Special use permits allow visitors to have special events at our park, such as weddings, concerts, lectures, and cultural festivities.
Are you interested in hosting an event at our park, running tours through our park, or performing research at San Juan Island National Historical Park? If so, you'll need a permit so that you know what regulations apply to these activities and so that we can help make it possible. On these pages, you can find the information your looking for to have special events and research in our park.
Special Use Permit
The Special Use Permit (SUP) authorizes activities that benefit an individual, group or organization, rather than the public at large; and that require written authorization and management control in order to protect park resources and the public interest.
A SUP is required for any organized activity or event involving more than 12 people. Maximum group size is dependant on the activity and specific site capacities. This limit is based on limited parking and facilities, potential conflict with other visitor activities, and impacts to natural and cultural resources.
Types of permitted activities include:
Weddings
Picnics
Scattering of ashes
First Amendment activities
To apply: Submit application for Special Use Permit to address indicated on the form. Please do not send application fee until contacted by the park. Fees are waived for First Amendment Activities and scattering of ashes.
Federal law requires a permit for all filming, no matter the size of the crew or the type of equipment. This includes individuals or small groups that don’t use much equipment, but generate revenue by posting footage on websites, such as YouTube and TikTok. The primary focus of the NPS, however, is on filming that has the potential to impact park resources and visitors beyond what occurs from normal visitor use of park areas. Examples of this type of filming are productions that use substantial equipment such as sets and lighting, productions with crews that exceed 5 people, and filming in closed areas, wilderness areas, or in locations that would create conflicts with other visitors or harm sensitive resources.
All filmers, no matter the size, must comply with all rules that apply in park areas, just like other visitors.
the activity takes place at location(s) where or when members of the public are generally not allowed; or
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
a park would incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity.
How do I apply for a permit?
Permit applications can be found below. Submit a completed application at least four weeks in advance. Do not send payment until you are contacted by the park. If your proposed activity is unusual, you should request a phone call with park staff. Early consultation with park staff will help them process the submitted application in a timely manner. A permit application for commercial filming can be found here: Filming and Still Photography Permit Application
Federal law requires the National Park Service to recover its administrative costs for 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 filming and for still photography requires a permit. The National Park Service uses the following fee schedules for filming and photography:
