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ApertureAuthority
US State

Connecticut

Connecticut runs filming on all state-owned property, state parks and forests included, through one office: DECD's Office of Film, TV and Digital Media.

Verified Jul 1, 2026 2 official sources
Permit: conditional

Guidance, not legal advice

Rules change and enforcement varies. Confirm with the issuing authority before you shoot. Drone law depth lives at Drone Authority.

Permit

Conditional

Issuer: Office of Film, Television and Digital Media (Department of Economic and Community Development)

Cost: Varies by property; insurance is required for state-property permits

Connecticut is one of the few states with a true single point of contact: by statute (Conn. Gen. Stat. 32-1u), the DECD film office coordinates permits for filming and photography on all state-owned property, including state roads and highways, state parks and forests (DEEP land), rail stations, airports, and seaports. Filming on limited-access highways needs separate DOT permission arranged through the same pipeline. Municipal property is still local: each of Connecticut's 169 cities and towns handles its own streets and parks. Insurance naming the state is required for state-property permits. Verify current forms with the film office.

Official permit page

Drone / airspace

Commercial drone work requires FAA Part 107

Declare drone use on the state-property application; DEEP restricts drones in many state parks. For Part 107 and state drone law, see Drone Authority.

Street / public space

Yes: you can photograph what is visible from public space in the US

Private property sets its own rules regardless of state law.

Practical notes

  • State parks and forests are DEEP land but the film permit comes through the DECD film office, not the park; that routing surprises people used to parks-counter permits.
  • Shoreline parks like Hammonasset fill in summer; the film office will steer shoot windows around peak capacity closures.
  • Yale and other private campuses permit independently; town greens belong to the municipality.

Sources

Keep shooting

Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side:

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