Field education
Know your rights
General principles for documenting public life, paired with the reminder that law varies by jurisdiction and facts.
Field brief
Recording in public
General educational notes on photographing and filming what is in plain view from publicly accessible places, with jurisdiction caveats.
Field brief
Public versus private property
How publicly accessible space differs from private land, even when a building serves the public.
Field brief
Public buildings
Lobbies, counters, and exteriors versus restricted interiors, screening, and operational areas.
Field brief
Recording police
Careful notes on observing officers in public, identification questions, and staying out of the way.
Field brief
When someone asks for identification
Educational distinction between casual questions, detentions, and state-specific identify statutes.
Field brief
Time, place, and manner restrictions
How content-neutral limits can apply even when a topic is constitutionally protected.
Field brief
De-escalation and personal safety
Field principles for leaving, yielding space, and refusing to manufacture a confrontation.
State guide desk
These western-state guides are research drafts, not legal conclusions. Each stays unpublished as verified guidance until primary sources and current authority are checked.
Draft
Utah
UT · last reviewed 2026-08-29
Draft
Nevada
NV · last reviewed 2026-08-29
Draft
Arizona
AZ · last reviewed 2026-08-29
Draft
Colorado
CO · last reviewed 2026-08-29
Draft
Idaho
ID · last reviewed 2026-08-29
Draft
Wyoming
WY · last reviewed 2026-08-29
Draft
New Mexico
NM · last reviewed 2026-08-29
Draft
Montana
MT · last reviewed 2026-08-29
Draft
California
CA · last reviewed 2026-08-29
Draft
Oregon
OR · last reviewed 2026-08-29
Draft
Washington
WA · last reviewed 2026-08-29