Washington, DC
DC's permit fees by crew size, the personal-use exemption, and the federal-versus-city jurisdiction split that catches people on the National Mall.
Guidance, not legal advice
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME, Film DC)
Cost: $30 application fee per project (waived for students); a first-day permit fee scales by crew size from $150 for small crews; still photography is a flat $150
Processing: Apply ahead; insurance due at least one business day before filming
Required for all non-personal filming on DC-controlled public space, and for any vehicle-mounted camera. Personal-use filming needs no permit. A $1,000,000 per-occurrence liability certificate is required for shoots on DC public space.
Drone / airspace
Commercial drone work requires FAA Part 107 inside the most restricted airspace in the country, the National Capital Region
OCTFME issues only an aerial support letter to attach to required FAA and TSA approval. For Part 107 and drone law, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes: you can photograph what is visible from public space in the US
Private property sets its own rules regardless of city law.
Practical notes
- Federal land permits separately: the National Mall, monuments, and US Capitol grounds are NPS or Capitol jurisdiction, so a cross-jurisdiction shoot needs both permits.
- The Pennsylvania Avenue stretch by the White House is DC jurisdiction, but security there is run by the Secret Service.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: