Commercial Filming and Still Photography at White Sands
The Today Show is just one example of filming in the park.
NPS Photo
Commerical Filming
The National Park Service conserves and protects areas of untold beauty, grandeur and historical importance for current and future generations. The tradition of capturing images of these special places started with explorers who traveled with paint and canvas or primitive cameras. Sharing these images helped inspire the creation of national parks. Today, visitors to national parks continue to memorialize their visits through filming and photography.
Effective October 28, 2022, the National Park Service rescinded interim guidance that was in place during litigation regarding commercial filming and has returned to longstanding laws and regulations governing commercial filming in parks. Questions and answers about filming and photography are provided below.
Submit the completed special use permit application to whsa_permits@nps.gov. The application must be received by the park no less than 21 days prior to the start of the event.
Place a secure credit card payment for the application fee over the phone at 575-479-6124 ext. 206. Processing the permit cannot begin until payment has been received.
Once payment is received, most applications for permits requests will be processed within 21 working days. Requests that involve multiple locations, complex logistics or coordination with other visitor activities will require a minimum of 30 working days to process. Projects that require environmental or cultural resource evaluation must be submitted no less than 90 days before the start of proposed activity(ies).
After favorable review of your application, your permit will be emailed to you or you may pick it up in person at the park.
After your special use permit is reviewed, you may be contacted to provide additional information or to discuss the details of your permit if the permit cannot be approved with the information provided or if additional fees apply.
What fees will I have to pay?
The National Park Service will collect a cost recovery charge and a location fee for filming permits. Cost recovery includes an application fee of $100.00 and any additional charges to cover the costs incurred by the National Park Service in processing your request and monitoring your permit. This amount will vary depending on the park and the size and complexity of your permit. The application fee must be paid over the phone with a secure credit card payment before the permit can be processed. Call 575-479-6124 ext. 206 to complete payment.
Still Photography
When is a permit needed?
Still photographers require a permit only when:
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.
Submit the completed special use permit application to whsa_permits@nps.gov. The application must be received by the park no less than 21 days prior to the start of the event.
Place a secure credit card payment for the application fee over the phone at 575-479-6124 ext. 206. Processing the permit cannot begin until payment has been received.
Once payment is received, most applications for permits requests will be processed within 21 working days. Requests that involve multiple locations, complex logistics or coordination with other visitor activities will require a minimum of 30 working days to process. Projects that require environmental or cultural resource evaluation must be submitted no less than 90 days before the start of proposed activity(ies).
After favorable review of your application, your permit will be emailed to you or you may pick it up in person at the park.
After your special use permit is reviewed, you may be contacted to provide additional information or to discuss the details of your permit if the permit cannot be approved with the information provided or if additional fees apply. 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 in a timely manner.
What fees will I have to pay?
The National Park Service will collect a cost recovery charge and a location fee for still photography permits. Cost recovery includes a $100.00 application fee and any additional charges to cover the costs incurred by the National Park Service in processing your request and monitoring your permit. This amount will vary depending on the park and the size and complexity of your permit. The application fee must be paid over the phone with a secure credit card payment before the permit can be processed. Call 575-479-6124 ext. 206 to complete payment.
If you have questions or would like to speak to someone regarding a filming activity in the park, we encourage you to contact the Filming and Photography Coordinator at 575-479-6124 ext. 217 or whsa_permits@nps.gov.
