Mexico
Mexico has liberal freedom of panorama under copyright, but INAH separately controls tripods, drones, and commercial use at archaeological sites.
Guidance, not legal advice
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: INAH (National Institute of Anthropology and History) for archaeological sites; site or property owners otherwise
Cost: No permit for personal photography; tripods, professional rigs, and drones at INAH sites need an advance permit and fee, and commercial use of site imagery needs INAH authorization
Personal handheld photography is fine at most INAH sites, but tripods, professional rigs, mounted action cameras, and drones require an advance INAH permit and fee. Commercial shoots and commercial use of site imagery need separate INAH authorization.
Drone / airspace
Regulated by AFAC under NOM-107; sub-250g drones are exempt from registration, and flying over INAH sites needs a separate INAH permit
For the category detail, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes to photograph in public, but Article 87 of the Federal Copyright Law requires written consent to publish a person's portrait
Exceptions: a person who is a minor part of a crowd, and photos for journalistic or informational purposes. Commercial use without consent is treated as infringement.
Freedom of panorama
Full
The Federal Copyright Law permits reproduction and sale of works visible from public places, with credit and without alteration. Note this is copyright only; INAH separately restricts commercial use of archaeological-site imagery.
Practical notes
- A tripod at Teotihuacan or Chichen Itza without an INAH permit will get you stopped; the permit involves fees and paperwork.
- Even with a filming permit, INAH does not authorize using site imagery to advertise commercial brands.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: