Insurance checklist before your first shoot day
Most shoots that stall before day one are not stopped by a disaster. They are stopped by paperwork: a film office that will not issue the permit, a rental house that will not release the camera package, or a location owner who wants proof of insurance the night before. This checklist walks through what to have in place, in the order people tend to ask for it.
1. A certificate of insurance for every permit and location
Film offices and location owners ask for a certificate of insurance before they approve a shoot. It shows your general liability coverage and usually names them as an additional insured.
For example, the City of Miami Beach asks for at least $1,000,000 of general liability, a certificate naming the City as additional insured and certificate holder, and a separate notarized indemnity agreement. Other cities ask for different limits and wording.
Ask each film office and location for its exact wording early. A certificate with the wrong name or address is a common reason a permit waits.
2. Equipment you rent or own
Rental houses usually want proof that their gear is insured before it leaves the building, often with the rental house named as loss payee. Production equipment coverage (inland marine) protects cameras, lenses, lighting, grip and sound gear against theft and damage, including in a locked truck overnight.
Check the value of the full package, not just the camera. Lenses, monitors and lighting add up quickly.
3. Your crew
In Florida, a business outside construction with four or more employees, full-time or part-time, must carry workers' compensation, and corporate officers and LLC members count toward that number unless they hold an exemption. Other states set their own rules. Workers' compensation pays medical bills and lost wages if a grip hurts their back moving a dolly track.
If you hire crew through a payroll company, ask whether its policy covers them and get a copy of its certificate.
4. Vehicles
A rented cargo van or a crew member's own car used for the shoot needs hired and non-owned auto coverage. Cars that appear on camera, camera cars and driving stunts are different: they need picture car or precision driving coverage, which ordinary auto policies do not include.
5. Anything that needs a specialist before the day
Some scenes need the insurer's approval in advance, not on the day:
- Stunts, fire, weapons or rigging: the underwriter usually wants the stunt coordinator's plan first.
- Drones: under the FAA's Part 107 rules, the pilot needs a remote pilot certificate and the drone must be registered. Drone liability is usually a separate aviation policy. Ask the operator for their certificate and their insurance.
- Boats and water work: camera boats and underwater filming need marine coverage.
- Animals: trained animals bring their own liability questions.
Telling the insurer after the fact can leave a scene uncovered.
6. What can stop the shoot after it starts
Once the camera is rolling, a few events can stop production for days:
- A key person cannot work: cast and essential element coverage pays extra costs when a lead actor or director is hospitalized and filming pauses.
- Footage is lost: production media coverage pays to reshoot when a drive fails or stock is faulty.
- Weather: outdoor shoots in the Atlantic hurricane season, June 1 to November 30, need a plan for named storms and a clear understanding of what weather cover includes.
7. Before the film goes out
Most distributors ask for producers errors and omissions (E&O) insurance before they release a film. It covers claims over rights, titles, music and likenesses. Applying needs clearances for music, locations and talent releases, so it is easier to collect them during the shoot than after.
Put it together
Start with what your permits, locations and rental houses ask for, then add coverage for what your script actually involves.
Sources
- City of Miami Beach, Film and Print Guidelines, checked October 7, 2026
- Florida Division of Workers' Compensation, Coverage requirements, checked October 7, 2026
- FAA, Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Regulations (Part 107), checked October 7, 2026
- National Hurricane Center, Tropical cyclone climatology, checked October 7, 2026