Payments

National Park Service faces lawsuit for going cashless at national parks

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March 22, 2024

The National Park Service has been gradually converting its national parks to cashless at places such as the Rocky Mountain National Park. Now, several plaintiffs have filed a lawsuit against the service claiming that the policy violates visitor's "lawful right to pay in cash," according to a report by the New York Times.

The park service said it is pursuing this policy to reduce costs and employee time spent managing cash. Concerned visitors argue that this policy violates their privacy and prevents those without debit or credit cards from visiting.

Plaintiffs Toby Stover, Esther van der Werf and Elizabeth Dasburg filed the lawsuit after trying to enter parks and being unable to pay in cash.

"N.P.S. cashless is contrary to law since American money is not accepted as legal tender to visit the nation's treasures," the filing said.

The park service claims that most feedback has been positive, and it declined to comment on the litigation in the report.