Photography Permission Checklist
Check where photos, drones and tripods are restricted before shooting, with EASA and FAA drone limits checked numerically.
About this tool
Photography Permission Checklist
Check where photos, drones and tripods are restricted before shooting, with EASA and FAA drone limits checked numerically.
The Photography Permission Checklist grades what you plan to photograph by consequence, then checks a planned drone flight against the published numeric limits of the EASA Open category and FAA Part 107. Situations are scored separately rather than lumped together, because needing a tripod permit and photographing a military checkpoint are different orders of problem. The drone check uses the real thresholds: a 120 m ceiling and 30 m from uninvolved people under EASA, 400 ft above ground level under Part 107.
How to use Photography Permission Checklist
- 1
Open Photography Permission Checklist on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
- 2
Add your input to the workspace.
- 3
Adjust the options until the result looks right.
- 4
Copy or download the output and put it to work.
Why use Photography Permission Checklist
Graded by consequence
Prohibited, permit-required, consent-required and merely restricted are separated instead of averaged.
Drone limits as arithmetic
Height, distance to people and distance to built-up areas are checked against the published figures, not described in general terms.
Says what to do
Every item carries the specific action, ordered so the serious ones come first.
Common use cases
- Deciding before a trip whether the tripod is worth carrying through museums that will refuse it.
- Checking a planned drone shot against the height and distance limits before flying rather than after.
- Briefing yourself on consent rules before travelling somewhere that treats photographing strangers as a criminal matter.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take photos of people in public?
Taking the photograph is generally lawful in public across most of Europe and the Americas, but publishing it may not be — France's droit à l'image, grounded in Article 9 of the Civil Code, gives people control over the use of their own image. The important exception is the UAE, where Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 makes photographing or publishing images of people without consent a criminal offence carrying imprisonment and fines.
How high can I legally fly a drone?
Under the EASA Open category the ceiling is 120 m above the closest point of the surface of the earth. Under FAA Part 107 in the United States it is 400 ft above ground level, which is 121.92 m, with an exception allowing 400 ft above a structure's uppermost limit when you are within 400 ft of it. EASA also requires 30 m horizontal separation from uninvolved people in subcategory A2, reducible to 5 m with low-speed mode active.
Where are tripods banned?
In most museums and galleries, at many heritage sites, and in crowded public squares where they obstruct. The reason is usually a mix of safety and the fact that a tripod is read as a marker of commercial intent, which triggers a permit requirement. Selfie sticks are separately banned at a long list of museums including the Louvre. A monopod or a beanbag is often accepted where a tripod is not.
Do I need a permit for commercial photography abroad?
Usually yes, and the trigger is the purpose rather than the equipment. Cities, park authorities and heritage bodies almost universally separate personal from commercial photography, and the commercial tier requires an application, a fee and frequently proof of public liability insurance. Permits are not issued retrospectively, so it has to be arranged before the shoot.