NYC photography permits: the Mayor’s Office, the parks and the places that set their own rules
Most portrait sessions in New York need no permit. When the Mayor’s Office does require one, what it costs, and the parks and venues that run their own schemes instead.
A photography permit in New York City is issued by the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment when a shoot uses more than a handheld camera or a tripod, claims exclusive use of public space, or needs parking — and most portrait, couple and family sessions do none of those things.
What needs no permit
The Mayor's Office (checked September 2026) is explicit: standing on a City sidewalk, a City bridge walkway or in a City park with a handheld camera, without otherwise asserting exclusive use, is not an activity that requires a permit. A camera on a tripod, handheld props and handheld equipment such as a bounce board are also allowed, provided there are no prop weapons, stunts or parking requests.
What does
| Trigger | Permit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment beyond a handheld camera or tripod — lights, stands, generators | MOME film permit | $500 per 14 days |
| Exclusive use of a sidewalk, street or park area | MOME film permit | $500 per 14 days |
| Parking for production vehicles | MOME film permit | $500 per 14 days |
| Needing NYPD or FDNY assistance | MOME film permit | $500 per 14 days |
The permit needs commercial general liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence, and the insurance page asks for the certificate at least 48 hours before the application. A fee waiver can be requested for hardship.
For shoots that do not need a permit, the city offers an optional Letter in Lieu of Permit, valid for 30 days, which some photographers carry to show a police officer. It counts a tripod as handheld and sets the pavement rule: at least 8 feet kept free for pedestrians where the path is 16 feet or narrower, and half the width where it is wider.
City parks
For a permitted shoot in a city park, the Mayor's Office parks page sends applicants to the park manager and asks for at least five business days. NYC Parks may review the request as well, so allow two weeks. Several parks — Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Prospect Park among them — run their own application through a conservancy.
Places with their own rules
| Place | Owner's rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Central Park | Handheld or tripod needs no permit; Conservatory Garden needs one for any professional shoot | Central Park Conservancy |
| Brooklyn Bridge Park | Non-commercial engagement photos need no permit under 21 people; every application costs $25 | Brooklyn Bridge Park |
| Brooklyn Bridge Park weddings | $426 in total, 21 business days, three permitted sites | Brooklyn Bridge Park |
| Brooklyn Botanic Garden | Any professional portrait needs a permit, five business days ahead | Brooklyn Botanic Garden |
| Grand Central Terminal | Tripods and lights need a permit even for personal use | Grand Central |
In practice
- A photographer, a couple and available light on a sidewalk or in most of a park: no permit.
- A reflector on a stand, a light, or an assistant holding a spot: a MOME permit, and in a park the park's authorisation too.
- A garden, terminal or park run by its own body: that body's rule, whatever the city says.
The locations, with the permit line for each, are on the New York city page; how the same three-way split works in other cities is in the US photography permits guide.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a permit for a photoshoot in New York City?
- Usually not. New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment requires no permit for a handheld camera or a camera on a tripod on a sidewalk, bridge walkway or in a city park, as long as you do not claim exclusive use of the space. Lighting, crew, parking or blocking the way need a permit.
- How much does a NYC film permit cost?
- In September 2026 the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment charged a non-refundable $500 for each 14-day period of a New York City film permit, which also covers still photography, and required $1 million of general liability insurance. A fee waiver can be requested for hardship.
- Is a tripod allowed without a permit in NYC?
- Yes, on New York City sidewalks, bridge walkways and in city parks. The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment treats a camera on a tripod like a handheld camera, provided the tripod does not claim exclusive use of the space. Some private places, such as Grand Central Terminal, still require a permit for one.