The Trump national parks pass lawsuit, Center for Biological Diversity v. Burgum, was filed on December 10, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It challenges the Trump administration’s decision to put side-by-side portraits of President Donald Trump and George Washington on the 2026 America the Beautiful pass in place of the photograph that won the congressionally required public contest. The Center for Biological Diversity argues the swap violates the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. The case is before Judge Carl J. Nichols, and a government motion to dismiss is pending.1Center for Biological Diversity. Complaint, Center for Biological Diversity v. Burgum
What the Lawsuit Challenges
The America the Beautiful pass is the standard annual pass covering more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. Since 2004, the image on the pass has been chosen through the “Share the Experience” photography contest run by the National Park Foundation. For 2026, amateur photographer Akshay Joshi won the grand prize with a photograph of Glacier National Park.2National Park Foundation. Share the Experience Winning Photographs Showcase the Beauty of America’s Public Lands
On November 25, 2025, the Department of the Interior announced that Joshi’s image would not appear on the standard resident pass. The 2026 resident pass instead features portraits of Trump and Washington with red, white, and blue accents; the department said the design marks the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.3Axios. National Park Pass Trump Face Lawsuit Conservation Group Joshi’s Glacier photograph was moved to a newly created nonresident pass sold to international visitors.4PetaPixel. Lawsuit Says Winning Photo, Not Trump’s Face, Must Be on National Parks Pass
The Two Legal Claims
The complaint alleges two violations of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, brought under the Administrative Procedure Act.
The first claim targets the design decision itself. Under 16 U.S.C. § 6804(a)(2), the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture must hold an annual public photo contest to select the pass image. The Center argues that running the contest and then replacing the winning entry with a presidential portrait rendered the contest “meaningless.” The complaint also notes that the Trump image would not satisfy the contest’s own rules, which require photographs taken on federal public lands and disqualify entries that are “highly controversial” or “noticeably and/or excessively altered.”1Center for Biological Diversity. Complaint, Center for Biological Diversity v. Burgum
The second claim targets the new pass category. The statute says the Secretary “may not establish any national recreation pass” other than those the act specifically lists. By splitting the annual pass into separate resident and nonresident products at different prices, the plaintiffs contend, the Interior Department created a pass Congress never authorized.5Center for Biological Diversity. Lawsuit Challenges Trump Use of Headshot on National Parks Pass
The suit asks the court to declare the new passes unlawful, vacate the Interior Department’s decisions on the 2026 pass design, and enjoin the government from featuring Trump’s image on passes until it complies with the statute.1Center for Biological Diversity. Complaint, Center for Biological Diversity v. Burgum
Where the Case Stands
Neither the Interior Department nor the National Park Service publicly explained the design change or commented on the litigation in the weeks after the complaint was filed.6Courthouse News Service. National Park Service Faces Lawsuit to Wipe Trump’s Face From Annual Passes The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, through Deputy Assistant Attorney General Peter Martin Torstensen, appeared for the government.7SFGate. Sticker Covering Trump on National Park Pass Could Void It
On May 22, 2026, the defendants moved to dismiss. Docket records show the motion challenges the Center’s standing, arguing the group has not shown a concrete injury sufficient to bring the case. Judge Nichols had not ruled on the motion as of early June 2026.8Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. Center for Biological Diversity v. Burgum
On April 29, 2026, fifteen House Democrats led by Representatives Jared Huffman and Pramila Jayapal filed a proposed amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs. The lawmakers argued the administration’s bypass of the photo contest requirement is “a direct threat to congressional power” with “profound constitutional implications.” Jayapal called the redesign an “unacceptable politicization of our National Parks” and an “overstep” of executive authority. The court had not accepted the brief as of June 2026.9Democrats, Natural Resources Committee. Huffman, Jayapal Support Plaintiffs Aiming to Depoliticize National Parks Access10E&E News. Democrats Ask to Join Suit Opposing Trump’s Face on Park Passes
The Fee and Access Changes Behind the Redesign
The pass redesign was part of a broader overhaul that took effect January 1, 2026. Executive Order 14314, signed by Trump on July 3, 2025, directed the Interior Department to raise fees for nonresidents, improve affordability for U.S. residents, and give residents “preferential treatment” on permits and lotteries.11Federal Register. Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks
Under the new pricing, the annual pass costs $80 for U.S. residents and $250 for nonresidents. Nonresidents without an annual pass also pay a $100 per-person surcharge at eleven of the busiest parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and Glacier, on top of standard entrance fees.12ABC News. America Pricing National Park Fees Increase for Foreign Visitors All America the Beautiful passes became available in a fully digital format for the first time.13U.S. Department of the Interior. Department of Interior Announces Modernized, More Affordable National Park Access
The administration also revised the fee-free calendar. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth were removed and replaced with dates including Flag Day (which is also Trump’s birthday), Constitution Day, and Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday. The new fee-free days apply only to U.S. residents.14Spectrum News. Changes to Access to the Country’s National Parks Kicked Off in the New Year
The Sticker Protest and Park Service Response
Soon after the new passes went on sale, visitors began covering the Trump portrait with stickers depicting wildlife, landscapes, and smiley faces. Colorado graphic designer Jenny McCarty sold thousands of custom stickers and donated proceeds to the National Parks Conservation Association, and other artists followed with their own designs.15Outside. Trump NPS Pass Sticker
In January 2026, the National Park Service updated internal guidance to state that passes are void if “defaced or altered,” specifying that this includes “stickers or markings on the front of the card.” The agency described the update as a clarification of longstanding policy, saying alterations “can cover up important information and required security features necessary to prevent fraud.”16NPR. National Park Updates Guidelines to Stop Visitors Defacing Trump Picture on Pass Enforcement is left to individual park officials, who may ask visitors to remove stickers or require them to buy a day pass or replacement if security features are obscured or adhesive residue remains.7SFGate. Sticker Covering Trump on National Park Pass Could Void It McCarty began advising buyers on social media to apply stickers to a clear plastic card sleeve rather than the pass itself, so the card can be pulled out for ranger inspection.15Outside. Trump NPS Pass Sticker
The redesigned passes remain in circulation while the case proceeds, and the nonresident fee structure continues to apply. The central question the Center for Biological Diversity has put before the court, whether the administration can override a congressionally mandated photo contest in favor of a presidential portrait, is undecided.