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Requirements to film with a drone

Insurance, pilot, and drone use requirements.

Insurance requirements

You must have Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) insurance, in addition to the regular insurance requirements for your production.

The UAS insurance must have at minimum:

  • $2,000,000 aggregate with coverage for damage to person and property
  • Additional insured endorsement page

Name “The City & County of San Francisco, the Port of San Francisco and each of their officers, directors, agents and employees" as additional insured. 

Your film permit application should include in total:

  • Certificate of Insurance for your production
  • Separate City of San Francisco endorsement for your production
  • Certificate of Insurance for the drone use
  • Separate City of San Francisco endorsement for the drone use

Registration requirements

Your drone pilot must be an FAA Certificated Remote Pilot under Part 107.

The drone used for filming must be registered with the FAA.

You will be asked to provide certificates for both the drone and the pilot.

Follow all FAA guidelines

Read the FAA guidelines for commercial pilots (Part 107).

Follow FAA rules about where you can fly a drone.

Learn best practices for using a drone in SF

Assign someone to watch the drone at all times when it’s in the air.

The drone operator should scout the shooting location before using the drone.

Drone operators should be at least 21 years old. They should have previous film set experience, and also have a Motion Picture & Television Flight Operations Manual.

Game day restrictions for Chase Center and Oracle Park

You cannot fly a drone within 3 nautical miles of a stadium 1 hour before and 1 hour after a scheduled event for:

  • Major League Baseball
  • National Football League

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