Filming & Photography
Professional photographers taking photographs for clients' personal use do not need a permit. Visitors may need a permit for film or photos they take on the forest if they intend to widely sell them, use them for business promotion, or use them in other related avenues for profit or marketing purposes. Please contact us to start the permit process.
View our recreational drone tips for regulations that apply to drone photography and filming.
Professional photographers and videographers MAY be required to obtain film permits for filming and photography on federal lands, depending on the level of impact. Please contact us with dates, details and locations of your project and we will work with you to determine if a permit is required. Media and press does not need a permit to cover breaking news. Use of drones by commercial videographers and photographers should be coordinated with our fire aviation group. View our recreational drone tips for regulations that apply to drone photography and filming.
Photographers who guide groups to locations in the Forest must obtain a permit. Contact us.
What is considered guiding? Guiding is providing services or assistance (such as supervision, protection, education, training, packing, touring, subsistence, transporting people, or interpretation) for a fee or other gain to individuals or groups on National Forest System lands.
Example: Group – “Do you know any good spots?” Photographer – “Sure, I’ll take you there.” That’s guiding.
Photographers who want to post event, gathering, elopement, etc. photos to their website or use them for marketing purposes must obtain a permit. Contact us.
A permit is not required as long as the event takes place in an area that is open to the public and no additional administrative costs will be associated with the event. While the photographer may be working in a commercial capacity on National Forest lands, the photographer is there to create a product for sale to the group, not to market or create a product for sale to the general public.