Can You Film at an Airport or Federal Building? The Rules
By The National Press Association editorial team · Last reviewed:
Yes, in many places. TSA does not prohibit filming at security checkpoints if you do not interfere with screening or reveal sensitive information. DHS rules also allow photos of federal buildings from public areas like sidewalks when no security rule bars it. Interior tenant space needs permission, and airport and transit rules vary, so check the posted policy.
Key takeaways
- TSA allows filming at checkpoints if you do not interfere with screening or reveal sensitive information.
- You may not film equipment monitors that are shielded from public view.
- DHS rules allow photos of federal exteriors from public areas, but tenant-occupied interiors need express permission.
- Airports and transit systems set their own rules, so read the policy for the place you are in.
- Courts protect recording in public places but allow reasonable limits, so get legal help if you are detained.
What is the short answer on filming at airports and federal property?
The answer depends on the place and on how you film. DHS's rule lets anyone photograph publicly accessible exterior areas of federal facilities from public areas, such as sidewalks and plazas, unless a security rule prohibits it [1]. Interior space occupied by a federal tenant needs the tenant's express permission [1].
TSA says it does not prohibit filming at security checkpoints, as long as you do not interfere with screening or reveal sensitive information [2]. Airports and transit systems then publish their own policies, as Chicago and New York show [3]. [4]
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The video below is general photographer education from a photography show. It is not a legal source, so check the rules in this guide against the primary documents.
Video from The Photo/Video Show (YouTube channel). Open at youtube.com. Content from youtube.com loads only if you click.
What can you film at a TSA security checkpoint?
TSA's own FAQ says it does not prohibit photographing, videotaping, or filming at security checkpoints [2]. Two conditions apply. You must not interfere with the screening process, and you must not reveal sensitive information [2].
One example of interference TSA gives is holding a recording device up to a TSA officer's face so the officer cannot see or move [2]. The agency says interference is not limited to that example [2].
TSA also says you may not film or photograph equipment monitors that are shielded from public view [2]. Frame your shots to keep those screens out of them.
Document · Transportation Security Administration
Can I film and take photos at a security checkpoint?
Document from Transportation Security Administration. Open at tsa.gov. Content from tsa.gov loads only if you click.
You can pull up the TSA page if an officer or airport worker questions you. Treat it as a reference, not as an argument [2].
What are the rules beyond the checkpoint and in terminals?
The checkpoint policy is only one layer. Airports run their own media rules for the terminals they operate. Chicago is one example.
The Chicago Department of Aviation calls the terminals at O'Hare and Midway public buildings that are non-public for purposes of access and free speech activities [3]. That wording matters. A building can be open to travelers and still be treated as closed to speech activity.
Chicago's policy lets media film in publicly accessible areas, such as lobbies, parking lots and garages, roadways, and other common use areas. That permission is subject to the policy's general requirements [3].
To film beyond security checkpoints, media must first get clearance from the department. They must also have an approved escort, such as a TSA or airline representative [3].
Other airports may write different rules. Find the media or communications office for your airport and ask before you travel. Get any clearance in writing [3].
What does the DHS rule say about federal buildings and grounds?
DHS's photography rule is 6 CFR 139.65. It applies to federal property under the protection responsibility of the Secretary of Homeland Security, and to all persons on that property [5]. Check which agency protects the site you plan to visit.
The rule bars photographing or recording federal facilities and grounds in contravention of any security regulation, rule, order, or directive. That includes a federal court order or rule [1]. It also bars recording in a manner that impedes or disrupts access to, or operations on, federal property [1].
When no security rule or directive prohibits it, anyone may photograph or record publicly accessible exterior areas from public areas. The rule names streets, sidewalks, parks, and plazas. It covers media-affiliated persons and commercial entities [1]. You still must not impede access or operations [1].
The rule also says it does not nullify other federal, state, or local laws that apply where the federal property sits [5]. A local law can matter even when the federal rule allows your shot.
When do you need permission inside a federal building?
Publicly accessible interior areas may be photographed or recorded from public areas. The rule lists public entrances, lobbies, foyers, corridors, and auditoriums. Access and operations still cannot be impeded, and no security rule or directive may prohibit it [1].
A separate regulation, 41 CFR 102-74.420, points the same way. It says people on federal property may take photographs of listed places unless security rules apply or a federal court order or rule prohibits it [6]. It lists building entrances, lobbies, foyers, corridors, and auditoriums as places that may be photographed for news purposes [6].
Tenant space is different. Interior areas occupied by a federal tenant may be photographed or recorded only with the express permission of the occupying tenant [1]. Written advance permission is required if the purpose is commercial [1].
If you are unsure whether your project counts as commercial, ask the tenant for permission in writing before you film [1]. Posted security rules and federal court orders can override the defaults, so read the signs at the door [1].
If a tenant asks who you are and what you are working on, you can see how a press credential can document your work. An NPA credential is not government-issued. It does not give you access or legal rights, and a tenant can still say no [1].
What have courts said about the right to record?
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says the First Amendment generally protects filming, audio recording, and photography of government officials doing their duties in a public place. That includes police officers [7]. It adds that the Supreme Court has not addressed the issue, but seven federal appellate courts have recognized the right [7].
That right has limits. Courts have held that it may be subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions [7].
The Ninth Circuit's Askins opinion adds detail. The court wrote that the First Amendment protects the right to photograph and record matters of public interest [8]. It said whether a place is public depends on the nature of the location [8].
The court also said the government bears the burden of proving that specific restrictions are the least restrictive means to further a compelling interest [8].
Read Askins with care. The court cautioned that it did not suggest that all or even any areas within a port of entry are necessarily public forums [8]. It vacated the judgment and sent the case back for further proceedings. So it did not finally decide what restrictions the government may impose [8].
Askins is one federal appeals court's ruling. A court elsewhere may see a similar question differently, so one decision does not settle your situation [8].
How do transit systems handle filming?
New York City Transit's rules of conduct permit photography, filming, or video recording in any facility or conveyance. They bar ancillary equipment such as lights, reflectors, or tripods [4]. Leave the tripod and lights at home if you shoot in that system [4].
Other transit systems may write different rules. Read the rules for the system you use before you go, and do not assume one system's rule applies to another [4].
How do you film at an airport, transit station, or federal site without trouble?
Follow these steps. They rest on the rules cited above.
- Identify the kind of place. A checkpoint, a terminal, a federal exterior, a federal interior, and a transit car each have different rules [1]. [3]
- Find the written policy. Check the TSA page, the airport's media policy, the transit system's rules, or the federal rule [2]. [3]
- Start from public areas. Sidewalks, plazas, lobbies, and corridors are the places the rules name as open [1].
- Ask in writing for anything beyond that. Chicago requires clearance and an escort past the checkpoint. Federal tenants must give express permission, and written permission for commercial work [3]. [1]
- Do not interfere. Keep your device away from officers' faces and stay out of the way of other travelers and staff [2]. [1]
- Keep shielded monitors out of the frame [2].
- Leave lights, reflectors, and tripods behind in transit systems that bar them [4].
- Save a copy of the policy or permission you relied on [1].
What are the limits, and when should you get a lawyer?
These rules have limits. A federal court order or rule can prohibit photography on federal property [1]. Security rules, orders, and directives can too [1]. Other federal, state, and local laws still apply [5].
Audio is a separate issue. The Reporters Committee notes that in most states it is illegal to surreptitiously record a private conversation without the consent of at least one party or, in some states, all parties [7]. Check your state's law before you record audio near other people.
The Askins ruling left open what restrictions the government may impose [8]. No guide can tell you how a court would rule on your facts.
Talk to a lawyer licensed in your state if you are detained, cited, or charged. The Reporters Committee guide cited here is a good place to read more before you do [7].
What if someone tells you to stop filming?
Stay calm. Ask which rule they are relying on and where it is posted. Rules differ by place, so also ask which area you are standing in [3].
The federal rule bars recording that impedes or disrupts access or operations [1]. If you are blocking a path or a screening lane, step aside. Courts have also held that the right to record can be subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions [7].
If you disagree, do not argue at the scene. Note the name of the person and the rule they cite, then talk to a lawyer later.
If you report on your own and want a way to show who you are, you can join the National Press Association (it is free to apply). Membership is not government recognition and does not give you access or legal protection.
If you need legal help, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press runs a Legal Hotline for journalists and media lawyers [9].
Frequently asked questions
Can I take photos or video at a TSA security checkpoint?
TSA says it does not prohibit photographing, videotaping, or filming at security checkpoints. Two conditions apply. You must not interfere with the screening process, and you must not reveal sensitive information. Keep your device away from officers and out of the way of other travelers.
What can't I film at an airport checkpoint?
TSA says you may not film or photograph equipment monitors that are shielded from public view. It also treats interfering with screening as off limits, such as holding a recording device up to an officer's face so the officer cannot see or move.
Can I film inside a federal building?
It depends on the area. Under the DHS rule, publicly accessible interior areas like lobbies and corridors may be recorded from public areas if no security rule bars it. Space occupied by a federal tenant needs the tenant's express permission, and written permission for commercial purposes.
Can I photograph a federal building from the sidewalk?
Under the DHS rule, when no security rule, order, or directive prohibits it, anyone may photograph publicly accessible exterior areas of federal facilities from public areas such as streets, sidewalks, parks, and plazas. You still may not impede or disrupt access or operations.
Can I film on a subway, and can I use a tripod?
New York City Transit's rules permit photography and filming in any facility or conveyance, but they bar ancillary equipment such as lights, reflectors, or tripods. Other transit systems may write different rules, so read the rules for the system you use before you go.
Can airport staff or police tell me to stop filming?
Rules differ by place. Chicago's airport terminals are described as non-public for access and free speech activities, and filming past checkpoints needs clearance and an escort. If you are told to stop, ask which rule applies, and see a lawyer if you are detained or charged.
Answers restate the sourced facts on this page.
NPA membership is separate from any credential an agency issues
The National Press Association credential is a private association credential. It is not government-issued, it does not give you legal rights, and it does not guarantee access to any event, venue, or agency. It can serve as identity verification and supporting documentation alongside your published work. It is free to apply.
Sources
- 6 CFR 139.65 - Photography and recording, U.S. Department of Homeland Security via eCFR (primary source; retrieved October 24, 2026)
- Can I film and take photos at a security checkpoint?, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) (primary source; retrieved October 24, 2026)
- Media Policy - O'Hare and Midway International Airports, Chicago Department of Aviation (primary source; retrieved October 24, 2026)
- NYCTA Rules of Conduct & Fines (21 NYCRR Part 1050), Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York) (primary source; retrieved October 24, 2026)
- 6 CFR 139.5 - Scope, applicability, and agency cooperation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security via eCFR (primary source; retrieved October 24, 2026)
- 41 CFR 102-74.420 - Policy concerning photographs for news, advertising, or commercial purposes, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (reproducing the CFR) (secondary source; retrieved October 24, 2026)
- Police, Protesters, and the Press, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (secondary source; retrieved October 24, 2026)
- Askins v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 899 F.3d 1035 (9th Cir. 2018), opinion, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (primary source; retrieved October 24, 2026)
- Reporters Committee Legal Hotline, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (primary source; retrieved October 24, 2026)
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