National Park Photography Permit Rules (2025 EXPLORE Act)
When you need an NPS permit to photograph in a national park after the EXPLORE Act, and when small groups are now exempt.
Guidance, not legal advice
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: National Park Service (per-park film/photo permit office)
Cost: Location/monitoring fees vary by park; many small-group shoots are now fee-exempt
Processing: Often 2 to 8 weeks for permitted shoots; plan ahead
The EXPLORE Act (signed Jan 4, 2025) rewrote the rules. Small groups (commonly cited as 5 people or fewer) shooting in areas open to the public, without exclusive use, generally no longer need a permit (a de minimis authorization). Larger productions, restricted areas, props/sets, or exclusive use still require a permit. The 'high-volume location' provision is unsettled; treat it as contested, not settled.
Drone / airspace
Effectively banned: launching, landing, or operating drones from within national parks is prohibited
NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 bans drone use inside park boundaries. For airspace, Part 107, and where you actually CAN fly nearby, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes for personal/editorial photography in public areas
Standard visitor photography is welcome. The permit question is about commercial productions, not snapshots.
Practical notes
- Verify with the specific park's film/photo office: parks interpret the EXPLORE Act locally and some guidance is still catching up.
- Tripods in high-traffic spots may draw ranger attention even when legal; be ready to explain a small-group exemption.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: