Free Location Release Form Template for Filming (PDF)
A location release form gives you written permission to film on someone’s property and use that footage in your project. A handshake with a homeowner feels fine until the neighbor complains or the owner changes their mind after the edit. This free location release form template puts the dates, fee, access and damage terms on one page. It’s a fillable PDF in US Letter and A4.
TL;DR: Get It in Writing Before You Scout Twice
Fill in the property, the owner, the dates and the fee. List exactly which areas you can use and any house rules. Have the owner sign before prep day, and bring a copy to set in case anyone asks who let you in.
Download the Free Location Release Form
Pick your size. The form is a one-page fillable PDF. Print it or fill it in on screen.
What Is a Location Release Form?
A location release form is a short agreement between a production and a property owner. The owner lets the crew in to film, and gives the production the right to use what it filmed.
- Who signs it: the property owner, or an agent who can legally give permission, such as a manager
- Who keeps it: the producer or location manager
- Other names: location agreement, location contract or filming permission form
- What it’s not: a city filming permit. Public streets and parks usually need a permit from the city, not a release
It also protects you after the shoot. When a distributor or insurer asks who gave you the right to film a place, the signed release is your answer.
What’s in the Location Release Form Template
The template is one page, with every field fillable.
- Property: the address, and the owner or authorized agent with their phone and email
- Production: title and producer or company
- Dates and hours: prep, shoot and wrap days, and the hours on site
- Areas included: the rooms, yard or parking you can use
- Fee: what you’re paying the owner
- Use of footage: film the interiors, exteriors, signs and address, and use them in the film and its advertising
- Care of the property: temporary set changes get removed, and the production pays for damage
- Insurance: proof of liability insurance if the owner asks
- Special conditions: pets, noise, power and no-go areas
- Signatures: owner and producer
Location Release Form Example
Here’s the release for the farmhouse in “The Note”, the short film from our call sheet template. The names and address are made up.
- Name the right person. Ruth Hale owns Hale Farm. If a renter or manager signs, make sure they have the right to say yes.
- Cover prep and wrap days. The crew preps on Oct 17, shoots on the 18th and wraps out on the 19th.
- Write the real hours. A night shoot runs 3 PM to 3 AM. Owners like knowing when the trucks leave.
- List the areas. The porch, front door, gravel drive and barn exterior. Not the house.
- Put the house rules in writing. Dogs stay in the barn. Nobody goes past the fence by the old well. Power comes from the porch outlet only.
- Promise the cleanup. “Gravel drive raked back after wrap” is a small line that gets you invited back.
Leave the place cleaner than you found it.
Owners talk to each other, and so do location managers.
The best location release is the second one, from someone who already said yes once.
Location Release vs Filming Permit
| Location release | Filming permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gives it | The property owner | The city, county or park authority |
| Where it applies | Private property | Public streets, sidewalks and parks |
| Cost | A fee you agree on, or free | A set fee, sometimes insurance too |
| When you need both | Private property that blocks a public road or sidewalk | Same |
A backyard shoot needs only the owner’s release. Park trucks on the street or close a sidewalk, and you may need a permit too. Check with the local film office.
Location Release Tips
- Photograph the property on day one. Before and after photos settle damage arguments fast.
- Tell the neighbors. A note in the mailbox about the dates and hours saves a lot of angry knocks.
- Bring the release to set. If police or a neighbor asks, you can show it.
- Get a release for the signs, too. A shop’s logo on screen can need the owner’s OK, even from the street.
- Don’t expand the areas on the day. If you need the kitchen after all, get it added in writing.
Ask about the power before you ask about the view.
A great location with one outlet and a nervous owner turns into a generator, a cable run and a long night.
For how locations fit into planning, see the stages of film production. The people on camera need a talent release form, and the scenes you’re shooting there belong on your shot list template.
FAQs About Location Release Forms
Do I Need a Location Release to Film in My Own Home?
Not from yourself. If you rent, your landlord’s permission may matter, and if other people live there, they should agree. Anyone recognizable on camera still needs a talent release.
How Much Should I Pay for a Location?
Anything from nothing to thousands a day. Small shoots often trade a fee for a meal, a credit or a copy of the film. Put whatever you agree on in the fee box, even if it’s $0.
Can the Owner See the Film Before It Comes Out?
Only if you agree to it. The template gives the owner no approval over the footage. If you promise a screening, write it in the special conditions.
The Final Cut on the Location Release Form
A location release form turns a friendly yes into something you can show a distributor.
Download the template, fill in the dates, areas and house rules, and get it signed before prep day.
And have a lawyer review it before you use it, because property and filming rules change from place to place.
Jay Neill
Jay Neill is the founder and managing editor of iFILMthings and believes everyone should have access to the film resources they need to plan their filmmaking project, which is why he’s dedicated iFILMthings to helping all filmmakers.