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Free for Life at 50%, $28 a Year Below It — the Park Pass Has Two Tiers

North Dakota gives a FREE LIFETIME state park vehicle entrance permit to a resident veteran with a 50% or greater service-related disability, and to any former prisoner of war. Below 50%, a resident veteran with any service-related disability pays $28 for an annual permit — still a discount rather than nothing. Proof is a VA benefit letter or a North Dakota DAV or POW plate; for POW status a DD214 or National Archives record. ONE THING WILL BE REFUSED: THE GOLDEN ACCESS PASSPORT IS NOT ACCEPTED.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

North Dakota gives a FREE LIFETIME state park vehicle entrance permit to a resident veteran with a 50% or greater service-related disability, and to any former prisoner of war. Below 50%, a resident veteran with any service-related disability pays $28 for an annual permit — still a discount rather than nothing. Proof is a VA benefit letter or a North Dakota DAV or POW plate; for POW status a DD214 or National Archives record. ONE THING WILL BE REFUSED: THE GOLDEN ACCESS PASSPORT IS NOT ACCEPTED.

What it's worth: Free for life at 50% or as a former POW; $28 a year below 50%

  • FREE LIFETIME annual vehicle entrance permit at 50% OR GREATER service-related disability, or as a FORMER PRISONER OF WAR.
  • $28 ANNUAL permit for a resident veteran with ANY service-related disability below 50%.
  • NORTH DAKOTA RESIDENTS ONLY.
  • Proof: a VA benefit letter, or a North Dakota DAV or POW plate. For POW status, a DD214 or National Archives record.
  • THE GOLDEN ACCESS PASSPORT IS NOT ACCEPTED as proof.
  • The POW route needs no disability rating at all.
  • It is a VEHICLE entrance permit; camping is separate.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • You meet one of the routes.
  • You have a service-related disability.
  • You were held as a prisoner of war.
  • North Dakota state parks.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Work out which tier you are in: 50% or more, or former POW, is free for life. Below 50% is $28 a year.
  2. 2Take a VA benefit letter, or your ND DAV or POW plate, as proof.
  3. 3Do not bring a Golden Access Passport — it is expressly not accepted.
  4. 4If you were a prisoner of war, apply on that basis even with no rating.
  5. 5The lifetime permit is worth applying for once and forgetting; the $28 one renews annually.
Form
Application to the Parks and Recreation Department
File with
North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department
Documents you will need
va benefit summary letter · dd214
Annual
Claimed once a year.
Worth knowingA veteran at 30% is not shut out — they pay $28 rather than nothing. Two tiers, and the lower one is easy to miss in a page that leads with the word free.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.