What is a nonresident fee?
President Trump’s Executive Order Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks directed the Secretary of the Interior to develop “a strategy to increase revenue and improve the recreational experience at national parks by appropriately increasing entrance fees and recreation pass fees for nonresidents in areas of the National Park System that charge entrance fees.” The Executive Order directs that these fees be used “to improve the infrastructure of, or otherwise enhance enjoyment of or access to, America’s Federal recreational areas.”
The Secretary of the Interior have created a nonresident fee that will be charged to each non-U.S. resident aged 16 and older that visits any of 11 of the most visited national parks: Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion. Non-U.S. residents will pay the standard entrance fee at each of these parks, plus a $100 fee per person aged 16 or older.
How does the nonresident fee work for tours?
Nonresident fees are applicable to any non-U.S. residents entering the 11 national parks where these fees are charged. This includes nonresidents entering as part of a commercial tour group.
How many people are covered by a nonresident fee?
Each non-U.S. resident aged 16 and over will be charged the $100 nonresident fee. This is a per-person fee.
Is there a pass that will cover the nonresident fee?
Yes. There is a new America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass that is available for purchase for $250 beginning January 1, 2026. Nonresidents who have an America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass will not be charged the individual nonresident fee when entering one of the nonresident fee parks either a private vehicle or as part of a commercial group.
The pass will also cover the nonresident fees for three additional adults in the pass holder’s party where fees are charged per person such as nonresidents traveling with a commercial tour group.
How does a fee collector determine whether tour participants are U.S. residents or not?
Visitors will need to provide appropriate identification to purchase a pass that requires U.S. citizenship or residency. Acceptable documents include a U.S. Passport, U.S. government (state or territory)-issued driver's license or state ID, or Permanent Residency card (also commonly called a "green card"). Anyone may purchase the America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass.
Commercial tour companies and commercial use authorization (CUA) companies will be expected to know the number of nonresidents and America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass holders prior to entering a park so they can provide this information to the fee collector.
Do nonresident fees apply to commercial tour groups that have commercial use authorizations?
Yes. Any non-U.S. resident entering a park with nonresident fees will be charged the $100 fee, unless they have the America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass. This also includes any non-U.S. resident that enters the park with a commercial tour group. The America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass covers the nonresident fee for the pass holder plus three additional nonresidents aged 16 and older when they are part of a commercial group. Find out more about CUA requirements for commercial tour groups.
Find out more about CUA requirements for commercial tour groups.
Are commercial use authorization (CUA) holders responsible for paying any other fees in addition to the nonresident fees upon entrance to the park?
Yes. In addition to the nonresident fees, CUA holders must pay park entrance fees. Park entrance fees differ by CUA type. Road-based Commercial Tour CUAs pay entrance fees based on vehicle size. All other types of CUAs pay per-person entrance fees and annual and lifetime passes are accepted. Those passes cover the pass holder and up to three additional visitors.
CUA holders responsible for paying per-person entrance fees are encouraged to inform their clients that passes may be purchased in advance, including the America the Beautiful and site-specific passes. Digital versions of America the Beautiful passes purchased through Recreation.gov are available immediately upon purchase.
Find out more about CUA requirements for commercial tour groups.
Learn more about entrance fees and passes at national parks.
Is there a way for tour operators to purchase entrance fees or passes before arriving at a park?
As of June 2026, tour operators planning to visit one of the 11 national parks (Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion) that charge nonresident fees can prepay commercial entrance and nonresident fees by purchasing a Commercial Site Pass on Recreation.gov. Tour operators can also purchase digital America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Passes for their clients through Recreation.gov.
Each America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass covers the $100 nonresident fee for the pass holder and three additional nonresidents aged 16 and over. One pass also covers the per-person commercial entrance fee for the pass holder and three additional individuals aged 16 and over (this is the entrance fee generally charged to groups with a commercial use authorization).
What is a Commercial Site Pass?
Through Recreation.gov, tour operators may prepay for commercial vehicle entrance fees and commercial per-person entrance fees for the 11 national parks that charge nonresident fees. If needed, the tour operator can also add applicable nonresident fees to the pass purchase. The resulting purchase is a Commercial Site Pass that covers the commercial entrance fees to visit a specific park with a single passenger manifest (client list) on a specific date or dates.
Tour operators are able to view, print and download Commercial Site Passes purchased through their Recreation.gov account. The pass can be printed or downloaded to a mobile device prior to entering the park. A printed or downloaded version of the Commercial Site Pass must be presented to park staff when entering the park.
Tour operators may prepay the commercial tour vehicle entrance fee (commercial vans, minibuses, and motorcoaches) for the 11 national parks. The sedan rate is not available for prepurchase on Recreation.gov.
What are the restrictions on the digital Non-Resident Annual Pass?
Each digital America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass is issued to one person (the pass holder). The pass holder name entered in Recreation.gov must be the first and last name of the client for whom the digital pass is being purchased. The pass holder must be present and show identification for the pass to be valid. Passes are valid for 12 months from the purchase date through the end of the same month in the following year. Passes held by an employee of the tour company are not valid for commercial use; the pass holder must be a tour participant. Passes are not transferable and thus cannot be assigned to a different person for a later trip. Digital Non-Resident Annual Passes purchased through Recreation.gov do not have the option to receive a physical pass.
Can the tour operator use a Non-Resident Annual Pass for different passengers on multiple tours?
No, both the physical and digital versions of all America the Beautiful Passes, including the Non-Resident Annual Pass, are non-transferable and cannot be assigned to a different person on a later tour.
What is the cancellation policy for Commercial Site Passes and digital Non-Resident Annual Passes?
All purchases are final. There are no refunds for Commercial Site Passes or digital Non-Resident Annual Passes. Tour operators should ensure they have accurate and final details on their group and itinerary before making any purchases on Recreation.gov.
Are children that are part of a tour group charged an entrance fee?
Children aged 15 and younger are not charged entrance fees or the nonresident fee when entering a park.
What does the tour company employee need to show when they arrive at the park?
If you have a Commercial Site Pass (with or without nonresident fees):
- Locate the pre-purchased Commercial Site Pass you have printed or saved to a mobile device. Ensure the pass date, park, group size, and pass type match the tour group you are entering with.
- Show the Commercial Site Pass PDF document with the QR code to the fee collector; this can be a digital or printed version.
- The fee collector will scan the QR code and provide a printed entrance receipt to use when reentering the park with the same tour group. After the initial use, the Recreation.gov Commercial Site Pass QR code will be invalidated and the printed entrance receipt must be shown for reentry.
If you have digital America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass(es):
- Gather the passes and each pass holder’s identification before arriving at the entrance station.
- Show the America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass PDF document with the QR code to the fee collector; this can be a digital or paper version. Show the corresponding identification for each pass.
- Pay any other applicable fees as necessary.
What if the tour group enters the park through a pedestrian entrance?
The process is similar to entering through a vehicle entrance as described above. Tour operators should have proof of payment and any digital Non-Resident Annual Passes and associated identification ready to show the fee collector.
In general, at a pedestrian entrance, an America the Beautiful pass will cover the entrance fees and nonresident fees for the pass holder and those who traveled with them to the park in a private vehicle. For visitors that are part of a commercial group, an America the Beautiful pass will cover the commercial per-person entrance fee and nonresident fees for the pass holder and three additional individuals aged 16 and older.
Last updated: July 15, 2026