A film production insurance program is built from several coverages, bought at different points on the calendar. Some have to be bound before anyone scouts a location. Producers need others months after wrap, at delivery to a distributor.
Producers Need Proof of Insurance Before Booking Locations
Three parties usually set your film shoot insurance requirements: permit offices, location owners, and equipment rental houses. Each words its conditions differently, so one production may need several certificates.
Permit offices control filming on streets and parks, and every jurisdiction writes its own rules. In Los Angeles, both FilmLA and the city must appear as additional insureds on the production’s commercial general liability policy. Brokers file it through KwikComply, the municipal insurance portal.
In New York City, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment sets a $1,000,000 per-occurrence minimum for general liability. The proof must come from your broker or agent by email, 48 hours or more before you file for the permit.
The business name on the certificate has to match your filing letter for letter. If you form a limited liability company (LLC) for each title, list that LLC as the named insured.
Location owners put their own conditions in the location agreement. A homeowner may accept modest limits, while a school district may want higher ones and its own additional insured wording.
Scuffed hardwood or a cracked window at a rented house is typically excluded from general liability, since the home is in your care. Producers insure that exposure under a separate third-party property section with its own deductible.
Equipment rental houses will not hand over a camera package until they have your film equipment insurance certificate, with the rental house listed as loss payee. Many also want hired and non-owned auto liability if your team drives off in a grip truck.
Cast Exams and Script Clearance Start Early
Insurers generally require medical exams of the lead actors and the director before principal photography, which puts cast coverage paperwork squarely in prep. For errors and omissions (E&O) insurance for film, the underwriter reviews how you cleared music, artwork, logos, and the names of real people. Order the script clearance report and title report during development so both are on file for that application.
Principal Photography Coverage on Set
Production General Liability and Third-Party Claims
Production general liability insurance covers claims from people with no connection to the shoot. Examples include a passerby hurt on a coned-off sidewalk and a neighbor whose hedge is flattened by a reversing grip truck.
Your cast and crew are insured separately under workers’ compensation. Many producers use an entertainment payroll service as employer of record, and that service holds the coverage.
Whether you must carry it at all depends on state law. California requires workers’ compensation from the first hire, and New York applies the requirement to nearly every employer. Florida draws the line at four or more employees for businesses outside construction, and Texas lets private firms decline coverage entirely as non-subscribers.
Film Equipment Insurance for Owned and Rented Gear
Camera bodies, glass, lighting, grip, and audio kits can all be insured against theft and physical damage, whether bought or rented for a two-day commercial. Owned inventory can be listed piece by piece with a stated value, or placed under one blanket amount. With that second option, the company need not amend the policy each time it sells a lens or buys a light (see our guide to scheduled vs. blanket coverage).
Props, sets, and wardrobe are insured under their own limits. On a period drama, check those amounts against costume rental invoices, since rented gowns can outvalue the camera package. With faulty stock and media coverage added, reshoot costs may be reimbursed when a memory card corrupts, or a shuttle drive fails before backup.
Cast Insurance and Extra Expense
When a lead actor or the director is sidelined by a covered illness or injury, the insurer may reimburse rescheduling or recasting expenses under cast insurance for film. Conditions noted during the medical exam may be excluded or subject to a higher deductible.
Under extra expense coverage, the insurer may pay the added cost of relocating after a covered loss, such as smoke damage from a fire next door. Save receipts for the move and crew overtime, since the claim rests on documented expenses.
Stunts, Pyrotechnics, and Aerial Work Need Separate Approval
Stunts, pyrotechnics, special effects, and aircraft are typically excluded from a standard production liability form. An underwriter may add them back by endorsement if you disclose them up front, with the stunt coordinator’s safety plan, the pyrotechnic operator’s license, and the remote pilot’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificate attached. Drone operators filming in Los Angeles face extra permit insurance conditions, so line up aircraft liability before you apply.
Producers Need E&O Insurance Before Distribution
Distributors and broadcasters routinely put E&O on the delivery list, next to the masters and music cue sheets. The insurer then defends claims over on-screen content, such as defamation or an unlicensed song. PBS sets its minimum at $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 in the aggregate, wants PBS and its member stations named as additional insureds, and ties the policy period to the rights period for the program.
For other distributors, a June 2025 overview from entertainment law firm Romano Law places common per-occurrence limits between $1,000,000 and $3,000,000, with aggregates of $3,000,000 to $5,000,000. Most E&O policies are written on a claims-made form, so letting one lapse can leave a producer uninsured for a suit over a film that was covered at release.
Many underwriters expect a clearance report signed by an entertainment attorney before they quote. Independent film insurance buyers who wait for a sales agent’s request end up chasing it on a deadline.
Match the Policy Term to the Production Schedule
If a short-term policy ends at wrap and post-production stretches for months, the edit systems and drives holding your footage may go uninsured. Extend the term to picture lock whenever gear or media are still at risk.
Companies with a steady slate often move to an annual documentaries, industrials, commercials, and educational (DICE) policy. Every qualifying shoot during the 12-month term is then insured under one production insurance program.
By our math, two or three short-term premiums add up to about one annual package, as noted on our FAQ page. A company booking more than that each year will usually pay less with DICE. Feature films are still usually insured project by project.
Line Up Film Production Insurance Coverage Before Your Next Scout
MFE Insurance Brokerage places movie production insurance for features, commercials, documentaries, music videos, and web series and shops each placement across a wide group of carriers. Send your schedule and location list, and an advisor will walk through each requirement before you lock a permit date. We then prepare each certificate you need.
You can pull policy documents from the MFE client portal at any hour, and same-day turnarounds are often possible for last-minute requests. Talk with our team and have the paperwork ready before the permit deadline.