Tripods banned on New York streets
A stock photographer was stopped recently not once, not twice but three times by NYPD officers because he was using a tripod. They told him tripod use is now prohibited in all of New York City unless you get a special permit.
In 2007, a permit rule preventing the use of a tripod was proposed but amended after protestations. The new proposal read:
“(i) Filming or photography occurring on City property, as described in subdivision (a) of this section, involving the use of hand-held devices as defined in paragraph three of subdivision (a) of § 9-02, provided that such activity neither involves the obstruction of one or more lanes of a street or walkway of a bridge, nor results in less than eight feet or one half of the width of a sidewalk or other public pedestrian passageway, whichever is greater, for unobstructed sidewalk use by pedestrian traffic.”
It goes on to define hand-held devices as:
“(3) “Hand-held devices” shall mean (i) film, still or television cameras, videocameras or other equipment which are held in the photographer’s or filmmaker’s hand and carried at all times with the photographer or filmmaker during the course of filming, or (ii) tripods used to support film, still, television cameras or videocameras. Hand-held devices shall not include cables or any other item or equipment not carried by the photographer or filmmaker at all times during the course of photography, filming or transmission.”
Clearly, if you are not obstructing a street or walkway, then a permit is not required. However, it seems the police are misinterpreting the law, or the amendment was amended, unlikely, before a rule was passed.
I haven’t been able to find anything on the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting website that supports the prohibition of tripod usage by a single stock photographer whose only equipment consists of a tripod and camera and no models.
The proposed permit rules can be read by clicking here.
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