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Home » National Park Service Wins Court Battle Over Cashless Policy

National Park Service Wins Court Battle Over Cashless Policy

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By

Justin Housman

Published Date

February 24, 2025
A park ranger delivers an interpretive ranger program at Badwater Basin

A park ranger delivers an interpretive ranger program at Badwater Basin, Death Valley NP / NPS

A federal judge dismissed the complaint aimed at the National Park Service's policy of refusing cash from visitors at some parks. However, the ruling left the rest of the lawsuit intact, giving the plaintiffs a chance to submit an amended grievance.

The lawsuit came about after the Park Service realized that processing cash was more expensive than the actual money collected. In 2023, the NPS introduced cashless policies at several parks and monuments. That same year, a trio of individuals filed a lawsuit against the Park Service, challenging its expanding cashless policy at several national parks, including Death Valley.

Esther van der Werf from Ojai, California, Toby Stover from High Falls, New York, and Elizabeth Dasburg from Darien, Georgia, took legal action after being refused the option to pay with cash at various park entrances, including Death Valley National Park. The plaintiffs argued that this restriction violated federal law, pointing to a U.S. code that asserts U.S. currency must be accepted for all public charges.

US Districe Judge Timothy J. Kelly found that the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the lawsuit, mainly because the plaintiffs were never actually denied entry to a national park, and because they couldn't make a plausible argument that a park requiring payment via a credit card in the future would cause irrevocable harm to the plaintiifs. 

The judge did, however, offer the plaintiffs the option to file an amended complaint addressing their lack of standing. Though they'd have to file the complaint by March 7. 

 

 

 

 

 

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