Film or photo permit

You need to apply for a permit at a minimum of 5 business days prior. The Application fee is $100 per location and there is a Daily Fee of $250 per day for each day of filming. Please try to make the time frame on the request as accurate as possible (it’s understandable that the shoot may wrap up half an hour early or late but there should not be a big discrepancy on when the filming starts or finishes).

Click here and navigate to "Other Permits" for the application form.

You can make your payment in person at the River Forest Village Hall during business hours or by calling the toll-free film permit number, 855-928-4928.

Here are some additional guidelines for your detail:

1. You may be required to hire an officer for this shoot to mitigate traffic and security issues.
2. Below are the new rates for officers for film details (effective 1 January 2015):

• $70.00 per hour for film/movie details (Officer/Supervisor)
• Officers shall be paid for all hours scheduled
• Overtime (more than 8 hours)  - 1½ the rate
• Officers shall be paid for at least 4 hours regardless of the length of time worked, or in incidents when detail is canceled within 12 hours of start time.
• Officers shall be present at the scene of the shoot until the shoot is completely done (to include clean-up until the last film crew vehicle leaves); this should match up with the time on the permit.
• Officers shall be paid at the scene of the detail before they leave for the day so please plan accordingly.

Our standard policy is to provide a police squad for the officer assigned to the detail to ensure visibility of the presence of the officer and assist with any traffic control.  There is a $50 charge per day for the squad which needs to be paid at the time of the permit payment. (If you should cancel within the required timeframe (more than 12 hours prior) or an officer does not show up for the detail, we can hold the fees for your next shoot or we can refund the fees by check).

• New Life-Safety Requirement as of December 2021: The discharge of weapons or explosives is prohibited as part of any film or photo production. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, discharges of “blanks” and simulated ammunition. You must provide a written statement that the film or photo production shall comply with this requirement and that this prohibition has been communicated to all persons working on the film or photo production.
• For very large film shoots or moving film shoots, you will be required to hire 2 officers (or possibly more, depending on the disruption to traffic in the area) and have two (or more) squads (@ $50 each per day).
• If you also have private security, please provide the security company information on the application.
• Fill out/sign the attached Hold Harmless agreement (attached) and return it back to me as a part of your permit application.
• Add River Forest as a Certificate holder to your Certificate of Liability Insurance (contact me if you need clarification) and send a copy of the Certificate of Liability Insurance to me as a part of your permit application.
• You can place No Parking signs in the area that you plan to park the morning of the shoot but it is your responsibility to print them, put them up and then take them down at the end of the day. Please let me know if you need a scanned copy of a sign.
• You need to ensure that you put door hangers in the areas that will be affected by the parking of your trucks ( in most cases, that needs to be done a minimum 24hrs in advance and flyers should be distributed 1 block in each direction of the shoot, to include the block where the shoot will take place). Please remember that you can only park on one side of the street. Please ensure that you annotate where your trucks will be parking on the door hangers. Please ensure that all your vehicles do not block driveways, fire hydrants or park in a manner that could pose a safety hazard.
• Filming and prep work cannot start before 7 am and all filming and clean up needs to be completed no later than 10 pm. There are no filming permits granted on Sundays.
• You are responsible to check on the construction or utilities work being done in the area on the day of your shoot as the Village of River Forest or the Police Department are not responsible for any disruption to your shoot caused by those entities.
•  You may not close any street for purposes of filming without prior written approval from the Village.

Contact Sgt. Marty Grill at 708-714-3542 or mgrill@vrf.us for further information.