Honolulu Film Office

Honolulu Film Office

Ke Keʻena Līpine o Honolulu

The Honolulu Film Office is the official government representative and lead liaison for film industry inquiries and permits for the City and County of Honolulu which encompasses the Island of Oahu. In addition, our office works both individually and collectively with the Film Offices of the Hawaiian Islands to diversify the economy through the film industry with business attraction initiatives that facilitate the growth of the production of the motion picture, television and advertising sectors.

LOCATION INQUIRIES

Whether it is a mysterious island with jungles and polar bears, a T-Rex's valley, the perfect setting for at least 50 dates, a Titan's lair, a dreamy resort for forgetting your ex-girlfriend, McGarrett's home, the crush of 20 foot surf or a breathtaking coastal red-Ferrari kind of road, Honolulu and O'ahu have a depth and breadth of stunning locations.
View our digital brochure for information on the Hawai'i Production Tax Credit of 22% on O'ahu and 27% on the neighboring islands.

PERMITS

The Honolulu Film Office is here to assist filmmakers with their documentary,  new media production,  commercial,  television series or feature film permitting needs.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us should you have any questions at 808-768-6100 or email at info@filmhonolulu.com

For photographers hired to take images for the personal use of their clients such as wedding, elopement, family portraits, baby luaus, please contact the City and County of Honolulu Parks Permits Office at DPRPermitsOffice@honolulu.gov or 808-768-3440. 

OPEN & ACCESSIBLE PERMIT

An Open and Accessible Permit can be requested for generally open and accessible city/county parks and beaches and/or for various sidewalks and scenic overlooks. If you are a crew of 20 or fewer and have just a camera, tripod and/or a reflector, you can request this permit that allows you maximum flexibility to film b-roll and beauty shots or other minimal impact types of filming around the Island of Oahu. Please note that if you have an Open and Accessible permit from the State of Hawaii, you will also need an Open and Accessible permit from the City and County of Honolulu to be able to film at any site they have listed that has an asterisk (*). Those sites are city beach parks adjacent to a state beach. A city OA permit gives you permission to film in the park and in many instances also on the beach. The state OA permit gives you permission for state parks and the strip of sand adjacent to the city park on some beaches.

STANDARD PERMIT

A Standard Permit request is for any production that has any one of the following: a larger footprint, crew of 21 or more, has any special effects, any non-standard beach props, physical set pieces, is requesting reserved parking or would use more equipment than an Open and Accessible permit allows. This type of permit will require a site map that shows where and how the production would use the property, and may also require additional documents such as traffic control plan or a neighbor outreach letter. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

USEFUL DOCUMENTS

View our requirements at the link below.  A permit application can be submitted and processed as you acquire your COI. The Certificate must include the required wording in the Description section and Certificate Holder block to be valid. Please note that the same Company name must be listed on the permit request and COI. 

Honolulu Film Office COI Requirements 

Included here are General Conditions which are attached to all Standard Permits using DTS property, and additional conditions for Open and Accessible permits issued for minimal impact groups using ‘various city/county sidewalks and scenic overlooks.’  Unless otherwise noted on the permit, all stated conditions must be adhered to while filming at the permitted location.

DTS_Conditions

DTS_Open & Accessible Conditions

General conditions applicable to all permits issued must be followed at all times when operating within permitted dates and times.

DPR_Conditions

DPR_Open & Accessible Conditions

Private homes may be used for filming if the site is used as a film set and no overnight habitation occurs.

Bill 41 Clarification

A one sheet providing the process and necessary documents needed for students applying for permits for the first time. 

Student Application One Sheet

FILM OFFICES OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

Map of the Hawaiian Islands

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS

O'ahu Visitors bureau

OVB supports and collaborates with the destination marketing strategies and activities of our domestic and international partners including island partners in government, community, and other industries

USS Arizona memorial

Located in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu the USS Arizona is a federally regulated historical location. Please contact them directly for any filming inquiries 808-422-3399

National memorial Cemetery of the pacific

The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific located at Punchbowl Crater, an extinct volcano located near the center of Honolulu, Hawai'i. Please contact them directly for any filming inquiries
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