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Newton County adopts new filming permit and road-closure fees, including $33,000 full-closure minimum
Summary
The board updated filming permit and road-closure fees for FY27, raising the permit fee, adding a rush fee, and introducing distance-based road-closure charges and a refundable damage deposit. Staff said off-duty officers will enforce permit time limits.
Newton County will charge higher and more detailed fees for filming permits and for road closures after the Board of Commissioners approved updates on July 21.
Executive Assistant Latonya Hamp told the board that the county’s filming permit language and fees had not been updated in nearly a decade. Under the new schedule, the standard residential permit fee will be increased (from a prior nominal $50) and there will be a $500 rush fee for permit requests less than 10 business days. County staff also established distance-based fees for intermittent or full road closures to accommodate driving scenes and production logistics.
Examples read into the record: up to 0.5 mile of closure is $1,000; more than 0.5 mile to 1 mile is $2,000; up to 3 miles is $3,000; each additional mile is $1,000. Full road-closure minimums were listed at $33,000, and the refundable damage deposit is $2,500. The board discussed enforcement and confirmed that off-duty officers will be hired to monitor permit compliance and to shut down overruns as necessary; staff said the county will involve the road department and sheriff’s office when evaluating full closures.
Commissioners said the updated fee schedule aims to recapture costs the county previously absorbed (for road wear, traffic control and damage) and bring Newton County more in line with neighboring municipalities. The board approved the revisions for posting and implementation in fiscal year 2027.
