Vehicle Testing

Death Valley National Park issues special use permits to the automobile industry to allow heat testing in its unique climate. All applications must be submitted at least 30 days in advance of testing. If you have tested in the past, please read the information below carefully as our requirements for application have changed. If you would like to apply for a permit to test vehicles you must submit an application along with the following materials:

Company Umbrella Permit

An application package must be submitted by any company planning to send trip leaders into Death Valley National Park to test vehicles.

• A completed application

• A fee of $300.00. Please make checks payable to NATIONAL PARK SERVICE or if paying by credit card submit application package along with a request to pay by credit card and we will contact you with payment instructions.

• Liability Insurance Certificate listing the United States; as "Additional Insured" with a minimum of $1,000,000USD of liability coverage.

• Send the completed application package to [e-mail].

Trip Leader Package

ATTENTION:
Vehicle testing permits and addendums will require at least 2 weeks to process. Plan ahead—we will not be able to process URGENT requests. Each trip leader may bring no more than 8 vehicles into the park for each test trip.

An addendum must be obtained by each trip leader. The resultant addendum will cover only the trips that individual leads into the park during the testing season. It will be valid for one calendar year only. To obtain an Individual Trip Leader addendum please submit the following:

• A signed Trip Leader Addendum

• Proof of payment for the addendum processing fee of $100.00. Send either a check or proof of payment by credit card.

• Checks should be payable to NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. Credit card payments can be made at this website: https://pay.gov/public/form/start/51019741 with your company umbrella permit number. Proof of payment receipt must accompany the documents above.

For a Testing Trip

• Each trip leader must e-mail a Vehicle Test Trip Data Sheet (VTTDS) to the Office of Special Park Uses at least 7 days prior to the trip. This will ensure that your test trip is included in the weekly law enforcement update.

• To begin testing EACH VEHICLE must arrive in the park with a paper copy of the fully-executed umbrella permit with a trip leader addendum attached.

IMPORTANT: If each vehicle does not have a copy of the permit, you will not be permitted to test. There is NO PLACE to make copies in the park--the visitor center cannot make copies for you. Trip leaders may have to travel as far as 60 miles one way to make necessary copies. Arriving in the park without the proper documentation may result in an adverse notation being placed in your corporate file.

Faxed test trip data sheets will no longer be accepted.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Special Park Use at 760-786-3241.

Our mailing address is:
Death Valley National Park
ATTN: Office of Special Park Uses
PO Box 579
Death Valley, CA 92328

Our courier services address:
Death Valley National Park
ATTN: Office of Special Park Uses
271 Highway 190
Death Valley, CA 92328

Last updated: May 17, 2020