Film Production in Wyoming

Wyoming is well known for its abundant wildlife and for the care taken by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in protecting native species.

The Department regulates the importation of domesticated or trained exotic animals for filming purposes and a permit is required. Trained animals that may require permitting include antelope, bear, deer, elk, moose, some exotic birds and some exotic fish.

For more specific information on possession or importation of specific animals and the permit structure, contact the Wyoming Film Office or:

Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Wildlife Division
5400 Bishop Blvd.
Cheyenne, WY 82006-0001
Phone - 307/777-4600
FAX - 307/777-4610
http://gf.state.wy.us

In the State of Wyoming, work permits are no longer required for minors under the age of 16. Employers are required to have proof of age for all employees under 19 years of age.

No child under 16 years of age shall be employed, permitted or suffered to work at any gainful occupation except farm or domestic service, for more than 8 hours in any 12 hour period, or before the hour of 5:00 a.m. or after the hour of 10:00 p.m. on nights followed by a school day, or after the hour of 12:00 midnight on days which are not followed by a school day.

Provided however that children between the ages of 14 and 16 years who are not enrolled in school may be employed at any gainful occupation for an 8 hour period between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight of any 1 day.

No child under the age of 16 who is enrolled in any private or public school in the state of Wyoming shall be employed, permitted, or suffered to work at any occupation or service during the time that the classes of said school in which the said child is enrolled are in session.

The acceptable forms of proof of age include:

1. A duly attested birth certificate;
2. A duly attested birth certificate;
3. Any other document showing the age of the child as approved by the Department of Employment.

For more information, contact the Wyoming Film Office or:

Wyoming Department of Employment
Division of Labor Standards
1510 East Pershing
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone - 307/777-7261
FAX - 307/777-5633
cdoak1@state.wy.us
http://wydoe.state.wy.us

Permits are required for all production companies and still photographers doing work on federal lands, including national parks, forests, recreation areas and monuments. The breakdown of Wyoming's lands, is as follows: 49% Federal; 42% private; 6% State; and 3% Indian Reservation. The following federal entities are covered in this area:

• Bureau of Land Management

• Department of Defense

• National Forest Service

• National Parks & Monuments

Bureau of Land Management

Permit fees will be required for shooting on BLM lands. The fee schedule is based on the crew size and the number of locations within the BLM District being utilized. Other fees for additional services provided by BLM staff may also apply.

Filing and monitoring fees are required if total user fees exceed $250 for both motion pictures and still photography. A performance bond and liability insurance may be required.

Production companies with complex location needs or setups should plan well in advance for BLM permits. Expect a minimum of two weeks to process these permit requests. Contact the following offices for more information or download a permit application at:
http://www.blm.gov/nhp/what/commercial/filming/index.html

Department of Defense

Southeast Wyoming is home to two major military installations: F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, and the Army National Guard Training Center in Guernsey. Both require approval from the Department of Defense before production can take place on these sites. For information regarding filming on military property and use of equipment, contact the following federal offices:

FE Warren Air Force Base Public Affairs Office
5305 Randall Ave.
Suite 201
Cheyenne, WY 82005
Phone - 307/773 3383
Fax - 307/773 2074

Department of the Army

11000 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 10104
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Phone - 310/235-7621
FAX - 310/473-8874

National Forest Service

The Forest Service ranger district requires a special use permit for film projects. Applications for filming/photography permits require the following timeframes for proposal analysis and permit processing. Major production involving over 30 people, helicopters, or significant amount of equipment require 45 business days. Major movie productions may require additional time. Minor production involving 29 or less people with small amount of equipment/props requires 10 business days (15 days for the Jackson and Buffalo Ranger Districts).

Permit fees are charged to the company based on crew size. The following tables are accurate for all National Forests in Wyoming with the exception of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Contact that office for more details (see below for contact information):

Motion Picture and Video Rental Schedule

Commercial Still Photography Rental Schedule

The number of people includes actors, models, and filming and support crew. If the number of people exceeds 100, the authorizing officer may order an appraisal to determine fair market value. Absent such appraisal, the maximum daily rental is as shown on the schedules for both still photography and the motion picture filming.

Charge fees for use in excess of 20 days at 85% of the daily rate.

Additional fees are required for special conditions identified in the following schedule:

A bond may be required for any activity requiring surface reclamation or restoration.

The Forest Service requires a minimum of $1,000,000 general liability insurance, and may also require a performance bond. The production company may also pay the cost of a full-time liaison officer on site if the project's complexity warrants it. Contact the following offices for more information:

National Parks and Monuments

Commercial filming permits are required for any project that generates an electronic media, film or video production for television, the motion picture industry, public interest or private multi-media which consists of production crews and vehicles, broadcast equipment, props/sets, talent/actors, construction, trailers, housing, animals or aircraft. Projects may involve feature films, documentaries, game shows, soap operas, shopping networks, religious telecasts, talk shows, docudramas, travelogues, commercials, infomercials, public TV presentations, or DVDs, CDs, CD-ROMs or videos for training, sales, education, promotions, entertainment, etc.

Permits for commercial still photography are also required when used for product or service advertisement, activities involve the use of models, sets or props; or when proposed photographic activities indicate potential for resource damage or undue disruption of visitor activities.

Cost recovery and application fees vary between park units; the same location fees stated below apply statewide.

Yellowstone National Park - A $200 non-refundable administrative processing charge is required for all applicants, regardless of whether or not a permit is issued. This fee must be returned with the application in order for it to be considered and covers up to three hours of administrative time.

Grand Teton National Park - A $100 applications fee and a $100 permit fee are required.

It may be necessary to have a National Park Service representative monitor permitted activities at a rate of $150/monitor for the first two hours then $50 per hour/monitor thereafter. Some projects may also require or request NPS staff conduct location scouts and interviews. This time is billed at the same rate. Administrative time beyond the first three hours covered by the application fee is also billed at this rate.

Location Fee Schedule
National Park Service
FY 2006

All parks and monuments will require $1,000,000 in general liability insurance and could require a performance bond. Additional cost recovery methods may also be applied to the production while on location. Allow two weeks for most permit applications.

Contact the following offices for more information:

Liability Insurance

The State of Wyoming requires all production companies working in Wyoming to purchase general liability insurance naming the State of Wyoming and its employees as additional insured with the production company. The minimum insurance required is $1,000,000. More may be required for more complex shoots.

Worker's Comp.

When shooting a project in Wyoming, production companies may use their own insurance carrier covering non-resident employees working on the project. But Wyoming Worker's Compensation must be purchased for all Wyoming residents hired to work for the company. This coverage is available from nearly every insurance carrier in Wyoming.

Production companies are required to purchase additional worker's compensation insurance covering Wyoming residents filling occupations defined as "extra-hazardous" by Wyoming law. Contact the following office for a complete list of these extra-hazardous occupations and for more information:

Wyoming Department of Employment

Wyoming Worker's Compensation Division
Cheyenne Business Center, South Entrance
1510 E. Pershing Blvd.
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone - 307/777-7441
FAX - 307/777-6552
http://doe.state.wy.us/doe.asp?ID=11

Unemployment Insurance

Production companies that shoot in Wyoming are considered Wyoming employers regardless of the duration of the shoot. Before shooting, the company should notify the Department of Employment, Employment Resources Division, and report the estimated time production will take place within Wyoming. Employers will be assigned a tax rate based on an industry average. Contact the following office for more information:

Wyoming Department of Employment
Unemployment Resources Division
P.O. Box 2760
Casper, WY 82620-2760
Phone - 307/235-3217
FAX - 307/235-3278
http://doe.state.wy.us/doe.asp?ID=9

Some of Wyoming's most pristine and historic locations are located on state-owned land. State parks and historic sites require a special use permit for shooting and there is a nominal fee for this permit along with a requirement for adequate insurance coverage. State trust lands, managed by the Office of State Lands and Investments, also require a temporary use permit. State-owned buildings require a non-fee special use permit and proof of insurance coverage and are managed by the State Building Commission through Facilities Management in the Division of General Services. Contact the following offices for more information:

Wyoming has one of the nation's friendliest tax environments for production companies.

Wyoming has no state income tax, so withholding is not a concern to crew people working in Wyoming. The state/county sales tax is 4%, but an additional 2% may be added on by some counties for local capital improvements.

A lodging tax may also exist at the county level of up to 4%, but can be waived dependent on the production company's length of stay in the property. Contact the following office for more information:

Wyoming Department of Revenue
Excise Tax Division
122 West 25th St.
Herschler Building, 2 West
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone - 307/777-7967
FAX - 307/777-3632
http://revenue.state.wy.us

Temporary registration permits are available through any county treasurer's office in Wyoming for periods of 30, 60 and 90 days, dependent on the length of time the production trucks stay in Wyoming.

Temporary fuel permits are available at the first port-of-entry encountered upon entering Wyoming. The state of Wyoming operates 14 of these ports of entry scattered around the state borders, most open 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week. Vehicle operations in Wyoming must comply with standard size and weight limitations, unless prior arrangements are made for overweight or oversize movements:

Overweight/Oversize Movements and Road Conditions

Wyoming Highway Patrol
5300 Bishop Blvd.
Cheyenne, WY 82009
Phone - 307/777-4376
FAX - 307/777-4399
wydotweb.state.wy.us

Wyoming's only tribal reservation is one of the most scenic and cooperative in the West. The Wind River Reservation, home of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe tribes, lies hard against the east slope of Wyoming's highest mountains, the Wind Rivers.

Entertainment committees for each tribe also promote an atmosphere of creativity and cooperation that bodes well for visiting production companies. A film permit from each tribe's business council is required when shooting on the reservation.

Contact the following offices for more information: