Veterans, Gold Star Families get free lifetime pass to national parks, wildlife refuges, other public lands
America The Beautiful Lifetime Military Veterans Pass Received By VOB’s Founder
Honest observation from VOB‘s founder on the process of getting his “America The Beautiful” Lifetime Military Veterans Pass:
On April 20th, 2023 four of us here at VOB submitted our applications for the lifetime pass (all 4 are veterans) to see a) how easy it would be to obtain the pass b) how long it would take and c) what we’d receive once approved (image above was what I received). I’ve been wanting to get the pass to start on my bucket list; however, like many things in life (especially when it comes to government agencies), I didn’t want to waste a bunch of time for something that wouldn’t work out, would take forever or would be a huge pain in the ass.
Here’s a my experience (clearly the image above shows that I did–indeed–receive my pass):
- Question: How long did it take me to fill out the form?
- Answer: Less than 5 minutes (including reading everything) and going through the process of determining my eligibility. It took longer to read over things than it did to fill out everything. It was actually one of the easier things I’ve done recently.
- Question: What are the costs associated with the pass?
- Answer: This is a bit misleading. There is ZERO COST ($0) to get the lifetime pass as a veteran (Gold Star Family) if you get it at one of the parks on the list. However, if you want to get it mailed to you ahead of time (or don’t mind spending a few bucks to reduce any hassle when at one of the parks), you can do as the four of us did and order through the USGS Online Store. Total cost? $10 (breaks down to $5 processing fee and $5 for shipping). Some of you may not be happy about paying $10 for something that is absolutely FREE! With the crazy costs of everything now days, paying $10 to get the pass package mailed directly to me was well worth the cost!
- Question: How long did it take to get your Lifetime Pass?
- Answer: All four of us ordered on April 20th, 2023. Immediately after paying the $10 fee, each of us received an “order confirmation” email.
- The email showed that each of us would get a Lifetime Military Pass (Veteran) Kit which included:
- the pass
- the pass hangtag (which has instructions on displaying the pass when entering a park)
- pass brochure (see image above).
- On April 25th all four of us received an email confirming our Lifetime Military Pass (Veteran) Kit had shipped.
- Myself and one other here received our Lifetime Military Pass (Veteran) Kit in the mail on Saturday, April 29th. The other two received their Lifetime Military Pass (Veteran) Kit on Monday, May 1st.
- The email showed that each of us would get a Lifetime Military Pass (Veteran) Kit which included:
Final thoughts:
If you are in a hurry to get your Lifetime Pass, I recommend finding which park you plan on visiting/closest park to where you are/will be and getting it there (and saving yourself $10). Please be sure to check their hours so as to visit when they are open and processing pass requests. Click here to view a list of Places to Get Interagency Passes.
If you are not in a hurry, and can afford the processing/shipping fee of $10, I strongly suggest ordering it through the USGS Online Store! For us, it was a very easy and fast process. Even if you are like me (want to take a road trip to visit our great country’s parks but aren’t sure when or where), getting your Lifetime Military Pass (whether in person or through the mail) is a no brainer!
Read below for all the details about the Lifetime Military Pass:
Overview of the Interagency Military-Lifetime Pass
- $10 processing fee on USGS Store, Free in person at sites that issue passes.
- Available to Gold Star Families and Veterans . See section below for specific documentation required.
- Obtained in person at Federal recreation sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees.
- Covers entrance fees at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service sites and covers Standard Amenity Fees at Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation sites, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sites.
- Admits the pass owner and any accompanying passengers in a private, non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas, or the pass owner and up to additional 3 adults (16 and over) at sites that charge per person.
- If purchased from the USGS Store, your name will be printed on your pass.
What is the difference between the Interagency Military-Annual and Military-Lifetime Pass?
The Interagency Military Pass has been part of the America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series since 2012. On December 27, 2021, President Biden signed into law S. 1605 “The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022” (NDAA). Section 641 of the NDAA makes Gold Star families and veterans eligible for lifetime passes to federal recreational lands. The Interagency Military-Lifetime Pass can be issued to Gold Star families and U.S. military veterans. The Military-Annual Pass can be issued to current U.S. military and dependents.
Who qualifies for the Interagency Military-Lifetime Pass and what documentation is required?
1. Gold Star Families
- Gold Star Families are next of kin of a member of the United States Armed Forces who lost his or her life in a “qualifying situation,” such as a war, an international terrorist attack, or a military operation outside of the United States while serving with the United States Armed Forces, as explained in Department of Defense Instruction 1348.36
- Gold Star Family members must self-certify by applying for a Military-Lifetime Pass online at https://store.usgs.gov/MilitaryPass or downloading and printing a special voucher to either present to the ranger, exchange for a Military Pass in person, or place on the vehicle dashboard at unstaffed sites. Gold Star Vouchers may be downloaded from https://www.nps.gov/customcf/goldstar/voucher.htm
2. Veterans
- Individuals who served in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, and are able to present one of the following valid non-expired forms of identification when entering or using federal lands:
1) Department of Defense Identification Card (DD Form 2, DD Form 2765)
2) Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
3) Veteran ID Card
4) Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S.driver’s license or identification card
- When acquiring a pass in person, the actual IDs listed above must be presented. As of September 2022, the VA only provides a digital version of the #3 Veteran ID Card. When acquiring a pass online, photocopies or digital images are accepted. Form DD-214 is not accepted.
Are passes available to disabled veterans or other people with disabilities?
Yes. The Interagency Access Pass is a lifetime pass that is free for any US citizen or permanent resident who has a medically determined permanent disability, including veterans. Review the Access Pass section for additional details.
What if I have a current Interagency Military-Annual Pass or other type of Interagency Pass?
- If you have a Military-Annual Pass, Access Pass, or one of the other Interagency Passes, you can simply use that pass for free access. All passes are non-transferable.
- If you have recently purchased an Interagency Annual or Senior Pass, unfortunately no refunds are permitted.
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