Guides · Registration
How to register up to 750 photos for $55.
The U.S. Copyright Office lets a photographer register a whole group of photos in one application for one fee. Done every month or two, it keeps everything you post covered for statutory damages. Here is exactly how it works.
Two group options for photos
| Published photos (GRPPH) | Unpublished photos (GRUPH) | |
|---|---|---|
| Photos per claim | Up to 750 | Up to 750 |
| Office fee | $55 | $55 |
| Timing rule | All published in the same calendar year | None of them published yet |
| Title list shows | Number, title, file name, month and year of publication | Number, title, file name |
Registering the same photos one at a time with the Single Application costs $45 each. For 200 photos that is $9,000 against $55.
Who can use it
- One photographer. Every photo in the group must be by the same author.
- One claimant. The copyright claimant must be the same person or organization for every photo: the photographer, or whoever owns all the rights.
- Photos only. Published and unpublished photos can’t be mixed, and other kinds of work can’t be added.
- Works made for hire are allowed if every photo is identified that way.
What you need before you start
- The photos, one file each, in JPEG, GIF or TIFF. Each upload can be up to 500 MB, and you can zip them.
- A numbered title list in Excel or PDF. For published photos each row has the title, the file name and the month and year it was published. A title can simply be the file name.
- A title for the whole group, such as “Harbor photographs, January–February 2026”.
- The earliest and latest publication dates in the group.
The title list’s file name must contain the group’s title and the case number eCO assigns your application, for example Harbor photographs Case Number 1-1234567890.pdf. You get the case number once you start the application.
Step by step in eCO
- Sign in at eco.copyright.gov and start a group registration for published (or unpublished) photographs.
- Copy the case number shown at the top of the screen and name your title list with it.
- Enter the group title, the number of photos and the earliest and latest publication dates.
- Upload the title list and the photo files, then enter the list’s exact file name on the certification screen.
- Pay the $55 fee. The day the Office has your application, files and fee together becomes the effective date of registration once the claim is accepted.
Why every month or two
Statutory damages and attorney’s fees are only available for copying that began after your effective date of registration, unless you register within three months of first publication (17 U.S.C. §412). File each group before its earliest photo turns three months old and your whole back catalog stays covered. At the Copyright Claims Board the difference is $15,000 per work if registered on time, against $7,500 per work and $15,000 in total if not. More on the three-month rule →
Let Registry build the batches
Drop your photos in. Registry groups them by year and deadline, writes the title list PDF and puts every file-by date on your calendar. Your files never leave your device.
Registry is self-help software, not a law firm. Check the Copyright Office’s current help pages before you file.