UC San Diego occasionally facilitates commercial filming projects at various locations on campus. The starting daily rate to film at UC San Diego is $3,000. This fee does not include staffing or parking fees your film shoot might possibly incur. Filming is permitted at various campus locations, such as Geisel Library and Black’s Beach. Commercial filming is prohibited at the School of Medicine and inside all labs, classrooms, and dorms on campus. View a gallery of campus locations.

UCPA is responsible for all arrangements pertaining to filming on the UC San Diego main campus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Black’s Beach. We screen and process all commercial film requests.

Use of the university’s name in a commercial format or in association with a company/organization and/or brand is prohibited, per Section 92000 of the California Education Code. “The name ‘University of California’ is the property of the state. No person shall, without the permission of the Regents of the University of California, use this name, or any abbreviation of it or any name of which these words are a part, in any of the following ways [including]: (1) To designate any business, social, political, religious, or other organization, including, but not limited to, any corporation, firm, partnership, association, group, activity, or enterprise (2) To imply, indicate or otherwise suggest that any such organization, or any product or service of such organization is connected or affiliated with, or is endorsed, favored, or supported by, or is opposed by the University of California….”

If you have a non-commercial filming inquiry involving the use of the university’s name and logo, please fill out the general inquiries contact form.

For all commercial film requests, please review these guidelines below:

Permit Requirements

These guidelines have been developed to simplify the process of obtaining the UC San Diego Photography, Motion Picture, Video and Television Permit and the Film Location Release Agreement.

Filming on campus is permitted if it does not interfere with normal UC San Diego or university business.

For convenience, the word “filming” as used in these guidelines shall include commercial and educational motion pictures, filming, videotaping, still photography and digital imaging. News photography does not require a permit. The permit will be approved only when all following requirements have been met:

• Specific date(s) and location(s) are confirmed and approved by UCPA.
• University personnel, if required, are available
• Certificate of Insurance (see Insurance below) is received by UCPA no less than two business days prior to filming.
• The application for the UC San Diego Photography, Motion Picture, Video and Television Permit is completed and returned to UCPA prior to filming.
• A signed Film Location Release Agreement is processed.

Dates and Locations

While most areas of the UC San Diego’s campus may be used for filming, some areas are not allowed to be filmed including the campus of the UC San Diego School of Medicine, the chancellor’s residence private interior locations, such as labs, classrooms, offices and conference rooms.

Use of campus locations requires a detailed shooting schedule indicating all areas to be impacted by the shoot (“in frame” and behind the camera) and all measures the production will take to ensure the integrity of the area as well as the minimization of impact to normal university business. The schedule must be submitted to UCPA for review and approval no less than two working days prior to the proposed start of filming. Once the location is approved, the production must follow the schedule as submitted. Changes to this schedule must be submitted, in writing, for approval by UCPA.

A permit cannot be issued if the request is for stock footage.

Additional information for filming at UC San Diego: