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Film Production

Filming in residential neighbourhoods

Filming authorization

All filming that impacts the public, uses or occupies municipal lands, rights-of-way, and/or buildings, and is wholly contained to private property, must be endorsed by the Township of Langley.

Proposed filming notification

Every production must notify affected residents of proposed filming through a Township-approved notification letter.

Consent for proposed extraordinary filming

Through a Township-approved polling letter, every production must obtain residents’ support for proposed works taking place outside of bylaw-stipulated work hours.

Production vehicle parking

Only essential production work vehicles will be considered by the Township for approval to park on municipal streets.

Working with productions that want to film on your property

Property owners are responsible for negotiating directly with the production company the terms of use for their home and/or private property. The Township remains external to these private negotiations.

Registering your property for filming

Property owners interested in registering their private property as a potential filming location can visit Creative BC’s property registration page .

Commendations and complaints register

The Township maintains a database to log and track commendations and to register legitimate complaints against a non-compliant film production.

Bylaw infractions

If a Township-approved film production working in your neighbourhood does not appear to comply with municipal bylaws, contact the Bylaw Enforcement Department at 604-532-7551 or bylaws@tol.ca.

Filming in business areas

Filming authorization

All filming that impacts the public, uses or occupies municipal lands, rights-of-way, and/or buildings, and is wholly contained to private property, must be endorsed by the Township of Langley.

Proposed filming notification

Every production must notify neighbouring businesses of proposed filming through a Township-approved notification letter.

Consent for proposed extraordinary filming

Through a Township-approved polling letter, every production must obtain support from the neighbourhood for proposed works taking place outside of bylaw-stipulated work hours.

Production vehicle parking

Only essential production work vehicles will be considered by the Township for approval to park on municipal streets.

Filming on your property

In advance of proposed filming, productions are required to contact businesses that may be directly or indirectly impacted. Where a business is a tenant, the tenant is encouraged to contact the property owner to obtain their consent for filming. The Township remains external to negotiations and to agreements for use of business and/or private property. For information on recovering business loss of revenue, visit Creative BC .

Studio location on your business property

Productions wishing to locate their studio on business properties must ensure the property is located in an appropriate zone and complies with associated municipal zoning requirements. Where proposed use of a property is different than property zoning permits, productions must first contact the Township Film Coordinator about Temporary Use Permit requirements.

Open for business signage

When Township-approved filming is to take place fronting a business, productions must place approved signage proximate to the business, indicating the business remains open.

Acknowledging businesses through restricted filming periods

Filming in all areas of the municipality is restricted:

  • on Saturdays and Sundays
  • on statutory holidays
  • in July, August, and December
  • during municipal special events and/or during construction periods in potential coinciding locations

Filming is not permitted in the business core of Fort Langley:

  • on statutory holidays and may include, as required, dates preceding statutory holidays
  • in December

Commendations and complaints register

The Township maintains a database to log and track commendations and to register legitimate complaints against a non-compliant film production.

Bylaw infractions

If a Township-approved film production working in your neighbourhood does not appear to comply with municipal bylaws, contact the Bylaw Enforcement Department at 604-532-7551 or bylaws@tol.ca.

Film production in the Township communities

Mayor and Council support the film industry, and recognize the economic and social benefits it brings to our community. We invite you to our community and appreciate your cooperation while filming in the Township.

The Township of Langley expects all production companies and their cast and crews to abide by the Creative BC Film Industry Code of Conduct for Cast and Crew , which outlines community expectations when filming in British Columbia.

Each production wishing to film on private or public property must obtain all necessary approved municipal and agency permits in advance of filming.

Please familiarize yourself with the Township's Filming Guideline and new Filming Policy . At the time of your next filming application, you must sign acknowledgement of having read and understood both documents.

We offer simple, straightforward processes, timely turnaround, reasonable fees, and client location confidentiality.

Getting Started

  1. Familiarize yourself with the Township’s Filming Guideline and Filming Policy
  2. Submit a completed Film Application package
  3. Contact our Film Coordinator at 604-533-6151 or film@tol.ca
  4. Submit a completed Film Permit Highways Use Permit

Useful Links

Contributing to our Community Partners in Film Reserve

Interested productions can make donations and other contributions to a Township reserve, which funds future, small-scale improvements across our community, such as playground equipment, park benches, and picnic tables. For more information, contact our Film Coordinator at 604-533-6151 or film@tol.ca.

The Township of Langley is one of the most film-friendly municipalities in the Lower Mainland. This has been achieved largely because of you – residents and businesses that welcome and support balanced, safe, and harmonious filming in our community.

Today the industry works in all 7 Township communities, producing feature films, TV series, made-for-TV movies, commercials as well as documentaries. The industry is vested in maintaining positive relationships with neighborhoods and communities in order to continue to be welcomed. In 2016 alone, there were over 1,000 film-days permitted in the Township, representing over 110 separate productions. Each year, the industry invests millions of dollars in direct spend in the Township’s local economy through the acquisition of services and the purchase of goods. According to provincial agency Creative BC, in 2017, close to 1,700 Township residents worked in film, an industry which provides high-paying jobs.

Since 1999, the Township has had a Filming Guideline  in place to provide general direction to entities interested in producing film in all communities within the Township. This Guideline was last updated in 2013 through an extensive stakeholder engagement and public consultation process. In 2013, Township Council equally adopted a Filming Policy  that acknowledges the Township’s support for the film industry in the community, recognizing the economic and social benefits generated. The Policy provides for general direction and decision making supportive of the creative sector’s investment in our local economy. Every film request to the Township is handled individually by staff to evaluate conflicts, risks, etc., to maximize success, and to ensure balance for our residents and community.

Established in 2013, and a 1st in BC, the Township endorsed the creation of the Community Partners in Film Reserve, a non-statutory reserve that productions can contribute to in support of future small community capital improvement projects (benches, street banners, public art, picnic tables, playgrounds). Further, all productions contribute by virtue of the Township applying all film application fees to this reserve. By year-end 2017, the Reserve had collected $27,000.

In Q1 2017, the BC Government realigned provincial film tax credit program boundaries to include the complete jurisdiction of the Township. As a benefit, the Township is equally realizing sector diversity from traditional film production to the emergence of film studio investment through the establishment of new film studios. In 2018, Netflix secured five-year stage agreements with studios in northwest Langley.

In 2017, the Township partnered with Metro Vancouver’s Regional Prosperity Initiative on a Regional Film Application Portal. This project will build a centralized system for film productions to access the processes and forms of each local jurisdiction that enable filming, enhancing the film-friendly reputation of the Metro Vancouver region and improving communications among industry and municipal partners. In January 2018, the pilot for this program began with five municipalities, including the Township, participating to work through technological and administrative considerations.

We want to hear from you!

Your feedback is encouraged. Contact our Film Coordinator if you have questions or concerns regarding a specific film production or want to provide input for future consideration.

Township of Langley Film Coordinator
Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm
604-533-6151 or film@tol.ca

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