Posted by Darrin Doss on February 2, 2007 at 12:08 PM
I am planning a trip down to NC to visit a few state parks. Being from Virginia where you have to obtain a permit to sell photos taken in a park, I was wondering if there were similar laws in NC?
Just FYI, Here is VA's Law....most state park employees don't even know about it if you ask!
4VAC5-30-350. Photographs.
No person shall, without a permit, take photographs or moving pictures within the limits of any park for the purpose of selling the negatives thereof or the prints therefrom.
Posted by Bill Stice on February 2, 2007 at 12:33 PM
Darrin, I am not aware of any requirement in North Carolina like the one you quote in Virginia. I did a search on the State's web site and can't find any reference to it either. I have certainly photographed a lot of State Parks and I know lots of others who have as well and have sold images without permits. I know there is a specific federal statute that addresses this on federal lands but I'm not aware of one in North Carolina for State lands. Perhaps someone else knows of a reference for it.
I didn't realize Virginia is so fascist with thier State Parks photography policy. I would still like to hear or read a clarification on that. The policy of the National Parks is no commercial photography without a permit. Profeessional and amature photographers alike can take stock images and sell them without obtaining a permit. I wonder if Virginia's is the same with a clarification.
As far as I know, North Carolina has no photography restrictions regarding thier state parks, but I am not positive.
Posted by Darrin Doss on February 2, 2007 at 6:46 PM
I was shocked as well when I was told of this law. I assumed (we all know what that does) that Virginia would parallel federal law....they do in almost all other situations.
As for a clarification...I cannot find any case-law anywhere...most employees that I talk to as state parks have never heard of this law, even though it is in their administrative code.
btw....it is a class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by 1 year in jail and/or $2500.00 in fines!
Posted by Tony Beazley on February 3, 2007 at 3:14 AM
strange how we pay for the parks to be there but can't take photos of "just nature" and sell it........
that's a load of bs
Posted by Leann Greene on February 4, 2007 at 5:40 PM
Here in NC specificly South Mountains State Park I asked the rangers if they knew any other "hot" deer spots for photos other than the ones I was already using at the time and they asked me to keep in touch if I caught anything good. So it seems not to be a problem here. Then unfortunately they changed the whole layout of some good spots by building a new visitor center
Discussion
5 repliesJust FYI, Here is VA's Law....most state park employees don't even know about it if you ask!
4VAC5-30-350. Photographs.
No person shall, without a permit, take photographs or moving pictures within the limits of any park for the purpose of selling the negatives thereof or the prints therefrom.
As far as I know, North Carolina has no photography restrictions regarding thier state parks, but I am not positive.
As for a clarification...I cannot find any case-law anywhere...most employees that I talk to as state parks have never heard of this law, even though it is in their administrative code.
btw....it is a class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by 1 year in jail and/or $2500.00 in fines!
that's a load of bs