Covering Trump’s face could void park pass

Users who pen over President Donald Trump or George Washington’s face on the newly-issued America the Beautiful pass could end up voiding it, according an e-mail memo issued by the Department of Interior earlier this month.

The America the Beautiful pass is a popular pass with national park visitors as it offers admission to all national parks for one $80 fee annually.

But this year’s pass features George Washington on one side and a glowering President Donald Trump portrait on the other side along with a logo commemorating the country’s 250th anniversary.

But some folks have taken to covering Trump’s face and artist Jenny McCarty has even designed stickers that cover the pass entirely.

The news site SFGate obtained an internal email from the Department of Interior which suggests defacing the pass could make it void.

“Defacing the pass in any way, including writing on it or adding stickers or other coverings, is a form of altering the pass,” reads the policy provided to SFGate. “Altering a pass can cover up important information and required security features necessary to prevent fraud.”

The SFGate story  goes on to explain that staff members handed altered passes can make a judgment call on whether to accept them, assuming that all security features — a mountain-shaped foil hologram, some imprinted micro text, and the word “interagency” across the front of the pass in invisible ink — are all still visible. Staff members can ask visitors to remove any stickers or charge the visitor for a day pass or pass replacement.

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration in December, claiming the pass with his and Washington’s face violated the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

The law requires the main America the Beautiful Pass to feature the winning photo of the National Parks Foundation’s annual public lands photo contest. For the 2026 pass, it was supposed to be a picture of the Swiftcurrent Valley in Glacier National Park.

The photo of Glacier was then relegated to the new “nonresident” pass, where non-U.S. residents must now pay $250 annually to visits the nation’s national parks.

Some Montana residents could have problems buying the America the Beautiful pass regardless. Purchase of the pass requires a U.S. passport for identification or a REAL-ID compliant driver’s license, which not everyone in Montana possesses.

Still, if one wants to get a McCarty sticker, which are quite nice, they can visit her website at www.thesageleafstudio.com/products/national-parks-pass-stickers.

Proceeds from the stickers go back to support parks.