Filming, Photography, and Audio Recording Permits

Filming, Photography, and Audio Recording Permits on Park Land

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 components of the brand new legislation embody:

• In most circumstances, permits and charges are usually not required for filming, nonetheless images, or audio recording that entails eight or fewer people. In order to keep away from allow and charge necessities, the filming, nonetheless images, or audio recording should meet the entire following situations:
  • Occurs in areas open to the general public;
  • Uses hand-carried gear solely;
  • Does not require unique use of a website;
  • Does not adversely affect park sources, values, or different guests; and
  • Is not more likely to end in extra administrative prices for the National Park Service.
• Permits and charges are by no means required for filming, nonetheless images, or audio recording that’s related to an exercise or occasion that has been licensed beneath a written instrument (e.g., allow or settlement), similar 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 industrial, non-commercial, for content material creation, by a scholar, 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 charges to recuperate 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 rules 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 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 and Photography Permit utility.
2. Once a allow applicaiton has been accomplished, e-mail your utility to the permiting workplace: FOMC_permits@nps.gov
3. All functions could have a non-refundable $100 utility charge related to them. Payments might be made through bank card or verify. In your utility e-mail, specify which fee methodology is most well-liked.
4. Once an utility has been submitted and the applying charge has been paid, the permits coordinator will assessment your utility with the park administration staff to find out whether or not your allow utility might be authorised. Please permit no less than 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 fee is to the NPS to handle the allow is the precise price that might be charged to the permittee. For permits that require park workers to watch the permits, this value would be the hourly fee of the park workers. 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 industrial use authorization. See the industrial use authorization web page for extra data.

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 may additionally be requested to publish a bond to make sure the fee of all expenses and charges and the restoration of the world 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 data offered on the applying might be used to find out whether or not a allow might be issued, so please present as a lot element as potential. You might be notified of the disposition of the applying and the required steps to safe your ultimate allow. If your request is authorised, a allow containing relevant situations and rules might be despatched to the particular person you’ve designated on the applying. The allow should 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 Hampton National Historic Site to accommodate requests for particular use permits when and the place potential, whereas adhering to this mandate. Therefore, our main concern is to evaluate potential useful resource harm and disruption of regular public use previous to authorization of any particular use exercise.