Do you need a permit to photograph in London?

It depends on the landowner. Royal Parks need a permit for portrait shoots, the City of London asks for permission whatever the crew size, boroughs licence street shoots and private estates set their own terms.

How much does a photography permit cost in London?

It varies by authority and by the size of the shoot. Fees are quoted after the application is reviewed.

How long does a permit take?

The Royal Parks ask for at least ten days notice. Borough film offices publish their own lead times.

Can I photograph on the street in London without permission?

Personal photography on a public highway is generally allowed. A commercial shoot with a crew, lighting or a tripod is what the borough film offices licence.

Which London locations need no permit at all?

Very few for commercial work. The practical answer is to pick the location, then ask the authority named on its page.

What happens if I shoot without a permit?

You will usually be asked to stop, and on private land you will be asked to leave. The greater cost is losing the session you had planned.

London photoshoot locations: permits and light

By Mariya Harley · London · updated August 2026

London has no single rule for photography. Every park, estate and borough sets its own, and the answer changes with the side of the street you stand on.

This page lists twenty locations and says who controls each one.

Location	Who controls it
Mayfair	Westminster City Council runs its own film and photography service.
Notting Hill	The film office is run by FilmFixer.
Chelsea	The film office is run by FilmFixer.
Kensington	The film office is run by FilmFixer.
Shoreditch	Hackney runs its own film office, Screen Hackney.
Soho	Westminster City Council runs its own film and photography service.
Greenwich	Greenwich Park is a Royal Park, so the portrait permit above applies.
Richmond Park	The Royal Parks issue a wedding and lifestyle photography permit for engagement, wedding and family portrait shoots.
Hampstead Heath	The Heath is managed by the City of London Corporation and needs a permit.
Little Venice	The towpaths belong to the Canal and River Trust and the surrounding streets are Westminster.
Tower Bridge	The bridge and its approaches sit between the City of London and Tower Hamlets, and the south bank is Southwark.
Sky Garden	Sky Garden is a private venue with its own booking terms.
St Paul's	The City of London Corporation asks for permission to film or photograph on its property whatever the crew size.
Camden	The film office is run by FilmFixer.
South Bank	The South Bank and Bankside run across Lambeth and Southwark, and parts are private estates.
Regent's Park	The Royal Parks issue a wedding and lifestyle photography permit for engagement, wedding and family portrait shoots.
Hyde Park	The Royal Parks issue a wedding and lifestyle photography permit for engagement, wedding and family portrait shoots.
Covent Garden	The piazza and the market buildings are a private estate with their own permissions, and the surrounding streets are Westminster.
Canary Wharf	Canary Wharf is a private estate managed by Canary Wharf Group, which runs its own filming and photography process.
Kensington Gardens	The Royal Parks issue a wedding and lifestyle photography permit for engagement, wedding and family portrait shoots.

Checked on 25 September 2026.

The four bodies you will deal with

The Royal Parks look after Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park, Richmond Park and Greenwich Park. Portrait shoots need a permit, and it covers one hour for up to ten people.

The City of London Corporation covers the Square Mile and Hampstead Heath. It asks for permission whatever the crew size.

Borough film offices cover streets and council land. Several are run by FilmFixer, Westminster runs its own, Hackney has Screen Hackney and Lambeth has Film Lambeth.

Private estates such as Canary Wharf, Covent Garden and Sky Garden set their own terms and have their own security.

London street photography by Mariya Harley

Every location and who controls it

Location	Authority	Best season
Mayfair	Westminster City Council film service	All year, best in winter light
Notting Hill	Borough film office, run by FilmFixer	Spring and early summer
Chelsea	Borough film office, run by FilmFixer	Blossom in late March and April
Kensington	Borough film office, run by FilmFixer	Wisteria in May
Shoreditch	Borough film office, run by FilmFixer	Any season
Soho	Westminster City Council film service	Autumn and winter evenings
Greenwich	More than one authority	Autumn and winter evenings
Richmond Park	The Royal Parks	Late April, and autumn mornings
Hampstead Heath	City of London Corporation	Spring for the pergola, autumn for the woods
Little Venice	More than one authority	Spring and summer
Tower Bridge	More than one authority	Winter, when the lights come on early
Sky Garden	Private estate or venue	Winter, when sunset falls in opening hours
St Paul's	City of London Corporation	Any season
Camden	Borough film office, run by FilmFixer	Spring and autumn, weekday mornings
South Bank	More than one authority	Autumn and winter
Regent's Park	The Royal Parks	June for the roses
Hyde Park	The Royal Parks	Late spring and autumn
Covent Garden	More than one authority	Winter, for the lights
Canary Wharf	Private estate or venue	Winter afternoons
Kensington Gardens	The Royal Parks	Spring and autumn

The four kinds of permission in London

Royal Parks issue a fixed permit: one hour, ten people, ten days notice, five million pounds of insurance.

The City of London Corporation asks for permission on its own property whatever the crew size, and charges a fee once the application is approved.

Borough film offices licence street work, and the charge follows the disruption rather than the camera.

Private estates set their own terms, and their security enforces them.

Several of the best locations sit on a boundary, which means two applications rather than one.

What a permit does not cover

It does not give you the right to block a pavement or a towpath.

It does not cover a tripod unless the application said so.

It does not cover drones, which are a separate permission everywhere.

It does not cover the inside of a building, even when the outside is included.

What every application asks for

Where you will be and at what time.

How many people are coming.

What equipment you will carry, because a tripod changes the answer.

Public liability insurance, often five million pounds.

Enough notice. Ten days is the common figure.

How to plan a London shoot around the permits

Pick the location first, then the date, then apply. Doing it the other way round is how sessions get cancelled.

Ask for the hour you actually want, not the hour that is easiest to write down. A permit for the middle of the day is worth less than one for the hour before sunset.

Have a second location within walking distance, in case the first is closed, flooded or full of a film crew that applied before you.

Carry the paperwork. Nobody accepts the name of an officer as proof.

If the shoot involves a wedding dress, a tripod or more than ten people, say so on the application. Those three things change the answer most often.

Costs you should budget for

The permit itself, which ranges from free to a few hundred pounds depending on the authority and the shoot.

Studio hire if the plan includes an indoor fallback, which runs from 35 to 180 pounds an hour in London.

Travel and parking, which in central London is often the most annoying line.

Time. Walking between two locations in central London costs twenty minutes more than the map suggests.

Related pages

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