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US National Parks
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.
Permit: conditional
Shoot decision
Depends on setup
The EXPLORE Act (signed Jan 4, 2025, codified at 54 U.S.C. 100905) rewrote the rules.
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: National Park Service (per-park film/photo permit office)
Cost: Exempt shoots pay nothing. Permitted shoots pay a park-set application fee (for example $100 at Acadia and Great Smoky Mountains, $350 at Yellowstone) plus location and monitoring fees
Processing: Varies by park: about 2 to 4 weeks at Glacier and Yellowstone, 30 days at Yosemite and Grand Teton, longer for complex shoots
The EXPLORE Act (signed Jan 4, 2025, codified at 54 U.S.C. 100905) rewrote the rules. Groups of eight people or fewer shooting in areas open to the public with hand-carried equipment, without exclusive use, adverse impacts, or added administrative cost, generally no longer need a permit. Filming or photography tied to an event already authorized in writing, such as a permitted wedding, never needs its own permit. Larger or higher-impact productions, restricted areas, props or sets, and exclusive use still require a permit.
Drone / airspace
Effectively banned: launching, landing, or operating drones from within national parks is prohibited
NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 (June 2014) directed each superintendent to use 36 CFR 1.5 to prohibit launching, landing, or operating uncrewed aircraft, and NPS says it is still in force with a few exceptions. A violation is a misdemeanor with up to 6 months in jail and a $5,000 fine. 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 apply the EXPLORE Act locally and set their own fees and lead times.
- Some parks add local triggers: Yellowstone treats Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, and other confined high-visitation spots as permit areas in summer, and Zion bars permitted filming in its wilderness, slot canyons, and the Narrows.
Guidance, not legal advice
Rules change and enforcement varies. Confirm with the issuing authority before you shoot. Drone law depth lives at Drone Authority.
Drone Authority
Check the flight side
Rules answer the ground-photo side. Drone Authority handles the NPS flight ban, airspace, and legal flying nearby.
Kit Authority
Plan the park side
Rules answer whether you can shoot. Kit handles where to go, when to go, and what to pack. For broader trip planning, Kit Authority keeps the park-by-park packing and destination side.
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