Generally filming permits are required and are issued for photography, filming, and associated sound recording when they involve props and models, professional crews, and casts or set dressings. Permits are also required for access to areas normally closed to the visiting public and night-time photography.
Permits are NOT generally required for: Visitors engaged in filming or photography intended for their personal use and enjoyment or engaged in filming or photography in an area open to the public.
Permits are issued to ensure the protection of resources and to prevent significant disruption of normal visitor uses.
Applications require a minimum of 14 days to fully process.
A special use permit is required for activities that provide a benefit to an individual, group, or organization rather than the public at large and requires written authorization and management control in order to protect park resources and the public interest. Examples include: organized group events, weddings, athletic events, First Amendment activities and special assemblies.
Each of these activities requires a special use permit that must be acquired in advance.
Most applications require a minimum of 14 days to fully process.
If after reading the information from the above links you have questions or not sure a permit is needed, please contact the Special Use Permits Coordinator at nicholas_a_poulos@nps.gov.
