Idaho
Idaho issues no statewide permits and most cities require none; the real rule is the Idaho state parks filming permit with its 100 dollar application fee.
Guidance, not legal advice
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: Idaho Film Office (Idaho Department of Commerce)
Cost: No statewide permit; Idaho state parks charge a 100 dollar nonrefundable filming permit application fee
Idaho does not issue statewide film permits, and most Idaho cities do not require film permits at all; the Idaho Film Office inside the Department of Commerce is a coordination and support resource, not a permitting authority. The layer that bites: the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation requires a filming permit for commercial filming and photography in state parks, submitted to the specific park with a 100 dollar nonrefundable application fee, with possible additional charges for facility use, staff time, or operational impact. The rule explicitly exempts casual photographers; it targets people recording images to sell. Federal land (USFS, BLM) dominates the Idaho backcountry and permits separately. Verify with the park before a shoot.
Drone / airspace
Commercial drone work requires FAA Part 107
Declare drone use on the state parks filming permit; individual parks can restrict flights. 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
- The Sawtooths, Idaho's signature landscape, are US Forest Service land: federal commercial filming rules apply, not the state parks permit.
- Shoshone Falls is a City of Twin Falls park, not a state park; commercial shoots go through the city.
- Boise maintains a city film permit process and Coeur d'Alene is a noted exception among Idaho cities that otherwise require nothing.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: