Filming Commercially on State Forest Land
Commercial filming on Minnesota state forest land can involve more than setting up a camera: your crew, equipment, vehicles, and planned activity may affect whether you need permission. The safest approach is to contact the Minnesota DNR before choosing a shoot location, then confirm that every person and machine can use the area under its regular rules.
Find out whether your shoot needs written authorization
A short video recorded during an ordinary visit is not necessarily treated the same as a production with a paid crew, lighting, a drone, temporary structures, or vehicles brought off the designated route. There may not be one permit that covers every kind of filming. Instead, the DNR needs to assess what you plan to do, where you plan to do it, and how the shoot could affect the land or other visitors.
Before making firm plans, describe the project to the DNR office responsible for the state forest or site. Ask whether your activity requires written authorization, whether a special use permit is the right process, and whether a separate approval is needed for any specific activity. Start with Special Use Permits on Minnesota State Forest Land for related information, but confirm the requirements for your particular shoot with the land manager.
Give the DNR enough detail to make a useful decision. “We want to film a commercial” is usually less helpful than a clear account of the production. Include the purpose and general content of the shoot; proposed dates and backup dates; the number of crew members and vehicles; the equipment you plan to bring; whether you will use drones, lights, generators, or temporary set pieces; and whether you expect to block or reserve any space.
These details matter because a small, mobile crew can have a different impact from a production that needs a large staging area or repeated vehicle access. The location matters, too. A route through a busy trail area, a sensitive habitat, a recently closed section, and a developed day-use spot may each raise different questions. Do not assume that a site is available simply because it appears on a map or has been used in another production.
| Proposed filming activity | What to ask the DNR |
|---|---|
| Small crew filming while visiting a forest | Whether the planned commercial use needs written authorization and which regular visitor rules apply |
| Crew using tripods, lights, or other equipment | Whether equipment placement, setup time, or the chosen site requires approval |
| Production with several vehicles or a staging area | Whether vehicle access, parking, or temporary use of space needs separate authorization |
| Filming from an ATV or UTV | Which routes are open and what registration, pass, and operating rules apply |
| Drone footage | Whether the proposed location and activity are allowed, and what land-use and aviation rules apply |
| Organized shoot with participants or spectators | Whether the activity needs special authorization beyond ordinary filming |
The table is a starting point, not a permit determination. A project can combine several activities, and an approval for one part may not cover the rest. If the production plan changes after the DNR has reviewed it, check whether the change needs to be approved before proceeding.
Prepare a complete request and confirm the conditions
Once you know which office to contact, send a concise production plan and ask what materials the DNR needs. Do this well before travel or equipment bookings become difficult to change. Permit processes, fees, review times, and conditions can vary, so confirm current details directly with the agency rather than relying on a past production’s arrangements.
A useful request explains both what you want to film and how you will keep the activity manageable. Include a location description or map, a schedule, crew and vehicle counts, equipment dimensions where relevant, and the method you will use to move gear in and out. If the location is flexible, say so. A nearby alternative may be easier to approve or less disruptive.
Ask for the conditions in writing. Depending on the project, the DNR may need to address matters such as access routes, parking, permitted hours, limits on crew size, protection of vegetation, cleanup, or insurance documentation. Do not treat any of these as automatic requirements or assume they will all apply. The point is to know what the approval actually covers before the shoot begins.
Pay particular attention to the boundaries of the authorized area and the activities listed in the approval. Permission to film at a location does not necessarily permit a crew to block a trail, drive a production vehicle across forest ground, install a sign, use a generator, or launch a drone. If a production depends on any of those activities, ask about them specifically.
Keep the approval and the contact information for the responsible DNR office available on shoot days. Share the relevant conditions with the producer, location manager, vehicle operators, and anyone responsible for directing the crew. A permit that sits in one person’s inbox will not help a crew member who has been told to park or set up somewhere outside the approved area.
If you are filming with a drone, check both the DNR’s land-use direction and the aviation rules that apply to the flight. Commercial drone operations are subject to Federal Aviation Administration requirements; confirm what applies to the pilot, aircraft, airspace, and planned operation. A DNR authorization, if required and granted, is not a substitute for aviation compliance. Likewise, aviation permission does not by itself establish that the launch location or activity is allowed on state forest land.
Keep ATV and UTV access separate from filming permission
A filming approval does not automatically make every road or trail available to production vehicles. ATVs and UTVs must follow the access rules for the specific state forest and route. Stay on routes open to the machine you are operating, and check current closures before departing. Minnesota State Forest Riding and Reading a Minnesota OHV Trail Map can help with route planning, but maps and general guidance do not replace current signs, closures, or directions from the land manager.
Do not ride off a designated route to reach a better camera angle unless the land manager has explicitly authorized that access. The same caution applies to parking, loading, unloading, and turning around: a vehicle being used for a shoot is still subject to applicable access rules. If the production needs to bring equipment to a location that is not reachable by an open route, ask about an authorized alternative rather than improvising.
Registration, trail-pass, and operator requirements remain separate questions. Confirm which rules apply to each machine and rider before the crew travels. Visitors bringing machines from outside Minnesota can review Minnesota’s Non-Resident ATV Trail Pass, while Minnesota Trail Pass Rules at a State Forest explains the relationship between trail-pass rules and state forest riding. Requirements can depend on the machine, rider, and where it will be used, so verify the details for your situation.
Seasonal conditions also matter. A route shown as open on an older map may have changed because of maintenance, weather, or a temporary closure. Check Minnesota Trail Closures in Spring Thaw and current DNR notices when planning a shoot near a change in season or after wet weather. If you need a route that is usable by a camera vehicle, confirm its status rather than relying on a previous visit.
The number of people involved can affect how the activity is treated. A production crew operating on its own is not necessarily the same as an event with invited riders, spectators, or a planned group ride. If the shoot includes organized riding or a gathering, explain that when you contact the DNR. Minnesota Permits for an Organized Ride covers a related situation, but do not assume an event permit and a filming approval are interchangeable.
Run the shoot without disrupting the forest or other visitors
Once you have answers, build them into the call sheet and the route plan. Name the approved meeting point, parking area, and filming locations; identify which vehicle is permitted on each route; and set a clear rule that crew members do not move beyond the approved area without direction. If a trail is closed, a site is crowded, or conditions differ from what the plan assumed, pause and contact the responsible office rather than shifting the shoot to a convenient nearby spot.
Keep the footprint small. Bring only the equipment the plan requires, avoid placing gear where it blocks public access, and do not damage vegetation to create a view. Remove production materials and rubbish when the crew leaves. If the DNR has set limits or restoration conditions, assign someone to check them before the production departs.
Make room for regular visitors. A commercial crew does not own a public trail or roadside space unless the DNR has specifically authorized a restriction. Do not tell riders or other visitors to leave an area based on the production schedule alone. If the shoot depends on controlling access, ask whether that is possible and what approval is required before promising it to clients.
Give crew members a simple escalation plan. The location lead should know whom to contact if the approved area becomes unavailable, equipment fails, a vehicle becomes stuck, or the production is asked to stop. Do not expand the footprint to solve a problem without checking whether the change is allowed. A minor adjustment in the field can become a different land-use request if it changes where vehicles go or how the site is used.
For vehicle operations, plan for safety as well as compliance. Use a route appropriate for the machine and conditions, avoid driving beyond the crew’s ability, and keep riders and camera operators aware of one another’s positions. If the production has a separate insurance policy, ask the insurer what activities and locations are covered; do not assume that standard vehicle or personal coverage applies to every commercial shoot. Minnesota Liability Insurance for Riders provides related context, but the production should confirm its own coverage with its insurer.
Before the crew leaves, check the site against the conditions of the approval. Collect gear, remove temporary materials, and report any damage or incident through the contact process the DNR provided. Keep a copy of the written authorization, correspondence, and final location plan with the production records. These documents make it easier to answer questions later about where the crew was allowed to work and what activities were approved.
A practical sequence is:
- Identify the state forest and proposed filming locations.
- Contact the responsible DNR office with a clear description of the production.
- Confirm whether written authorization or additional approvals are needed.
- Verify access, vehicle, trail-pass, drone, insurance, and scheduling requirements that apply.
- Share the written conditions and approved route plan with the full crew.
- Recheck current access conditions before the shoot and follow the authorization on site.
The central point is to treat filming permission, land access, vehicle use, and aviation compliance as related but separate matters. A quick conversation with the DNR before booking the crew can reveal what needs approval and whether a different location or smaller setup would make the shoot workable.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Laws, prices and regulations vary by location and change over time. Consult a qualified professional for guidance on your specific situation.
