ArchiveCut / Public domain footage

Where to find public domain footage

The most useful free sources are the US National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Prelinger Archives on the Internet Archive, Wikimedia Commons and NASA. None of them guarantees a clip for your use, so check each item and keep a record of what you found.

Checked against the sources listed below on 4 November 2026. General guidance, not legal advice: terms change, so read the current page before you rely on it.

What each archive says about reuse

Archive	What you’ll find	What to check
US National Archives	US government films and records, and donated collections	Government works are treated as public domain in the US. Donated and newsreel material can be restricted, and it doesn’t confirm status for you. For audiovisual work it asks for the credit “Courtesy: National Archives and Records Administration”.
Library of Congress National Screening Room	More than 550 films	The Library knows of no US copyright or other restrictions on most of them. A few are licensed for educational use only and stream without a download. Privacy and publicity rights can still apply.
Prelinger Archives	Over 8,800 items on the Internet Archive: advertising, educational, industrial and amateur films	Read the collection’s rights page, linked from its Internet Archive page. Getty Images represents the collection for stock footage sales.
Wikimedia Commons	Freely licensed and public-domain images and other media	Each file has its own licence, and many need a credit. Wikimedia gives no warranty that the status is right. See how to credit it.
NASA	Space and science images, audio and video	Generally not copyrighted in the US, with limits on logos, people and endorsement. See the NASA rules.

Keep a record for every clip

Write down the source page, the rights statement as you found it and the date you checked. If anyone questions the film later, that record is what you’ll have to show.

What does public domain footage mean?

Footage with no copyright protection left, or none to begin with, so nobody needs to license it to you. The status can differ by country, and music or other material inside the film can have its own rights.

Is public domain footage free for commercial use?

Copyright doesn’t stop it, but other rights can. Wikimedia Commons warns that images of people can need the subject’s agreement for commercial use, and NASA doesn’t allow uses that suggest it endorses a product.

Is World War 2 footage public domain?

Some is. The US National Archives treats government records as public domain in general, but warns that donated and privately made films in its holdings can carry restrictions. Footage from other countries and from newsreel companies needs its own check.

Can I trust a public domain label on the Internet Archive?

Treat it as a claim to check, since uploaders can add material themselves. For Prelinger films, read the collection’s own rights page.

Who confirms that a clip is public domain?

Usually you do. The National Archives says it doesn’t confirm copyright status, and the Library of Congress leaves the rights assessment to the user. For a film going to a distributor, ask a clearance specialist.

Where ArchiveCut fits

ArchiveCut searches Wikimedia Commons and NASA, and its credits file records each picture’s creator, licence and source page. That is a record, not legal clearance.