What Certifications Do You Need to Work on a Film Set?

Most film sets don't require a license or certificate to start working. But some certifications are required on certain union and Los Angeles-area sets, and the rest make you easier to hire. The short list:

• Contract Services Safety Pass, required for many union crew in the LA area
• OSHA Outreach 10-hour card, a recognized hazard awareness baseline
• Aerial lift cards and ETCP certifications for electric and grip
• FAA Part 107, required by law to fly a drone for pay
• First Aid and CPR for anyone running a set

This guide sorts it by department, tells you who runs each program, and links the official page so you can check the current rules yourself.

Why safety training gets you hired

A keyed position is a safety position. The gaffer decides what the generator can carry, the key grip decides whether a rig will hold, and the 1st AD decides whether the day keeps going. Productions hire people they trust to make those calls.

It also matters for paperwork. On the West Coast, roster placement for many crafts requires specific safety courses, and people who wait until a union job is offered can miss the window.

Quick reference table

Certification	Who it's for	Who runs it	Link
Safety Pass Program	West Coast roster crew in most departments	Contract Services Administration Trust Fund	csatf.org
Safety bulletins	Everyone on set, especially keys	Contract Services	Safety bulletins
OSHA Outreach 10-hour	Electric, grip, PAs, anyone in New York's Local 52 crafts	OSHA-authorized trainers and online providers	osha.gov
Safety First! online courses	Eligible IATSE workers	IATSE Training Trust Fund	iatsetrainingtrust.org
ETCP Entertainment Electrician	Experienced electrics and gaffers	ESTA's Entertainment Technician Certification Program	etcp.esta.org
ETCP Portable Power Distribution Technician	Electrics who run distro and generators	ESTA's ETCP	etcp.esta.org
ETCP Rigger, Arena or Theatre	Grips and riggers who work overhead	ESTA's ETCP	etcp.esta.org
Aerial lift and scissor lift cards	Electric and grip	Safety Pass courses or an authorized trainer	csatf.org
First Aid and CPR	PAs, ADs, anyone running a set	American Red Cross	redcross.org
FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate	Camera operators who fly drones for pay	Federal Aviation Administration	faa.gov
Part 107 recurrent training (ALC-677)	Certified remote pilots, every 24 calendar months	Federal Aviation Administration	faa.gov
FCC wireless mic rules	Production sound	Federal Communications Commission	fcc.gov

Everyone: Safety Pass, bulletins and the basics

Contract Services Safety Pass

Contract Services' Safety Pass program is the closest thing the industry has to a common safety baseline. Its own page says Safety Pass training is contractually mandated for many motion picture production employees in the greater Los Angeles area, including those under the IATSE Basic Agreement, and that it's also required of certain people on DGA Qualification Lists. The program has more than 30 courses built for the motion picture industry, covering general safety, hazard communication, firearm safety, lighting safety and respiratory protection, among others. Most courses are online, while some, like fall protection, rigging and forklift operation, are taught in person at the Burbank training facility.

Outside LA, Contract Services says workers under the IATSE Area Standards Agreement can take certain Safety Pass courses.

Safety Pass shows up in the requirements for a lot of crafts:

• Local 600 roster placement in the West (DPs, camera operators, 2nd ACs, loaders and still photographers) requires safety training on top of the qualifying days. See the Local 600 guidebook.
• Local 728's joining guide for lighting technicians says Safety Pass classes are required (Local 728 joining guide).
• Local 700 roster placement requires courses A (General Production Safety), HP1 and WVP for every classification.
• Local 706 routes for hair and makeup, and Local 705 routes for costumers, run through Contract Services and its safety classes.

Harassment Prevention training through Contract Services is also required every two years in California and annually in New York for crews in the system.

Read the safety bulletins

Contract Services publishes the industry safety bulletins. They aren't a certificate, but knowing them is part of being trusted near the action. The ones crew mention most:

• #1 covers firearms, blanks and dummy rounds, and #2 covers prohibitions on live ammunition. Both were revised in 2023 and 2024.
• #8 covers camera cars and process trailers.
• #22 covers scissor and boom lifts.
• #23 covers portable power distribution, with addenda on 480 volt systems, generator grounding and power line distances.
• #36 covers drones.
• #38A covers lightning safety. As of today, the Contract Services site says its Post Lightning Activity section was revised and published.
• #41 covers gimbals, and the site says it was also recently revised.

Power line distance requirements were updated in 2025 as addenda to the lift, electrical and camera car bulletins. Bulletins get revised, so check the current version on the official page before you rely on one.

OSHA Outreach 10-hour

The OSHA Outreach Training Program is a voluntary hazard awareness course taught by OSHA-authorized trainers and online providers. Finish the 10-hour course and you get a card. It's not specific to film, but it's a widely recognized baseline, and in New York it's on the document list for Local 52's vested application (more on that below). If someone asks you about "OSHA 10 for film crew," this is the card they mean.

First Aid and CPR

The American Red Cross offers in-person and blended First Aid and CPR courses with certification. It's valuable for anyone who runs a set, and it's one of the simplest things a PA can add to a profile.

Electric: ETCP, lift cards and power

Gaffers and electrics carry the highest-stakes certifications on most sets. The core stack:

• Safety Pass, which for West Coast roster crew includes aerial lift and scissor lift classes and a special rigging course for electrical technicians.
• An OSHA 10 card and an aerial lift card from an authorized trainer.
• ETCP Entertainment Electrician and ETCP Portable Power Distribution Technician from ESTA's Entertainment Technician Certification Program.

According to ETCP's testing page, these certifications are aimed at experienced technicians and use a points system based mainly on work experience: 30 points for Entertainment Electrician and 20 for Portable Power Distribution Technician. Degrees, apprenticeships and internships can also earn points. Each exam is 165 multiple-choice questions (150 scored) in three hours, taken at a PSI center or by live remote testing.

Know bulletin #23 on portable power distribution and #22 on lifts. And know your limits: don't say yes to a tie-in, a generator or a 480 volt job you're not trained for. Bring in someone who is.

Full role guide: Gaffer in 2036. For the career path, see How to Become a Gaffer.

Grip: rigging, lifts and fall protection

Grips share a lot with electric:

• Safety Pass, which for West Coast roster crew includes aerial lift and scissor lift training.
• An aerial lift card from an authorized trainer, plus fall protection training.
• An OSHA 10 card, which Local 52 lists for its vested application.
• ETCP Rigger, Arena or Theatre, worth it if you rig overhead on stages. Rigging certifications also need 30 points, and the exam follows the same 165-question, three-hour format.

The bulletins grips should know cold are #22 (lifts), #8 (camera cars and process trailers), #36 (drones) and #41 (gimbals). Check the 2025 power line addenda before you put a lift or crane near lines.

The habits matter as much as the cards. If you aren't sure a rig will hold, say so, out loud, and stop. Don't work near a moving camera car without a safety meeting first, and don't skip fall protection because it's a short setup.

In Los Angeles, Local 80 represents grips, and future members start by registering for an online Permit Orientation. Full role guide: Grip in 2036. For LA specifics, see How to Become a Grip in Los Angeles.

Camera: Safety Pass and drone certification

For camera crew, Safety Pass is the training that unlocks the union path in the West. Local 600 roster placement there needs 30 days of qualifying signatory work within 365 days, or 100 days of non-signatory work within three years, plus required safety courses. 2nd ACs have additional classification-specific courses.

If you fly drones, the rules are federal:

• Flying a drone for pay without a Part 107 certificate is illegal. You also need to check airspace rules and the production's insurance before you fly.
• New pilots take the initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center. The FAA says the test has a fee.
• Certified remote pilots complete the free online recurrent training (ALC-677) every 24 calendar months to keep flying commercially. Flying with a lapsed certificate is a real risk, so put the date on your calendar.

If you supply your own drone, gimbal or Steadicam, put it on a separate equipment rental line on the deal memo and confirm who insures it. Our crew deal memo template has a spot for that.

Role guides: Camera Operator, 2nd AC / Clapper Loader and Director of Photography. As a department head, a DP should know the Safety Pass courses and stop the day if a rig, car mount or electrical setup isn't right.

Sound: FCC wireless mic rules

Sound's legal piece is the airwaves. According to the FCC, most wireless mic users can operate unlicensed. Licensed Part 74 operation has historically included motion picture and TV producers, and since 2014 it also covers professional sound companies and venues that routinely use 50 or more wireless mics. Shure's licensing guide is a plain explainer of who can get a license.

The practical rule: scan frequencies every day, because locations change and so does the airspace. West Coast roster sound crew also take Safety Pass.

Role guide: Production Sound Mixer.

Production and PAs: the cheapest way to stand out

PAs don't need union safety courses to get hired, which is why a couple of cards stand out: a Red Cross First Aid and CPR course and an OSHA 10-hour card. Add the safety bulletins on heat, lightning, firearms, stunts and drones, and you're more useful and more trusted near the action.

For ADs, the training is about judgment. The 1st AD guide lists Red Cross First Aid and CPR as valuable for anyone who runs a set, and warns against letting the pressure to make the day override a safety call. Know bulletins #1 and #2 on firearms and ammunition. Safety Pass also applies to certain people on DGA Qualification Lists.

Role guides: Production Assistant and 1st AD. If you're just starting, read How to Become a Production Assistant and How to Get on a Film Set With No Experience.

Hair, makeup and post

Local 706 routes for hair stylists and makeup artists require Contract Services safety classes, and video editors heading for Local 700 in the West need the Safety Pass courses listed above, even though they rarely set foot on set.

New York and Local 52: check the current page

New York's Local 52 covers grip, electric, props, sound and more. Its Join Us page currently describes a vested procedure for people already vested in a covered pension plan, and the document list for that appointment includes an OSHA 10 Construction card, an aerial lift card and craft-specific training and credentials, along with proof of residency in the local's jurisdiction. The page has changed over time and general applications have been described as closed, so check the current rules on the official page before you plan around it.

Where this is heading by 2036

LED fixtures and smaller cameras tempt productions to cut corners and run thinner departments. But weight, wind load and electricity don't change, and the bulletins on power, lifts, gimbals and drones keep getting revised. As generated video takes more of the low end, the work that still happens in person, with real lifts, real power and real people, puts a premium on crew who keep everyone safe. A current training record is part of what makes you that person.

FAQ

What certifications do you need to work on a film set?

To start, usually none. Many union crew in the LA area need Safety Pass, flying a drone for pay needs Part 107, and OSHA 10, aerial lift, ETCP and First Aid/CPR cards make you easier to hire.

What is Safety Pass training?

It's Contract Services' set of more than 30 motion picture safety courses. It's contractually required for many production employees in the greater Los Angeles area, including those under the IATSE Basic Agreement, and it's tied to roster placement for many crafts. Some courses are available to workers in other jurisdictions, such as those under the IATSE Area Standards Agreement. Details are on the Contract Services safety page.

Do film crew need OSHA 10?

OSHA describes its Outreach course as voluntary. But it's a recognized hazard awareness card, and New York's Local 52 lists an OSHA 10 Construction card for its vested application. Find authorized trainers through OSHA's Outreach program.

How do I get ETCP certified?

Apply through ETCP with your work history. You need 30 points for Entertainment Electrician or Rigger and 20 for Portable Power Distribution Technician, earned mainly through work experience. The exam is 165 multiple-choice questions in three hours, at a PSI center or by live remote testing.

Do I need a license to fly a drone on a film set?

Yes, if you're being paid. You need an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, and you have to complete recurrent training every 24 calendar months. Check airspace rules and the production's insurance before every flight.

Do sound mixers need an FCC license for wireless mics?

Usually not. The FCC lets most wireless mic users operate unlicensed. Licensed Part 74 operation is available to groups including motion picture and TV producers and professional sound companies that routinely use 50 or more wireless mics.

Your role in 2036

Each NeedaCrew "Your role in 2036" guide lists the training, tools and union paths for one job, with links to the official sources. Start with your department: Gaffer, Grip, Camera Operator, Production Sound Mixer or Production Assistant, or browse every role at /v2/roles. For how the departments fit together, see Film Crew Positions Explained.

When you've got a card, put it on your NeedaCrew profile's skills list next to your day rate, so the people hiring can see it.