Trump Administration Vows National Parks Will Turn Away Passholders Who Try to Cover His Face on New Cards

Visitors who place stickers over President Donald Trump’s portrait on the new “America the Beautiful” national parks passes could be asked to remove them — or risk having their pass treated as invalid.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) recently updated guidance tied to its “Void if Altered” policy for 2026, stating that national park passes may not be altered or have any information covered, according to reporting by The Washington Post and SFGate. The clarification follows the DOI’s late-November announcement that Trump’s image would appear on certain membership card designs beginning Jan. 1.

An internal email sent to National Park Service staff in late December — and viewed by the outlets — said employees should instruct visitors to remove any stickers or coverings from their pass. If a covering can’t be removed, staff may treat the pass as void and require the visitor to purchase either a day pass or a replacement pass, according to the reports and a parks employee who spoke to SFGate on condition of anonymity.

A DOI spokesperson, Elizabeth Peace, said in a statement that passes have “long been void if altered, as stated on the pass itself.” She added that the 2026 update did not change the underlying rule, but aimed to clarify it after staff and visitors raised questions.

“It provided additional clarification to help avoid confusion and support visitor interactions due to the volume of questions received from staff and visitors,” the statement said.

The parks employee told SFGate that stickers have generally not been an issue in the past — including stickers placed on passes by retailers.

“I’ve personally accepted passes that people put stickers on because they just like stickers and it’s never been a problem,” the employee told the outlet. “If you buy a pass from REI, they have a little sticker on it that a lot of people don’t take off. We’ve accepted those and never had a problem.”

The DOI first announced the refreshed pass designs in a Nov. 25 press release. Under the new artwork, the “America the Beautiful” resident pass features a portrait of George Washington alongside Trump. The military pass shows Trump saluting with his back turned. The agency described the designs as “new, modernized graphics” with “bold, patriotic designs that honor America’s landscapes, heritage and outdoor legacy.”

The redesign has also prompted legal pushback. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit challenging the new designs, arguing that federal law requires the main “America the Beautiful” pass to feature the winning image from the National Parks Foundation’s annual public lands photo contest, according to the group’s Dec. 10 press release. The group says the winning 2026 photo — an image of Montana’s Glacier National Park — was moved to a newly created “Nonresident” pass.

Separately, the DOI also announced a revised fee structure it described as prioritizing U.S. residents. Under the new pricing, annual passes are $80 for U.S. residents and $250 for nonresidents, with the agency saying the goal is to ensure American taxpayers “receive the greatest benefit.”

The press release also states that nonresidents without an annual pass will pay a $100 per-person fee to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to standard entrance fees.