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Commercial Use Authorizations

What is a Commercial Use Authorization?

A Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) is a business permit with the National Park Service. It authorizes you to conduct commercial activities and to provide specific visitor services within a national park. We will only issue CUAs for activities that:

• are an appropriate use of national park areas;
• will have minimal impact on park resources and values; and
• are consistent with the park’s purpose, management plans, policies, and regulations.

You must have a CUA if you or your organization provide services that:

• take place at least in part in the national park area,
• use park resources, and
• result in monetary gain.

You may not conduct commercial activities in the park without a valid CUA or in a manner inconsistent with the terms of the CUA.

COVID-19 CUA Guidance

• Public Health Information for Park Partners
• Park Alerts & Conditions

 

Authorized Services and CUA Conditions

Arches National Park authorizes the following commercial activities with an approved Commercial Use Authorization (CUA):

 

 

Services NOT permitted

• Drones

• Motorcycle tours

• Delivery or pickup of any out of park rentals, including but not limited to:

  • RV’s, ebikes, bikes, vehicles, camping gear, etc...

 

 

How much does a CUA cost?

Road-Based Commercial Tours

The application fee is $300 per CUA for each national park area listed in the application. Payment instructions are included on the application.

The National Park Service is authorized to recover, associated management and administrative costs associated with CUAs. The CUA fee covers the costs of processing and administering your application as well as overseeing the operational, safety, and environmental requirements stipulated in the permit.

Hiking - backcountry, Photography Instruction, Art Instruction, Transport (non-tour) - road

The new online system includes a standard CUA application fee. National parks using the online system for the 2024 CUA season must charge a minimum of $350 per CUA application. For the 2024 CUA season, Arches National Park will charge a $350 CUA application fee.  

This online system roll-out will impact the following CUAs: 

• Hiking - backcountry (Formerly known as Guided Interpretive Day Hiking)
• Photography Instruction (Formerly known as Guided Still Photography and Art Instruction)
• Art Instruction (Formerly known as Guided Still Photography and Art Instruction)
• Transport (non-tour) - road (Formerly known as Taxi and Trail Shuttle)

Management Fees: Effective January 1, 2024, SEUG will implement a new fee structure for Commercial Use Authorizations (CUAs), consistent with the service wide effort to adopt a market price system to recover the costs associated with managing this growing program. Management fees are based on a percentage of the gross receipts earned for authorized commercial activities conducted in the park during the operating year.

Management fees will be required for the following CUAs: Hiking - backcountry, Photography Instruction, Art Instruction, and Transport (non-tour) - road.

Management Fees are calculated using the amount reported under Gross Receipts (question 8) on the NPS 10-660 Form. “Gross receipts” represents the total amount of all revenues received from services a CUA holder is permitted to offer within the park.

The percentage of gross receipts for services will be calculated by:

• Businesses with gross annual receipts of $250,000 or less will pay 3% of their gross receipts.
• Businesses will pay 4% of gross receipts for amounts between $250,001 to $500,000, this is in addition to the 3% for gross receipts under $250,000 listed above.
• Businesses will pay 5% of gross receipts for the amount of gross receipts over $500,000.01; this is in addition to the amounts listed above.

The $350 application fee is a mandatory, one-time, non-refundable fee submitted when applying for a CUA. This application fee must be made in the online system when applying. The application fee is credited toward the determined management fee due for each activity during submittal process. 

 

2024 Fee Updates

Management Fees: Effective January 1, 2024, SEUG will implement a new fee structure for Commercial Use Authorizations (CUAs), consistent with the service wide effort to adopt a market price system to recover the costs associated with managing this growing program. Management fees are based on a percentage of the gross receipts earned for authorized commercial activities conducted in the park during the operating year. Management fees will be required for all CUAs except Road-Based Commercial Tours.  

There is a $300 application fee for Road-Based Commercial Tours; all other CUAs have a $350 application fee. Application fees are a mandatory, one-time, non-refundable fee submitted when applying for a CUA. The application fee is credited toward the determined management fee due for each activity during submittal process.

 

 

How do I apply for a CUA?

2025 applications may be submitted beginning December 1, 2024. Please check back for updated application instructions.

Road-Based Commercial Tours

2025 Road-Based Commercial Tour CUAs will be processed through the NPS online system. Check back for updated instructions on how to submit an application. 

Hiking - backcountry, Photography Instruction, Art Instruction, Transport (non-tour) - road

Beginning December 1, 2023 you may use the following link to apply for a CUA using the new online system: Applying for a CUA - Commercial Use Authorizations (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

All required documents and payments need to be submitted through this online system. 

 

2024 Online System Update

As part of a larger effort to streamline and modernize the National Park Service (NPS) commercial use authorization (CUA) program, the NPS has developed on online system designed to process CUA applications and collect required CUA reports.

NPS will initiate its online system roll-out for the 2024 CUA season and by the 2025 CUA season, all national parks will be using the system. Arches National Park has opted to participate in the initial system roll-out for the 2024 CUA season and will begin accepting CUA applications through the online system starting on December 1, 2023.   

This online system roll-out will impact the following CUAs: 

• Hiking - backcountry (Formerly known as Guided Interpretive Day Hiking)
• Photography Instruction (Formerly known as Guided Still Photography and Art Instruction)
• Art Instruction (Formerly known as Guided Still Photography and Art Instruction)
• Transport (non-tour) - road (Formerly known as Taxi and Trail Shuttle)

Note that this system roll-out will NOT affect Road-Based Commercial Tour operators. The NPS will develop an online system specific to those operators and will not roll-out that system until the 2025 season.  

 

Southeast Utah Parks Guide Orientation Video

 

Duration:

6 minutes, 15 seconds

Millions of visitors come to the Southeast Utah Parks each year and seek out knowledgeable guides to aid them in their experience. As a commercial guide, it is your responsibility to keep the members of your group safe while also providing a worthwhile experience. Please ensure all tour guides watch this video before taking guests into the park.

 

Sample Acknowledgement of Risk Form

CUA holders may not require clients to sign a waiver of liability statement or form, insurance disclaimer and/or indemnification agreement. They may request or require clients to sign an acknowledgement of risk statement or form prior to participation. You can download a sample. [178k Accessible PDF]

 

CUA Suspension, Revocation, or Denial

CUA holders and their employees are required to meet the conditions of the CUA while operating within Southeast Utah Group parks. Failure to meet these conditions may result in CUA suspension, restriction, revocation or application denial. Review the Southeast Utah Group Commercial Use Authorization Revocation Policy.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do CUA holders have to pay an entrance fee?

Yes. Fees depend on the type of service you offer.

Road-Based Commercial Tours CUA holders:
Pay the commercial tour entrance fee each time you enter the park. Annual and lifetime passes do not apply.

Current entrance fees (per vehicle) based on vehicle size:

• Vehicle capacity of 1 to 6 passengers: $25 + $15 per person, not to exceed $40
• Vehicle capacity of 7 to 25: $40
• Vehicle capacity of 26+: $100

Hiking - backcountry, Photography Instruction, Art Instruction, and Transport (non-tour) - road CUA holders:
Pay the park’s per-person entrance fee for your clients; participants may use valid annual or lifetime passes.

Current entrance fees:

• $15 per person

How long does it take to get a CUA?

Please allow 30 working days to process a CUA application We review applications in the order they are received. 

What are the reporting requirements?

CUA holders are required to submit an annual report each year. CUA applications cannot be processed until your annual report is received. It is strongly encouraged to file the report as early as possible. The report is due at the end of your operating season, with a deadline of January 31. 

The report provides the park with visitation statistics, reportable injury data, and a record of annual gross receipts. Please complete an annual report for each park your business operated in. 

If you have obtained your 2024 CUA through the NPS online system, you will submit your annual reports directly through the system when notified.

If you obtained a Road-Based Commercial Tour CUA in 2024, please fill out the Annual Report below and email it to the address at the top of the form. Please also submit the table in Attachment A via the Microsoft Form below.

Download Form 10-660 - CUA Annual Report [245k, accessible PDF] 

Please use the table in Attachment A to report trips for the year. You must input the data from this chart into this Microsoft form: https://forms.office.com/g/brR4f5W6wG