How to Get a Press Pass in Los Angeles

Do you need a press pass to report in Los Angeles?

The policy says a media card is not required to obtain or have access to information the Department distributes to the media, and that not having one would not prevent people identifying as media from attending Department-sponsored news conferences or events held in any public space. It also says people who regularly report from Council or committee meetings, on sporting events, on entertainment news, or who write or produce investigative news stories do not require an LAPD media card. (source: lapdonline.org)

What the press pass is for

The card enables the bearer to pass through established police and/or fire lines within the City of Los Angeles in order to cover news events occurring behind such lines. (source: lapdonline.org)

Who can get a press pass in Los Angeles

Actual news-gathering representatives of newspapers or publications, news services, or radio or television stations maintaining a regular news service, and self-employed reporters and photographers, who regularly cover news events at which police and/or fire lines within the City of Los Angeles are established. (source: lapdonline.org)

Freelancers and self-employed journalists can apply for a standard press pass. (source: lapdonline.org)

Eligibility requirements

• Be determined by the Department to be an actual news-gathering representative (or a self-employed reporter or photographer) who regularly covers news events at which police and/or fire lines within the City of Los Angeles are established.
• Complete and sign the News Media Identification Card Application; an incomplete or unsigned application can be delayed or denied.
• Complete a California Department of Justice Fingerprint Background Check before any new or renewed media card is issued.

(source: lapdonline.org)

How to apply

1. Complete and sign the News Media Identification Card Application (PDF). An incomplete or unsigned application could be delayed or denied. (source: lapdonline.org)
2. If you are an employee of a Department-identified news organization: provide a letter on original business letterhead, signed by a news director, editor, or person in charge, stating you are an employee who regularly covers news events at which police and/or fire lines within the City of Los Angeles are established. (source: lapdonline.org)
3. If you are self-employed, a freelancer, or an employee of a non-Department-identified news organization: provide three letters on original business letterhead from a news director, editor, or person in charge, stating you have completed assignments that required covering news events at which police and/or fire lines are established, OR three examples of work credited to you from the last six months that show you worked past established police or fire lines. (source: lapdonline.org)
4. Scan the application and your letter(s) or work samples and e-mail them to wwwpress@lapd.online. (source: lapdonline.org)
5. The Department Media Pass Coordinator reviews the submission and contacts you about the next step of the application process. (source: lapdonline.org)
6. Complete a California Department of Justice Fingerprint Background Check before the card is issued. (source: lapdonline.org)

Apply on the official site: official press pass application. (source: lapdonline.org)

Guidance from the issuing office: the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). (source: lapdonline.org)

Cost, timeline, and how long it lasts

• Cost: The fee for the initial issuance of an LAPD media card (press pass) is $144.00 for new applications submitted on or after May 4, 2026. No fee is charged for reissuance, including replacement cards issued due to loss, damage, or renewal. (source: lapdonline.org)

What the press pass does not do

• Access limits: The LAPD says the media card does not give the holder the right to cross established police and/or fire lines at the holder's own discretion. The Public Information Officer or incident commander may deny the public and/or media passage past those lines, including when safety may be jeopardized, to preserve a crime scene, or to provide clear and safe access to first responders. (source: lapdonlinestrgeacc.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net)

If your application is denied

If the Department denies or revokes a media card, you can appeal in writing to the Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC), which makes a final determination. The appeal must be postmarked within ten days after the denial letter was mailed; the BOPC may consider late appeals only upon a showing of good cause. (source: lapdonline.org)

Contact the issuing office

• Phone: 213-486-5910
• Address: Media Relations Division, 100 West First St, Room 257-B, Los Angeles, CA 90012
• Hours: The Media Relations Division is staffed from 5:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m.

(source: lapdonline.org)

What the sources say, and where they differ

Official pages do not always agree with each other. Where we found a difference, we say which source this guide follows.