Commercial Dog Walking

Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) welcomes commercial dog walkers carrying a Commercial Dog Walking Special Use Permit (CDWSUP) in designated park areas in Marin and San Francisco County.

Permit holders can walk 4 to 6 dogs at one time (no more than 6 dogs can be walked at a time) and are permitted use of any GGNRA lands in Marin and San Francisco County where dog walking is allowed. If you bring dogs to Golden Gate National Recreation Area, please protect the dogs, other people, and park resources by abiding by regulations in the Superintendent's Compendium and Exhibits (maps) on the Laws & Policies webpage:
https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/management/lawsandpolicies.htm

Requirements

Certain requirements must be met in order to be issued a permit. Where possible, GGNRA follows the same requirements as the county jurisdictions in which the commercial dog walking will take place. If you will be conducting commercial dog walking in both San Francisco and Marin Counties, you will need to meet the requirements for both counties.

Training

• If you are conducting commercial dog walking in San Francisco County, you are required to have completed either:

a. One of the courses accepted by San Francisco Animal Care and Control OR

b. Provide proof of three consecutive years as a commercial dog walker in good standing.

• If you are conducting commercial dog walking in Marin County, you are required to have completed either:

a. The Marin Pet Care Association (MPCA) Trail Manners Class OR
b. One of the courses accepted in San Francisco.

• If you have completed one of these programs in the past, you will not need to retake it, but rather must provide documentation of completion as part of your permit application submission.

Insurance & Business License

• A Certificate of Insurance is required, for $1,000,000 per occurrence/ $2,000,000 aggregate, listing "The U.S. Government, National Park Service, and Golden Gate National Recreation Area" as Additional Insured.
• A valid business license is also required from the county or counties in which commercial dog walking will take place.

Dog License

• Please note that all dogs 4 months and older are required to be licensed in Marin and San Francisco Counties.
• While this is not part of the CDWSUP application process, Permittees are responsible for confirming with their clients that all dogs are appropriately licensed before walking them in Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Resources

• See Special Park Use Permits webpage to learn more about Permits & Reservations.
• Superintendent's Compendium and Exhibits (maps) on the Laws & Policies webpage
• Information Regarding Service Animals

For more information, please contact the Office of Special Park Uses at [[e-mail]] OR click here to EMAIL US.