Special Park Uses, Filming, and Still Photography
Often individuals, organizations, and businesses consider national parks appealing settings to hold events, express opinions, shoot commercials or major motion pictures, or photograph models for catalogs or kids for their school pictures. Couples choose national parks as beautiful wedding venues. Families gather to share meals and celebrate the generations. At times, the National Park Service requires permits for activities like these to make sure these activities do not cause unacceptable impacts on a park's natural and cultural resources or unduly interfere with park visitors' access and enjoyment.
A Special Park Use Permit (SUP) can be used by park management to authorize the use of park-managed lands and waters for a variety of activities and uses. Except for the sale of printed material (36 CFR 2.52), SUPs are not used to authorize commercial activities. Commercial activities require a commercial use authorization, concession contract, or lease.
Special Events
Depending on the size and complexity of the planned event, the park may require you to obtain a special park use permit. If issued, the permit will include terms and conditions that protect park resources while allowing you to enjoy the park without interfering with other park visitors.
When is a permit needed?
All parks are different in size and purpose, but all protect a variety of natural and cultural resources to enjoy now and in the future. Some parks welcome thousands of visitors a year; others welcome far fewer. Because of these differences, each park sets its permit requirements. To determine if your event requires a special use permit contact the park’s special use coordinator at 479-451-8122.
What fees will I have to pay?
Cost Recovery
Your application must be accompanied by an application fee, which reimburses the park for the time spent processing your request. If your activity is complicated, there could be additional charges to cover park costs, including payment for staff time spent monitoring your permit.
Insurance
As a condition of your permit, you may be required to present proof of liability insurance, in an amount to be set by the park.
Security Payments
As a condition of your permit, you may be required to submit either a cash payment or a surety bond in an amount set by the park to cover unpaid financial obligations and any necessary repairs or restorations.
Demonstrations
Demonstrations are defined in 36 CFR 2.51 as:
…demonstrations, picketing, speechmaking, marching, holding vigils or religious services, and all other like forms of conduct that involve the communication or expression of views or grievances, engaged in by one or more persons, the conduct of which is reasonably likely to attract a crowd or onlookers. This term does not include casual park use by visitors or tourists that is not reasonably likely to attract a crowd or onlookers.
When is a permit needed?
Individuals or groups planning to hold a demonstration are encouraged to contact the park in advance to discuss the proposed activity.
The NPS may reasonably regulate certain aspects of First Amendment activities, such as the time when, the place where, and how the activity is conducted.
Pea Ridge National Military Park has designated areas for demonstrations. Groups of 25 people or fewer may use these areas without a permit as long as they are not using stages, platforms, structures, or sound systems. These areas are available on a first-come, first-served basis, however, small groups may want to obtain a permit to ensure they have use of the area. Groups over 25 people and groups using stages, platforms, structures, or sound systems need to apply for a permit for a designated area.
- Visitor Center: lawn beginning at the western edge of the building, between the sidewalk and paved administrative road.
- East Overlook: grass island
- Elkhorn Tavern: from the eastern most parking stall on the south side of parking lot and continuing east; area containing sidewalk and grass island.
What fees will I have to pay?
The National Park Service will not impose requirements for cost recovery, insurance, bonding, and conditions requiring financial expenditure for First Amendment activities.
Filming
Commercial filming is defined as digital or film recording of a visual image or sound recording by a person, business, or other entity for a market audience, such as for a documentary, television or feature film, advertisement, or similar project. It does not include news coverage or visitor use.
When is a permit needed?
Under federal law, all commercial filming that occurs within a unit of the National Park System requires a permit.
Still Photography
Still, photographers require a permit only when:
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the activity takes place at location(s) where or when members of the public are generally not allowed; or
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the activity uses model(s), sets(s), or prop(s) that are not a part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities; or
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a park would incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity.
What fees will I have to pay?
Federal law requires the National Park Service to recover its administrative costs for commercial filming and still photography activities that require a permit. Cost recovery includes an application fee and any additional charges to cover the costs incurred by the National Park Service in processing your request and monitoring the permitted activities. This amount will vary depending on the park and the size and complexity of the permitted activities. The application fee must be submitted with your application. In addition, Federal law also requires the National Park Service to collect a location fee that provides a fair return to the United States for the use of park lands for commercial filming and for still photography requires a permit. The National Park Service uses the following fee schedules for filming and photography:
Commercial Filming
- 1–2 people, camera & tripod only - $0/day
- 1–10 people - $150/day
- 11–30 people - $250/day
- 31–49 people - $500/day
- Over 50 people - $750/day
Still Photography
- 1–10 people - $50/day
- 11–30 people - $150/day
- Over 30 people - $250/day
Application Procedures
Requests for a permit application may be made by contacting the permits office at 479-451-8122 ext. 1221 A completed application and the non-refundable $75.00 application fee are required before an application can be processed. The information on the application will be used by NPS staff to evaluate the impact of the proposed activity on park resources and visitors.
Please allow sufficient time to process your request.
In addition, you should request a meeting with park staff if your proposed activity is unusual or complex. Early consultation with park staff will help them process the submitted application promptly.
Special Event Application
