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Dec. 20, 2017
Contact: Ron Olson, 517-284-6135
Starting Jan. 1, purchase the Recreation Passport when you renew your vehicle registration at Secretary of State and save money
For just $11 (or $6 for motorcycles) a year, Michigan's Recreation Passport enables Michigan-registered vehicles  access to more than 100 state parks, hundreds of miles of trails, historic sites, boat launches and other state-managed destinations. That’s just 3 cents a day for a year’s worth of outdoor exploration.
Starting Jan. 1, 2018, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will add a $5 convenience fee for resident Recreation Passport purchases made at state parks. This is the same fee Secretary of State charges when a resident adds a Recreation Passport to a vehicle outside the annual registration renewal cycle.
To avoid paying the convenience fee, customers can buy the Recreation Passport online at expressSOS.com, by mail, at a self-service station or in person at a branch office at the time of registration renewal. If a customer wants to add a Recreation Passport to a vehicle after it's registered, they can return to Secretary of State or visit a state park and have it issued for $16 ($11 Recreation Passport plus $5 convenience fee for vehicles) or $11 for motorcycles ($6 Recreation Passport plus $5 processing fee).
An additional benefit for residents who purchase the Recreation Passport during registration renewal is 12 months of access and value, as opposed to buying at the park later in the year and missing out on a full year of outdoor recreation benefits.
“To save time and boost convenience, the DNR has always encouraged residents to purchase their Recreation Passport at the same time they renew their Michigan vehicle registrations through Secretary of State, rather than at state parks,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “Reducing the number of Recreation Passport purchases on-site at state parks will improve visitor traffic flow by reducing waits at park entrances.”
Olson said the $5 convenience fee will be assessed on Recreation Passport purchases at all state parks except Belle Isle, because that park’s entry fee was introduced only recently into the state park management system.
“Belle Isle operating as Michigan’s 102nd state park is a relatively recent change, especially for visitors who for decades were used to entering the park without any entrance fee,” Olson said. “The $5 con venience fee will take effect here Jan. 1, 2019."
Recreation Passport sales – along with revenue generated from camping fees – are a key source of funding for Michigan’s state park system.
More reminders and additional information regarding the Recreation Passport
- The Recreation Passport is valid until the user’s next vehicle license plate renewal date, which means it is valid for up to 12 months (depending on purchase date).
- Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, the cost for the Recreation Passport for motorcycles is changing from $5 to $6. This change was based on an increase to the Consumer Price Index.
- Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, the cost for the Recreation Passport for daily commercial vehicle permits is changing from $16 to $17. This change was based on an increase to the Consumer Price Index. The $5 convenience fee will not be applied.
- Because Recreation Passport purchases for vehicles whose plates are not renewed on an annual basis (e.g., municipal, manufacturer, antique and tribal license plates) are possible only at state parks, the $5 convenience fee will not be applied.
- The $5 convenience fee will not be assessed on Recreation Passport purchases for non-street-legal vehicles at the ORV area at Silver Lake State Park in Oceana County.
To learn more about the Recreation Passport – including a new video and details on the nonresident purchase option – visit the DNR website at michigan.gov/recreationpassport.
For more information, contact Jason Fleming, chief of the Resource Management Section in the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, at 517-284-6098 or flemingj@michigan.gov.
/Editor's note: A Recreation Passport logo and several accompanying photos illustrating outdoor recreation opportunities to explore with the Recreation Passport are available below for download. Caption information follows.
RecreationPassport: In Michigan, you’re never more than a half-hour away from a state park, state forest campground or state trail system.
Beach: Michigan is known as the Great Lakes State and it has plenty to offer, including hundreds of miles of Great Lakes shoreline, inland lakes, rivers and streams where visitors can fish, boat or relax./
Bike: Pedal your way through Michigan's great outdoors on designated bicycle trails, as well as paved and nonpaved roads located in all 103 Michigan state parks and recreation areas.
Camping: Visitors enjoy camping in the Upper Peninsula's Baraga State Park, one of Michigan's 103 state parks that each year welcome campers for family fun, outdoor recreation and relaxation.
Fayette: Explore one of many fabulous historic destinations located in Michigan state parks, including a historic townsite in Fayette Historic State Park in the Upper Peninsula.
Kayak: Anywhere in Michigan, you're never farther than 6 miles from a water body or 85 miles from a Great Lake.
Snowshoe: Michigan's Recreation Passport is your pass to plenty of outdoor winter recreation opportunities from hiking the many hundreds of miles of trails across the state, to candlelight skiing and snowshoeing./
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.
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