Know Your Rights

A free guide to documenting public life — what the law protects, how to record responsibly, and the gear that makes it easy. Education, from the field.

Start here: Basic Rights & Amendments

Our free, printable guide walks through the First Amendment and the core rights that matter when you show up, ask questions, and keep the record. Download the PDF (free).

The essentials

Know the First Amendment

Religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition — the five freedoms. The record depends on all of them. Shop First Amendment apparel.

Recording in public

In public spaces where you have a right to be, recording government officials is generally protected by the First Amendment. Stay calm, stay safe, keep rolling. Shop recording gear tees.

Ask better questions

Accountability rests on good questions: show me the law, what authority are you acting under, and am I being detained. Shop accountability apparel.

Field kit build

Smartphone filmmaking rig

Your phone is a capable field camera. A cage, mount, and a good lens add stability and reach for clean documentation on the move. (Professional-Smartphone-Filmmaking-Rig)

Wireless audio kit

Clear audio matters as much as clear video. A wireless mic keeps the subject's words on the record at distance. (Professional-Wireless-Audio Kit-Showcase)

Power & storage kit

The record is only safe if it's saved. Rugged storage and portable power keep you rolling through long days in the field. (Rugged-Power-and-Storage-Tech-Kit)

Tell us about field tips, collaborations, or a correction — this guide is a work in progress, built from the field.