Filming, Photography, and Audio Recording Permits

Filming, Photography, and Audio Recording Permits on Park Land

The National Park Service conserves and protects areas of untold magnificence, grandeur and historic significance for present and future generations. The custom of capturing photos of those particular locations began with explorers who traveled with paint and canvas or cameras. Sharing these photos helped encourage the creation of nationwide parks. Today, guests to nationwide parks proceed to memorialize their visits by filming and images.

On January 4, 2025, the EXPLORE Act was signed into legislation (Public Law 118-234) and has been codified at 54 U.S.C. 100905. Section 125 of the Act modified how the National Park Service will handle filming, images, and audio recording in park areas.

Key parts of the brand new legislation embrace:

• In most instances, permits and costs will not be required for filming, nonetheless images, or audio recording that includes eight or fewer people. In order to keep away from allow and price necessities, the filming, nonetheless images, or audio recording should meet all the following circumstances:
  • Occurs in areas open to the general public;
  • Uses hand-carried gear solely;
  • Does not require unique use of a website;
  • Does not adversely influence park sources, values, or different guests; and
  • Is not prone to lead to further administrative prices for the National Park Service.
• Permits and costs are by no means required for filming, nonetheless images, or audio recording that’s related to an exercise or occasion that has been approved beneath a written instrument (e.g., allow or settlement), equivalent to a marriage, sporting occasion, demonstration or different exercise.
• All filming, nonetheless images, and audio recording is handled the identical beneath the brand new legislation. It doesn’t matter whether or not it’s business, non-commercial, for content material creation, by a pupil, or carried out by media or for information gathering.
• When a filming, nonetheless images, or audio recording allow is required, the National Park Service will cost location charges and costs to get well its prices to manage the allow, together with utility charges.
• Individuals and teams conducting filming, nonetheless images, or audio recording stay topic to all different legal guidelines and laws relevant to guests to park areas, together with these requiring permits for sure actions (e.g., particular occasions or demonstrations) and people prohibiting disturbance or different adverse impacts to pure or cultural sources.
• Individuals and teams conducting filming, nonetheless images, or audio recording are topic to entrance and/or recreation charges that will apply in park areas even when a allow just isn’t required.

For extra details about in case your filming exercise requires a allow, go to the National Park Service’s Filming and Photography Permits web page.

How to Apply for a Filming, Photography, or Audio Recording Permit

1. If you have an interest in making use of for a Filiming or Still Photography Permit, fill out the Filming, Still Photography, Audio Recording Permit utility.
2. Once a allow applicaiton has been accomplished, e mail your utility to the permiting workplace: FOMC_permits@nps.gov
3. All purposes could have a non-refundable $100 utility price related to them. Payments will be made through bank card or verify. In your utility e mail, specify which fee methodology is most popular.
4. Once an utility has been submitted and the appliance price has been paid, the permits coordinator will assessment your utility with the park administration group to find out whether or not your allow utility will likely be accredited. Please enable at the very least six weeks for particular use allow processing.

Costs Affiliated with Filming, Photography, and Audio Recording Permits

Permit Application: $100 (non-refundable)
Location Fee:
Filming:

Still Photography:

Cost Recovery: Cost restoration is charged at a dollar-in dollar-out ratio to the permittee, that means no matter the price is to the NPS to handle the allow is the precise price that will likely be charged to the permittee. For permits that require park employees to observe the permits, this value would be the hourly charge of the park employees. For planning functions, the park recommends permittees plan for an estimated price of $50 per ranger per hour.

Photography Workshops

If you’re planning a images workshop, it’s possible you’ll want a business use authorization. See the business use authorization web page for extra info.

Insurance Requirements

You could also be required to acquire legal responsibility insurance coverage naming the United States of America as moreover insured in an quantity commensurate with the danger posed to park sources by your proposed exercise. You might also be requested to publish a bond to make sure the fee of all costs and costs and the restoration of the realm if obligatory.

Considerations for Permits

Federal procedures (31 USC7701) require your Social Security Number or Tax Identification Number on the again of all checks accepted for deposit within the quantity of $50 or extra. You should provide one or the opposite to ensure that your verify to be accepted and your utility to be processed.

The info offered on the appliance will likely be used to find out whether or not a allow will likely be issued, so please present as a lot element as potential. You will likely be notified of the disposition of the appliance and the mandatory steps to safe your last allow. If your request is accredited, a allow containing relevant circumstances and laws will likely be despatched to the individual you may have designated on the appliance. The allow have to be signed and returned to the park previous to the occasion.

The mission of the National Park Service is to protect and defend our sources as acknowledged within the Organic Act… “The Service…shall provide and regulate the use of …National Parks.[its] purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such a manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”(16 USC 1)

It is the coverage of Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine to accommodate requests for particular use permits when and the place potential, whereas adhering to this mandate. Therefore, our major concern is to evaluate potential useful resource injury and disruption of regular public use previous to authorization of any particular use exercise.