Private William Christman became the first service member buried there on May 13, 1864, and today the cemetery contains graves of Americans who served in every major US conflict, from the Revolutionary War to today. Steeped in history, it attracts millions of visitors as well as media and production crews. That said, you can’t just show up with a camera crew and start filming.
Before entering Arlington National Cemetery, professional production teams must seek permission and access to film. Your crew and equipment will be subject to ANC’s security procedures and rigorous screening. Approved media must follow the cemetery’s access and conduct requirements. And once you enter, it’s important to respect the visitors and burial ceremonies.
Photography is permitted within Arlington National Cemetery. But for professionals producing news content, a documentary, or corporate video, different rules apply. Media must respect mourners and ask permission before filming or photographing people visiting a gravesite. Professional Arlington video production also needs to follow ANC’s media-access, escort, equipment, and filming requirements. This guide walks through some tips for filming in Arlington National Cemetery and what to expect.
For visitors, photography is permitted as long as it’s for personal purposes. That’s not the case for production crews looking to do a shoot.
Under Army National Military Cemeteries policy, media and production requests are handled separately from ordinary visitor access. Before a shoot happens, the production must go through ANC’s media-approval process. General media requests are coordinated through the ANMC Public Affairs Office, while film, television, and entertainment-oriented multimedia projects must first be reviewed by the Army Communication and Outreach Office, Western Region. The Executive Director has final approval authority for those projects.
Every request is reviewed case-by-case. Documentary, television, film, and entertainment-oriented multimedia projects have an additional review process. For such requests, the Army Communication and Outreach Office (Western Region) must review the project before seeking final approval from the cemetery leadership. If the project is approved, ACOO-West may create a Department of War Production Assistance Agreement.
For film, television, documentary, and entertainment-oriented productions, don’t treat the 72-hour notice period as the entire approval timeline. The current policy says the additional Army review and Production Assistance Agreement process can take up to two weeks.
What most production teams miss is that media requests must focus on the cemetery or on someone interred or inurned there. That’s part of ANC’s media policy. The current policy says media requests must focus on the cemetery or on an individual laid to rest or memorialized there. A production can’t simply select ANC as a backdrop unrelated to the cemetery’s mission.
Start by determining what type of production you are proposing, because ANC’s review process depends on the nature of the project and who is requesting access. General media requests are coordinated through ANMC Public Affairs, while film, television, documentary, and entertainment-oriented projects may require additional Army review.
Don’t rely on ordinary visitor-access procedures. Contact ANC’s Public Affairs Office or use its media query process to determine the correct requirements for your production.
After connecting with the right person, provide details about the production you want to execute. Confirm the following in writing before locking dates:
What access you’ll get
What crew and equipment are allowed in
Whether cemetery staff members need to escort you while you’re there
ANMC PAO requires media organizations to provide at least 72 hours’ notice when requesting coverage of a service or ceremony or when planning filming or photography within the cemetery. Breaking-news requests are considered case-by-case.
For up-to-date information on permits and rules, check out ANC’s media policy on its website. Don’t just read old blog posts and assume the rules are going to be the same.
While ordinary visitors have to go through security screening, the rules are stricter for a production crew. Unauthorized media/photography equipment, including drones, is prohibited.
Tripods that cannot fit into a purse or small bag are prohibited under ANC’s visitor security rules. Production teams should confirm in advance whether their planned camera-support equipment is authorized rather than assuming standard production gear will be permitted.
To avoid issues on the day of the shoot, confirm in advance that the equipment your team plans to bring is permitted under the approved production arrangements.
Under Army National Military Cemeteries policy, you can’t just conduct a media stand-up or walk-and-talk anywhere on cemetery grounds. Memorial Avenue, outside the main entrance, is the one designated place for that. You’re also not allowed to conduct “man-on-the-street” interviews with the public.
B-roll footage requests are reviewed case-by-case. If approved, the footage must be captured with natural sound only, so don’t plan a shoot around production audio that hasn’t been approved.
ANC’s current media policy places restrictions on showing headstones, niches, and memorial markers without written authorization from the Primary Next of Kin or Person Authorized to Direct Disposition, subject to limited exceptions. Don’t assume that a wide shot containing identifiable graves is automatically permitted.
It’s important to build your interview location and B-roll plan around these rules before you show up.
Since Arlington has more than two dozen funerals happening on a typical weekday, it’s important to plan a shoot with that in mind. Here’s what you need to know:
ANC’s own guidance instructs visitors and media not to film anyone who is visibly mourning. You also have to ask permission before photographing people at a gravesite.
Don’t walk into a solemn ceremony or funeral procession to grab a shot. Keep your crew’s movement and conversations low-key.
Always follow the instructions of ANC staff and your Public Affairs escort while you’re on cemetery property. Compliance with the cemetery and Arlington officials will keep you out of trouble.
Be especially careful around Section 60 and other gravesites. The current media policy places restrictions on filming or displaying headstones, niches, and memorial markers without appropriate written authorization. In most cases, only cemetery staff members are allowed to take photos here.
Before production day, scout the actual shooting position. A gravesite that looks perfect in a wide shot can come with:
Aircraft and other ambient noise
Wind cutting across an open hillside
Visitors and tour groups passing through
Monitor the ambient sound on-site instead of assuming it’ll be quiet just because it’s a cemetery. Check where the sun sits and how the shadows shift over the course of the day, too.
Keep in mind that the most visually striking spot isn’t automatically the best production location. It might come with bad audio, foot traffic, restricted access, or other issues. Build flexibility into the schedule, and have a backup shot or interview setup ready if the first plan doesn’t hold up.
Another important part of planning for a shoot day is parking. Access to vehicle parking isn’t always guaranteed. If your crew is authorized to drive into Arlington National Cemetery, everyone age 18 or older entering in that vehicle must present REAL ID-compliant identification at the security checkpoint. Crew members who enter on foot, by Metro, rideshare, or through the Welcome Center parking garage are subject to different screening procedures.
There is security screening that your crew members and equipment will have to go through. This could take time, so make sure to factor that in. If vehicle access or parking isn’t available to your crew, plan for the possibility of moving equipment on foot.
Gates and access points can also change. As of April 27, 2026, the Service Complex “123” Gate is closed to family pass holders and visitors because of Southern Expansion construction. Access is currently limited to ANC personnel and authorized contractors, with the changes expected to remain in effect until approximately early 2028. Check ANC’s current road and access updates before your shoot date.
ANC’s security policy lists drones among unauthorized media and photography equipment. On top of that, Arlington is within the Washington, D.C., Special Flight Rules Area, which includes a highly restricted 15-mile inner ring around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Drone operations within that inner ring require specific FAA authorization. Hiring a Part 107-certified drone pilot does not, by itself, satisfy the additional FAA or ANC requirements.
Verify current FAA and cemetery requirements before an aerial shot becomes part of the creative concept. If an aerial shot isn’t approved, build a ground-based alternative into the creative plan from the beginning.
Sometimes the best option may be to film outside the cemetery. This way, you’ll have more control over sound, lighting, equipment, access, and where interviews actually happen. Filming outside the cemetery can reduce the number of ANC-specific restrictions you have to work around, although other location permissions or filming requirements may still apply.
Federal law and cemetery policy only govern what’s permitted on ANC grounds. A production can still capture meaningful photos and establish a real Arlington, Virginia, connection without ever crossing into the cemetery. Let the story and the production’s practical needs decide the location.
Here’s a concise checklist for anyone looking to film in Arlington National Cemetery:
Confirm which ANC media category your production falls under.
Get written approval before locking in a shoot date.
Confirm what equipment is allowed inside.
Plan access, parking, and security screening.
Scout the location for sound and lighting.
Check current event and ceremony conditions.
Brief the crew on cemetery conduct beforehand.
Confirm drone requirements separately from other equipment.
Have a backup plan ready.
Taking photos as a visitor is generally fine at Arlington Cemetery. Media and professional filming go through a separate approval process.
Yes. Every request is reviewed case-by-case through the cemetery’s Public Affairs Office before it is approved.
Arlington National Cemetery’s media policy does not authorize filming or photography for partisan political or fundraising purposes. The restriction applies even when a political campaign wants to document an otherwise permitted visit or ceremony. In 2024, then-former President Trump’s campaign’s visit to Arlington Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony led to a verbal and physical altercation with a cemetery official.
Not as part of an ordinary production shoot. ANC’s security rules prohibit unauthorized drones and other unauthorized media equipment, while the Washington, D.C., airspace has additional FAA restrictions. Any proposed drone operation would need to satisfy both the cemetery’s requirements and applicable FAA requirements.
Planning a video shoot in Arlington? DC Corporate Video can help with production planning, filming, and everything that comes after.