, parking or drones need a permit. Locations like The Rocks and the Royal Botanic Garden have their own rules regardless of crew size.

How much does a filming permit cost in Sydney?

A City of Sydney low impact permit is $280 for 2026/27 ($100 assessment plus $180 approval). North Sydney's low impact equivalent is $291 ($104 lodgement plus $187 assessment). The Royal Botanic Garden starts at $2,100 for a commercial half day.

How far ahead should I apply?

At least 5 full business days for low impact in the City of Sydney, 7 for medium and 15 for high impact with road closures. The Rocks asks for 10 business days. Apply late and you'll pay a late fee, if the slot is still available.

Do I need a permit to film on private property?

It depends on the council. In North Sydney you don't need approval on private land, but you must notify council. The City of Sydney asks for a filming management plan. Either way, you still need the owner's permission.

Can I fly a drone for a shoot in Sydney?

Sometimes, but plan for it to be the hardest part. Drones take you out of the City's no impact band. The Rocks generally doesn't allow them, Harbour Trust doesn't allow recreational drones, and the Royal Botanic Garden charges $4,200 a day and prohibits them for corporate events. CASA rules apply on top.

What insurance do I need?

Public liability, usually $10 million or $20 million. North Sydney and Place Management NSW want at least $20 million. National Parks wants at least $10 million. The City of Sydney sets it by production type.

Get the location sorted before the creative

Fees and rules change every financial year, so check the authority's own page before you lodge. The figures here are current for 2026/27.

If you'd rather hand the permits, parking and location planning to a local crew, see how our Sydney video production team runs a shoot. Book a strategy call to see what this could look like for your brand.