Application Requirements

The Press Credentials Office accepts applications for three types of press credentials:

• A Standard Press Card allows a member of the press to attend multiple events while the Press Card is valid.


• A Reserve Press Card may be issued to a newsgathering organization for use by the newsgathering organization'semployees to attend events while the Press Card is valid.


• A Single Event Press Card allows a member of the press to attend one event and, specifically, the event intended for the Press Card.

Read about eligibility requirements below. For more information, read the Press Credentials Office Frequently Asked Questions.

Please view the following video tutorials for more information on how to register and apply:

Standard Press Card

You must be must be at least 18 years old to apply for a Standard Press Card. Members of the press must submit 6 or more articles, commentaries, books, photographs, videos, films, or audios published, broadcast, or cablecast within the 24 months immediately preceding the Standard Press Card application, sufficient to show that the following events, occurring on separate days, were covered, in person, in one of the five boroughs of New York City:

• Emergency, spot, or breaking news events, or public events of a non-emergency nature where police or fire lines, or other restrictions, limitations, or barriers established by New York City have been set up for security or crowd control purposes.
• Events sponsored by New York City that are open to members of the press.

"Member of the press" means an individual who gathers and reports the news, by publishing, broadcasting, or cablecasting articles, commentaries, books, photographs, video, film, or audio by electronic, print, or digital media, such as radio, television, newspapers, magazines, wires, books, and the Internet. A member of the press includes an employee of a newsgathering organization and a self-employed newsperson.

Submit a Standard Press Card application.

Reserve Press Card

A Reserve Press Card can only be used by an individual who is at least 18 years old. Newsgathering organizations must submit 6 or more articles, commentaries, books, photographs, videos, films, or audios published, broadcast, or cablecast within the 24 months immediately preceding the Reserve Press Card application, sufficient to show that the newsgathering organization employed or engaged a member of the press to cover, in person, 6 or more of the following events occurring on separate days in one of the five boroughs of New York City:

• Emergency, spot, or breaking news events, or public events of a non-emergency nature where police or fire lines, or other restrictions, limitations, or barriers established by New York City have been set up for security or crowd control purposes.
• Events sponsored by New York City that are open to members of the press.

"Newsgathering organization" means an organization or entity that gathers and reports the news by publishing, broadcasting, or cablecasting articles, commentaries, books, photographs, video, film, or audio by electronic, print, or digital media, such as radio, television, newspapers, magazines, wire, books, and the Internet.

Submit a Reserve Press Card application.

Single Event Press Card

Applicants under 18 years old must have written permission from a parent or legal guardian submitted with each pre-registration application, each Single Event Press Card application, and each Single Event Pre-Registration renewal application. A parent, legal guardian, or another adult may be required to accompany a Single Event Press Card holder who is under eighteen years old during the entirety of a Single Event.

"Single Event" means a discrete activity that is an emergency, spot, or breaking news event, a public event of a non-emergency nature, or an event sponsored by New York City that is open to members of the press.

To be eligible to receive a Single Event Press Card, a member of the press must:

• Complete a preregistration process by submitting a pre-registration form and 6 or more articles, commentaries, books, photographs, videos, films, or audios published, broadcast, or cablecast within the 24 months immediately preceding the Single Event Press Card pre-registration application, sufficient to show that the applicant covered, in person, 6 or more events occurring on separate days.
• Submit a "timely" and completed Single Event Press Card application by providing a description, the date, and location of the Single Event.

You must apply separately for Pre-Registration and your Pre-Registration must be approved before you can apply for a Single Event Press Card.

To be considered "timely," a Single Event Press Card application must be submitted by the following deadlines:

• At least 10 days before the date of the Single Event if the Single Event was announced to the public 2 or more weeks in advance.
• Within 2 business days after the Single Event was announced to the public if the Single Event was scheduled less than 2 weeks in advance.
• As soon as practicable, if notice of the Single Event was provided in less than 2 days or in an exigent circumstance.

Example of a submission timeline for a Single Event Press Card application:

Date of Event	Date of Event Announcement	Application Submission Deadline
February 4, 2022	January 20, 2022 (more than 2 weeks in advance)	January 25, 2022 (10 days before the event)
February 4, 2022	January 24, 2022 (less than 2 weeks in advance)	January 26, 2022 (2 business days after the event was announced)
February 4, 2022	February 3, 2022 (less than 2 days in advance)	As soon as practicable

 

All Single Event Press Cards must be returned within three (3) business days of the expiration of a Single Event Press Card. The press card holder must either return the press card to MOME by returning it in-person to MOME’s office, or sending it by mail, courier, or delivery service.

Mailing Address:
Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
Press Credentials Office
1 Centre Street, Room 370, New York, NY

Pre-register for a Single Event Press Card or submit a Single Event Press Card application.