Permits
Overview
Many photography locations — especially public spaces, parks, beaches, historic buildings, and commercial areas — require permits for professional photography. The Permits manager tracks your applications, their status, conditions, and expiry dates.
Permit Types
| Type | When You Need It |
|---|---|
| General Access | General stills photography in a controlled location |
| Commercial Shoot | Shooting for commercial use (advertising, editorial) |
| Drone Operation | Operating a UAV at the location |
| Night / Out-of-Hours Access | Permission to access a location out of hours |
| Tripod / Equipment License | Permission to use professional photography equipment |
| Location Release | When the building or site will be used commercially |
| SSSI / Protected Area Permit | Shooting in a Protected area |
| Listed Building / Heritage Site | Shooting a listed or heritage building where the conservation body requires prior permission |
| Other | Anything else |
Permit Application Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Researching | You’re preparing the application |
| Applied | Application sent to authority |
| Granted | Permission granted |
| Active | Permission has been approved |
| Refused | Permission has been refused |
| Expired | Permit past its expiry date |
| Cancelled | Permit has been cancelled |
| Not Required | Permit not required |
Accessing Permits
Planning tab → Permits
Permits can also be opened from a booking’s Team tab, and from a location’s Access tab.
Filter by status with the chips at the top, or use Search Permits. Every row shows the permit’s status, and a warning when it needs you: “Renewal due in 4 days”, Expires today or Expired.
Adding a Permit
- Tap +, or Planning → New Permit (⌃P) on a Mac
- Enter:
- Location — Which location this permit covers
- Permit type — Select from the permit types listed above
- Issuing authority — Name of the council, organisation, or landowner
- Reference number
- Application date
- Approval / expiry date
- Status
- Tap Save
Permit Detail Screen (Four Tabs)
The header gives the status, the validity in one line — “Valid 13 Oct – 13 Nov 2026” with “12 days left” beneath — and the location. The whole screen scrolls together.
Overview Tab Core permit information: type, dates, reference number and fees. A drone permit adds a Drone Operation card with the maximum altitude, whether a NOTAM is required, and File NOTAM.
Quick Actions moves the permit on — Mark as Applied, Mark as Granted and so on, whichever come next. Mark as Refused and Mark as Cancelled ask first. Apply or Renew Online opens the authority’s page. On a Mac, the same actions are under Planning → Permit.
Conditions Tab The specific conditions attached to the permit (e.g., “No tripods on the main steps”, “Photography permitted from 7am–8pm only”, “Crew maximum 4 people”).
To add a condition:
- Tap Add Condition
- Type the condition text, and switch on Mandatory if it must be met
- Tap Save
A mandatory condition is marked Mandatory in orange.
Authority Tab Contact details for the issuing authority — name, address, email, phone. Tap to call or email directly. Apply or Renew Online is here too.
Document Tab Attach the permit document:
- Add Permit Document Photo — photograph your permit letter or confirmation
- Tap to view the full document; Replace Photo or Remove Photo to change it
Field Mode
On site, tap Field Mode (on a Mac, Planning → Permit → Field Mode). The whole permit fits on one screen, ready to show a warden: the status and authority, the reference in large type, the validity and days left, and Show Permit Document, which opens the document full screen.
Below that, the conditions as a checklist. Tap anywhere on a row to tick it off — All conditions met shows once they are.
Deleting a Permit
Swipe a permit in the list and tap Delete. Apex Lucis asks first.
Always upload the permit document once approved. If challenged on location, you can show the authority your digital permit from Apex Lucis.