How to Apply for a DC Photography Permit - National Park Service - Washington DC Wedding & Engagement Photography

Cherry BlossomsDCEngagementsGeneralOutdoorPermitsPortraitsWeddings
Written By John Falke

Updated: 01/29/2024

What a lot of couples don’t realize when it comes to engagement and wedding photos in Washington, DC is that most of what they’re interested in photographing with is under the umbrella of the National Park Service (aka NPS). This would include the National Mall, with all of the iconic monuments like The Jefferson Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and really any memorial/monument in the immediate surrounding area. Yes, even the iconic DC Cherry Blossoms that circle the Tidal Basin are considered part of NPS! So, if you’re interested in any kind of wedding or engagement photography with those elements, you have to apply for an NPS permit to photograph there (and pay a couple of fees).

The process to apply for a DC photography permit is not that complicated! Here is a link with a long description of what to do from NPS. Or, just read my version:

  • Fill out the Application Form: This is the form you need to fill out (should open as a PDF): APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHY (Short Form) There is a nonrefundable processing cost of $90.00 when you turn in your application. Write this fee in the “Amount to be Billed to Card: Application Cost” on the Credit Card Authorization page.

  • Figure out Your Location Fee: In addition to the $90 application fee, there is a location fee based on the number of people being photographed. For an engagement session, that number is 1-10 people, so that will cost you an additional $50 ($140 total). For a couple and their wedding party, if you go above 10 people, that lands you in the 11-30 person range, which is an additional $150 ($240 total). Here is the breakdown:

Motion Pictures/Videos Location Fees
1-2 people/$0
3-10 people/$150 per day
11-30 people/$250 per day
31-49 people /$500 per day
50+ people/$750 per day

Still Photography Location Fees
1-10 people/$50 per day
11-30 people/$150 per day
30+ people/$250 per day

Once you determine your location fee, write this in the “Amount to be Billed to Card: Location Cost” on the Credit Card Authorization page.

  • Fax, Mail In, or Walk in Your Application: You can fax your application to 202-475-2216, which is what I recommend. However, if you’re short on time, you can also drop off your application to this address:

National Mall and Memorial Parks
Division of Permits Management
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242

You can also mail it to the address above as well. It typically takes 7-10 days for the application to arrive by mail.

  • You will be notified by a permits specialist of the status of the application and the necessary steps to secure your final permit. If you are in need of a permit quickly, you can call 202-245-4715 to try and move things along a little faster. Once your final permit is available, a permits specialist will send it to you via email as a PDF.

  • Have Your Permit Ready on the Day of Your Session: Since the permit is sent in a PDF via email, you can save it to your smart phone and have it at the ready should a park ranger approach you during your session. I always like printing a hard copy to have on hand as well.

Other helpful facts:

  • You can apply for a permit up to one year in advance and a minimum of four days from your session.

  • If you need to change the date of your session, you can email/call the permits office and have it changed. It’s typically done very quickly and easily.

Still confused? Here’s a Permits FAQ’s page with all of the answers you need. Not sure if the place you want to photograph in is part of NPS? Here is a helpful map to see what falls on NPS territory.

I hope this information has been helpful! Thanks so much for reading.

Love,

Lisa

About Lisa Boggs

Lisa Boggs of Lisa Boggs Photography is a DC wedding photographer located in Great Falls, Virginia. Lisa Boggs has been photographing weddings, engagements and portraits for over 13 years and primarily photographs in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland. Her photos have been described as classic, romantic, candid and artistic. She has won several accolades over the years, including Editor's Pick by Washingtonian Weddings, WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards and several Fearless Photographers Awards. She has over-100 five-star reviews on WeddingWire (with more five-star reviews on The Knot, Facebook and Google) and is incredibly thankful to all of her clients for their continuing love and support. When Lisa isn't photographing, you can find her networking with other photographers as the leader of Capital Area Photographers, a DC wedding and portrait photographers group that promotes continuing education for local photographers. Lisa is also a huge fan of her family, friends, wine, coffee, chocolate, popcorn and Netflix. To learn more about Lisa Boggs and her work, please contact lisa@lisaboggsphotography.com or call 571-432-8469.

John Falke