Los Angeles Bans Overnight Location Filming Amid Stay-at-Home Order

Local government officials have pulled the plug on overnight location filming in Los Angeles for the next month due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Permitting agency FilmLA made the announcement Wednesday in the wake of the new limited stay-at-home order issued by the state of California, which took effect on Nov. 21 in order to pause all non-essential work and gatherings from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night. The order runs through Dec. 21.

Officials from the City of Los Angeles and County of Los Angeles informed FilmLA of new limits on hours of filming. Permissible filming hours will be restricted to 7 a.m. to  10 p.m. in residential areas and 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. in commercial areas and any previously issued permits for after-hours filming have been rescinded.

“Local officials also clarified that pursuant to this action, no setup activity may begin earlier than the permissible time, and at the end of the day, activity must wrap to ensure it’s ‘taillights at ten.’” FilmLA said. “For all previously-issued permits for filming on 11.26.20 or later, after-hours permissions to film are rescinded.”

Wednesday’s announcement came a day after FilmLA made an extraordinary pitch to producers to remain in “strict compliance” with COVID-19 safety protocols. The agency noted that California has viewed workers supporting the film, television and commercial production industry —who number in the hundreds of thousands in Greater Los Angeles — as “essential” for the state’s critical infrastructure.

“FilmLA is unaware of any plans to revisit or modify the state’s essential worker definitions, but new stay-at-home orders this week remind us that the COVID-19 pandemic’s progress is unpredictable, and new business regulation can affect any industry at the state, county or city level, at any time,” the agency said. “With coronavirus case counts surging and many sectors of the economy reeling, FilmLA asks all industry customers to be vigilant to help protect jobs and public health.”