National Archives and Records Administration July 31, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The proposed rule limits the use of film, photographic, and videotape equipment inside the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Filming, photographing, and videotaping will be prohibited in exhibits of the National Archives Experience (NAE) in Washington, DC, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights (known as the Charters of Freedom) in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building. In 2003 NARA installed new exhibit cases for displaying the Charters and other NAE documents to provide better clarity for viewing the exhibits. NARA seeks to ensure the necessary protection for the documents from the cumulative effects of photographic flash.