Annual Parking Tag
Are you a frequent visitor to the Smokies? Purchase your annual parking tag online. 
In Person - Daily & Weekly Parking Tags
Learn where you can pick up a daily or weekly parking tag when you arrive to the Smokies. 
Online - Daily and Weekly Parking Tags
Like to plan ahead? Purchase a daily or weekly parking tag online and print it before you visit the Smokies. Where do your fees go?Every dollar stays in the Smokies to support visitor services. Parking Tag BasicsThree tag durations are available for purchase for all vehicle sizes and types:Daily - $5 Weekly - $15 Annual - $40
Where to Purchase a Parking TagDaily, weekly, and annual parking tags are available for purchase at the locations listed below. Please note that store hours may vary seasonally.
In person sales locations:
Daily and weekly parking tags are available for purchase by credit card (tap-to-pay is not available) from parking tag machines, available year-round, 24 hours a day. Daily and weekly parking tags purchased at parking tag machines must be used starting on the date of purchase. Daily parking tags expire at 11:59pm EST on the date of purchase. Weekly parking tags expire at 11:59pm EST 7 days from the date of purchase. Parking Tag Machine Locations:Enjoy the convenience of purchasing your parking tag before you arrive and have it shipped straight to your door. Annual Parking Tags are available for purchase online through Smokies Life. Enjoy the convenience of purchasing your parking tag before you arrive.
NPS Image Display Your Parking TagAnnual parking tagsMust be displayed in the front, lower passenger side windshield. Daily and weekly parking tagsMust be placed face-up on the front, lower passenger side dashboard. When will my parking tag expire?Daily and weekly parking tags expire at 11:59 p.m. EST on the date printed on the tag. Annual tags are valid for 12 months from the month of purchase. To determine when your annual tag expires, look for the small hole punch on the side of the tag. Each side of the tag has letters representing the months of the year, and the hole punch marks the month your tag is valid through. For example, if you purchased an annual parking tag on January 5, 2025, it will be valid until January 31, 2026. Parking Tag Fee ExemptionsSome groups are exempt from displaying a parking tag but may still need a parking placard in their vehicle. Explore the drop-downs below for specific details on exemption processes. National Park Service regulations allow school groups and other bona fide national and international educational institutions to obtain a waiver of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park parking tag fee, provided that the visit is for educational or scientific purposes, and the resources or facilities the group proposes to use support those purposes. Educational fee waivers are not granted automatically. Educational groups must apply and meet the criteria to receive the waiver.
If the application is approved, a parking placard will be emailed to you to be displayed during your visit. Each vehicle must display the parking tag placard while parked in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Park staff will not print parking tag placards onsite. Visitor center staff are not authorized to approve fee waivers. Fee waivers must be processed in advance of your academic visit. Note: Parking tag exemptions for chaperones are covered at a ratio of 1 adult per 5 students K-8th grade, and 1 adult per 10 students in 9th grade and above. National Park Service regulations allow permitted researchers to be exempt from paying for a parking tag while they are engaged in their permitted research activities. Perspective researchers will receive parking tag placards with their permit when it is issued. Researchers must inform the research coordinator of the minimum number of vehicles that will be needed for their work at any one time and will be issued that many placards. Placards must be printed in color and be visible through the front windshield while the vehicle is parked. Placards will be renewed annually for the duration of the issued research permit. As with any other parking tag, the placards issued to permitted researchers do not authorize parking outside of designated parking areas nor guarantee a parking space at any specific location within the Park; researchers must plan their schedules to arrive at popular locations outside of the peak visitation times.
Three special use permit types are exempt from the parking tag requirement: burials, cemetery visits including Decoration Days and first amendment activities. No other special use permit types, including weddings, are exempt from the parking tag requirement. Learn more or apply for a permit online.
Vehicles with state-issued disability placards or license plates displayed on their vehicle do not need to purchase a parking tag.
Plan Your Visit
Key Information
Parking tags are required for all vehicles parking for longer than 15 minutes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. While the parking tag is not an entrance fee, the park honors the Free Entrance Days below and parking tags will not be required on those dates.
2026 Free Entrance Days in the National ParksCome experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to US citizens and residents (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply). Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates:
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Learn all you need to know about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park parking tag program. FAQs
No, parking tags do not guarantee a specific parking spot in a specific location or for a specific time frame. Parking at the busiest areas require visitors to plan ahead to choose off-peak hours, days, and seasons to better the chances of parking availability.
Failure to comply with the parking tag requirements may result in a verbal warning, a warning sticker on your vehicle, a citation, or your vehicle being towed at your expense.
You can buy a daily or weekly parking tag in advance only if you purchase it on Recreation.gov, where you can choose the exact date you plan to visit. If you buy a tag in person at a visitor center or retail store, you can only purchase a tag for that day, the next day, or the day after. If you buy from a parking tag machine, the tag is valid only for the day you buy it.
The park uses the Special Use Permit system to issue permits at no cost for Decoration Days, family reunions for descendants across the park, and cemetery visits. Decoration Day permit holders are exempt from the parking tag fee for the duration of their permit. Each cemetery visit is unique and park staff work directly with descendants to coordinate special access including annual boat shuttles, vehicle shuttles, and use of administrative roads.
Each parking tag must include a license plate number matching the vehicle in which it is displayed. You will need to wait to purchase your parking tag until you know the license plate number of your rental vehicle. You can purchase your parking tag in-person either at an Automated Fee Machine or in store.
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Last updated: June 3, 2026