Welcome to City of Lithonia FilmApp
The City of Lithonia welcomes the opportunity to work with you on all elements of your film production. In partnership with our local industry professionals, The city will aim to assist you from the moment you begin scouting locations to the moment your production ends.PRODUCTION ELEMENTS CHECKLIST
A FILM PERMIT APPLICATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL FILM ACTIVITY OCCURRING IN THE CITY OF LITHONIA
Additionally, filming activity that occurs containing any of the following elements will require a permit:
- Filming outdoors between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM within a 300-foot radius of a dwelling unit, residence, place of worship, or business
- Filming on public property and/or in buildings that are owned by the city and not leased to a third party, or in a building of which the city is a lessee
- Filming requiring setup of barricades, street closure, lane closure, or sidewalk closure
- Occupation of the right-of-way
- Use of Pyrotechnics or other explosives
- Smoke effects, water effects, or flame effects
- Use of any equipment that can be potentially dangerous
- Display or use of real or artificial firearms, grenades, or other weaponry
- Vehicle chases and/or crashes
- Dangerous stunts that have a reasonable likelihood of causing substantial personal injury
- Use of equipment that has a reasonable likelihood of causing damage to public property
- Filming that includes sound as defined and regulated by the Lithonia Noise Ordinance
- Use or presence of any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm or capable of inflicting serious harm upon human beings, or any animal whose possession or sale is prohibited by federal, state, or local law
- Public Nudity and/or any behavior that would be deemed lewd and lascivious
- Use of temporary structures (tents) or generators
- Use of intellectual property belonging to the City of Lithonia
- Use of public property that is owned or maintained by the Department of Watershed Management
- Filming in a park, or building maintained by Lithonia, Georgia
GETTING STARTED CHECKLIST:
Completed On-Line Film Permit Application with all signature pages fully executed:
- Indemnity Page completed and signed
- Copy of one-page notification letter sent to residents and businesses within a 300-foot radius of the requested closure(s) or filming location (list the time and date of road/lane or sidewalk closures)
- Sensitive areas require signatures from residents and businesses. You shall be alerted if your desired location is designated as a sensitive area in Lithonia. If you have further questions, please call City Hall
- You shall be required to include the The City of Lithonia as an additional contact on your notification letter to businesses and residents impacted by proposed filming activities as follows:
- The City of Lithonia Cityclerk@lithoniacity.org - 770.482.8136, x128
- A signed, dated letter from the applicant listing the addresses and date of delivery of notification letter(s)
- Traffic control plan and/or detour route (ONLY if application includes request for street, lane, or sidewalk closure)
- There shall be seven (7) day advance notice of FULL ROAD CLOSURE request and three (3) day advance notice of lane closure requests
- Shall include number of lanes to be closed on a street, length of closures (list between streets), detour route for full road closures and necessary signage
- Shall follow MUTCD (Manual Uniform Traffic Control Devices) guidelines; Please use the link: MUTCD; please call the office if further clarification is needed NO HAND-DRAWN PLANS SHALL BE ACCEPTED
- Certificate of insurance naming The City of Lithonia, GA, 6920 Main St. Lithonia, GA 30058 as certificate holder
- Minimum Insurance Requirements: $1M general liability, $1M automotive liability, $1M worker’s compensation & employer’s liability coverage.
- A film permit will not be issued without a certificate of insurance
- An increase in coverage minimum requirements may be necessary if project activity substantially increases liability levels; i.e. usage of helicopters, drones, complicated stunt work. If an increase in minimum coverage is necessary, applicant/production shall be notified during the project review process
DeKalb Fire Marshal Policy:
An FMO Preliminary site inspection is required for ALL film sets and should be coordinated with a minimum 24-hour advance notice to be performed during normal business hours. The assigned FMO Inspector will verify applicable tent separation, generator, and cooking equipment, as well as other applicable NFPA 140, NFPA 10, and IFC conditions/requirements. Please assure site set-up is complete upon FMO Site Inspection. Please provide contact information for the site supervisor upon scheduling and confirm that representation from the production will be available on site during the walk-thru. If applicable for specific hazardous activities, an FSP shall be provided, in accordance with NFPA 140, by Fire Marshal Office Staff only, or if approved, by the Fire Marshall, DeKalb County Fire Rescue Staff. To schedule your inspection, contact JoAnne Saunders, Inspection Office Administrator at dekalbFMO@dekalbcountyga.
DeKalb Water Meter Rentals:
Fire hydrant meters can be rented by completing an online application, providing a copy of your film permit at 774 Jordan Lane, Decatur, GA 30033. After completing the application process and paying the $600.00 deposit, a meter can be picked up and returned at 1580 Roadhaven Dr., Stone Mountain, GA 30083. Please note that there is a $28 monthly rental charge and a required reporting of usage per month. Any questions concerning the hydrant rental program should submit inquiries to hydrantrental@
Filming on Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Property:
DeKalb County School System Film Policy (Lithonia Middle School):
In Order to rent space in DeKalb County School Facilities you will need to do the following:
- Submit your request 14 days prior to the event start date
- Provide Insurance - Minimum $1,000,000 general liability or public liability for each occurrence/aggregate
- Submit to a criminal background check by the DeKalb County School District Department of Public Safety at 5861 Memorial Dr., Stone Mountain, GA 30083
- Obtain written approval from the school principal
- To gain access to available spaces for rent, please click on the link below and register
Filming in a DeKalb County Owned Facility:
Managed independently by departments and may include a fee. Please contact the DeKalb Entertainment Commission Office for location information.
GDOT Film Policy:
A permit is required for use of the right-of-way on all Georgia State Routes for film purposes. Permits are issued by the various District Traffic Operations Offices. If locations requested are in multiple Districts, a separate Permit must be issued for each District. Please follow the link for more information - http://www.dot.
GDOT Contact: Michelle Meeks, Metro Atlanta District 7 Traffic Specialist, 770-216-3894
Email: mmeeks@dot.ga.gov
MARTA Film Policy & Application:
Be sure that all sidewalk, lane and road closures do not impede MARTA bus routes, bus stops or transit stations. Visit http://www.
MARTA Contact: Justin Wilson, Communications Specialist, 404-848-5792, Email: jwilson1@itsmarta.com
Contact the City of Lithonia at
770.482.8136 or via email at cityclerk@lithoniacity.org
Apply for Permit
Please follow this link to begin your application