Public Transport Photography Around the World
Public Transport > Photography
Sometimes many of us who take pictures of public transport around the world encounter difficulty when dealing with local legalities. Some metro systems prohibit photography outright, some require you to obtain a permit, some have no restrictions, while others are in a gray area, where they do not prohibit it, yet they do not specifically allow it. Below, you will find a list of my experiences by country.
When taking photos of underground stations or in dark conditions, it is always a good idea to avoid using flash and tripods. The first will prevent drivers from getting blinded by your flash, and the second so that people do not trip over the tripod.
You may also want to visit this New York City subway page for information on photography restrictions.
North America
Atlanta - no official policy
Baltimore - no official policy, although police are known to extensively harass photographers. Best advice here is to avoid the system altogether (2008.05)
Boston - permits no longer required. Photographers may be stopped and questioned. Official policy is here. (2007.07)
Chicago - explicitly allowed by this policy (2007.06)
Cleveland - no restrictions (2008.10)
Denver - no restrictions (2007.08)
Dallas - no restrictions, except in the one underground station. (2007.01)
Los Angeles - no restrictions (2009.01)
Miami - permit required, although this was not enforced (2007.05)
Minneapolis - no restrictions (2007.05)
Montréal - no restrictions (2007.10)
New York City:
Subway - specifically allowed by this document, although not all employees are aware of this
PATH - specifically prohibited
NJ Transit - photography allowed
Pittsburgh - no restrictions (2008.10)
Portland - no restrictions (2008.08)
Philadelphia - while no permit is required, police routinely question photographers (2008.05)
Phoenix - no restrictions (2009.02)
Sacramento no restrictions (2008.10)
San Diego - no restrictions (2007.05)
San Francisco - no restrictions (2009.03)
San Jose - photography on VTA property is not allowed per VTA employee, street photography is ok (2009.02)
Seattle - no restrictions (2003.07)
St. Louis - no restrictions (2007.08)
Toronto - no restrictions (2008.05)
Vancouver - no restrictions (2003.07)
Washington, DC - while this document explicitly permits photography, police continue to stop and, in some cases, harass members of the public. (2008.12)
South America
Bogotá, Colombia - Photography of Transmilenio from Transmilenio property is prohibited. Photography from the street is allowed. Restrictions are clearly posted. (2008.10)
Lima, Peru - No restrictions on photography from outside the system. (2008.10)
Europe
Austria
Vienna - No Restrictions (2008.08)
Salzburg - No Restrictions (2008.01)
Bulgaria
Sofia - Photography in underground stations is prohibited and enforced. Signs are posted in some locations, the signs' extent is not clear. Street photography is ok. Some establishments do not like being photographed and will send their security guards to ask you to move along. (2008.11)
Czech Republic
Brno - No restrictions.(2007.05)
Ceske Budejovice - No restrictions.(2007.05)
Ostrava - No restrictions.(2009.04)
Olomouc - No restrictions.(2007.05)
Plsen - No restrictions.(2007.05)
Prague - No restrictions.(2009.04)
Germany
Generally, no restrictions anywhere. Most questions regarding photography are out of curiosity. (2007.03-2009.08)
Hungary
Budapest - no restrictions (2008.08)
Italy
Milan - photography in underground stations is prohibited, street photography is ok. (2009.03)
Poland
Katowice - No restrictions. (2009.03)
Krakow - No restrictions. (2009.03)
Warsaw - No restrictions (2009.03)
Portugal
Lisbon - no restrictions (2009.01)
Russia
Moscow - no restrictions (2007.06)
Slovakia
Bratislava - no restrictions (2008.08)
Switzerland
Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Zurich - no restrictions (2008.12)
Turkey
Istanbul - Photography in underground stations is officially prohibited, but enforcement of this was not observed. Signs are clearly posted with rules of usage. Street photography is ok. (2008.11)
United Kingdom
London - officially, no permit is needed. For extensive photography, a permit is recommended. Visit London Underground's website for more information. You may be detained and questioned at any time due to heightened security measures as staff are not always aware of the policy (2009.08)
Ukraine
Odessa - No restrictions (2007.06)
Kiev - photography in underground stations is officially not prohibited, but staff do not allow it. Street photography is ok. Some establishments do not like being photographed and will send their security guards to ask you to move along. (2009.03)
Asia
Australia
Melbourne - no restrictions (2009.06)
Sydney - photography of CityRail underground stations is prohibited per staff member, not confirmed officially. (2009.06)
Israel
Haifa - no observed restrictions (2006.01)
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur - no restrictions (2009.08)
Singapore
Singapore - no restrictions (2009.08)
Public Transport > Photography
