A free, lifetime pass - available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States that have been medically determined to have apermanent disability(does not have to be a 100% disability)-that provides admittance to more than 2,000 recreation sites managed by six Federal agencies.
At many sites the Access Pass provides thepass ownera discount onExpanded Amenity Fees(such as camping, swimming, boat launching, and guided tours).
SeeAccess Pass Benefitssection.
Golden Access Passports are valid for a lifetime. However, your Golden Access pass can also be exchanged for a newer version of the pass for free. While these passes are still honored, exchanging them will help with standardization. Exchange in person at sites that issue passes.
Yes. There is not an age requirement for this pass.
Some examples of acceptable documentation include:
- Statement by a licensed physician.Statement must include:
- that the "individual has a PERMANENT disability"
- that it "limits one or more aspects of their daily life"
- and the nature of those limitations.
- Document issued by Federal agency such as the Veteran's Administration, Social Security Disability Income, or Supplemental Security Income;
- Document issued by a State agency such as a vocational rehabilitation agency.
Some examples of documentation that is accepted and not accepted:
Example:
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ACCEPTED
Notice of Award (SSDI)
Example:
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ACCEPTED
Summary of Benefits (VA)
Example:
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ACCEPTED
Award Letter (VA)
** Letter must denominate any disability percentage **
Example:
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NOT ACCEPTED
Notice of Benefit Increase (SSDI)
Example:
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NOT ACCEPTED
Handicap Placard/Application
The Access Pass may be issued to U.S. citizens or permanent residents of any age that have been medically determined to have apermanent disability(does not have to be a 100% disability) that severely limits one or more major life activities.
Apermanent disabilityis a permanent physical, mental, or sensory impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.
The disability requirements for the Access Pass are not based on percentage of disability. To qualify for the Pass the disability must be permanent and limit one or more major life activities.
You can obtain an Access Pass onstore.usgs.gov/access-passby uploading an ID and documentation of permanent disability and paying the processing fee of $10.Please upload identification that indicates that you are a citizen or permanent resident, such as a driver’s license, passport, green card, or birth certificate. The ID needs to be in the name of the person obtaining the pass, not a parent in the case of a child.
You can also obtain an Access Passin person, with proper documentation,from a participating Federal recreation site or office. See https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/pickup-pass-locations.htm for sites that issue the Access Pass.
Access Passes may be obtained via mail order from USGS. Mail-order applicants for the Access Pass must submit a completedpaper application, proof of residency and documentation of permanent disability (does not have to be100% disability), and pay the document processing fee of $10 to obtain a pass through the mail. Once the application package is received, the documentation will be verified and a pass, with the pass owner's name pre-printed on it, will be issued to the applicant.
Access Pass applications are usually processed and shipped within 5 business days from the day they arrive at USGS.Transit time varies, and is dependent upon the service selected:
•USPS - typically 5-10 business days
•FedEx Ground - typically 3-5 business days
•FedEx 2nd day - typically 2 business days
•FedEx Overnight - typically 1 business day
No. The USGS Store accepts all Credit and Debit cards but gift cards of any kind are not accepted.
