Tennessee
No statewide permit; the Tennessee Entertainment Commission brokers state property access, state parks welcome hobby photography but permit commercial work, and drones in state parks are near-banned.
Guidance, not legal advice
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: Tennessee Entertainment Commission
Cost: Varies by property and locality; see the film office
There is no statewide photography or film permit. The Tennessee Entertainment Commission handles incentives and is the stated channel for professional productions seeking permission to film on state property, which requires a certificate of insurance. City permits are separate (Nashville has its own film, video, and photography permit for parks and rights-of-way). In Tennessee State Parks (Department of Environment and Conservation), recreational photography is generally allowed, tripods included, but commercial photography and videography (paid portrait sessions, weddings, commercial shoots) falls under the business operations rule TCA 0400-02-06-.02 and needs permission from the park manager or, for productions, the Entertainment Commission.
Drone / airspace
Legal under FAA rules generally; prohibited in Tennessee State Parks except by permit
Commercial drone work requires FAA Part 107. Tennessee State Parks prohibit drone use except in rare cases with prior park manager approval and a permit, under the parks' aircraft rule (0400-02-02-.02). For Part 107 and state drone law, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes: photographing people and property visible from public space is legal in the US
Private property (Broadway honky-tonks, Graceland, studios) sets its own rules regardless of state law.
Practical notes
- The parks' published line for when hobby crosses into 'ask first': detached lighting gear (strobes, bounces, lightboxes) triggers a conversation with the park manager even for non-commercial work.
- Fall color at Fall Creek Falls and Cummins Falls draws crowds; Cummins Falls also runs a separate gorge access permit for entry, unrelated to photography.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: