Is It Legal to Take a Picture of a Federal Building?
The public has the right to take pictures of public buildings from public spaces.
According to the paper of record, last October, the New York Civil Liberties Union reached a settlement with the Federal Protective Service (FPS) of the Department of Homeland Security, where the FPS pledged to inform its officers through a bulletin of the public’s general right to photograph the exteriors of federal courthouses. The three-page bulletin reminds officers, agents and employees that, “absent reasonable suspicion or probable cause,” they “must allow individuals to photograph the exterior of federally owned or leased facilities from publicly accessible spaces” like streets, sidewalks, parks and plazas.
If you’re a photographer, videomaker, or filmmaker, you can download the bulletin here. Make sure to carry it with you just in case.
Many thanks to my good friend for sending this along.
Tags: 9/11, film, photography, public buildings, public space, video
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