Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

The Empire Pass can be shared within a household. If you do not have your pass upon entry, you will have to pay the vehicle use fee, which is non-refundable.

The Empire Pass is accepted at all locations found in our Guidelines For Use.

The physical Empire Pass card contains an embedded radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip. This technology allows the card to be scanned and accepted at facilities with automated pay stations and/or scanners used by staff. The RFID chip does not contain any personal information. It stores only the card's 6-digit serial number, and whether the card is active or inactive.

Parks has teamed up with the NYS Dept. of Motor Vehicles to offer three beautiful “I Love NY Parks” license plates that allow you to show off your pride and passion for State Parks and the great outdoors. One set (front and back) of these license plates are available for purchase to Empire Pass holders.
Learn more about the I LOVE NY Adventure Custom Plates

YES! Don't toss your Empire Pass card at the end of the season.
If you saved your Empire Pass card, you now have the option to renew and receive a discount off the regular price of a 1, 3, or 5-season Empire Pass! No need to wait for a new pass in the mail. Empire Passes can be renewed online only through our Parks Store.

If you’re not sure when your pass expires, check your Empire Pass expiration date.

If you would like to purchase an Empire Pass as a gift for someone else, please do so in the form of a New York State Parks Gift Card. Just purchase a New York State Parks Gift Card in the amount of the Empire Pass you would like to purchase, and you may have the Gift Card gift card delivered to yourself, or to your recipient directly.

Please note that the only difference between the Camping Gift Card and the New York State Parks Gift Card is the image. Both gift cards work the same and are accepted in all of the same places.

If you need an invoice, please e-mail empirepassport@parks.ny.gov.

Please make sure you are signed into your account before attempting to renew. If you do not have an account, register now. Once registered using the same information you provided at the time of purchase, your new account will link to your current profile which contains your Empire Pass, and you will be able to renew online.

Previously renewing online/over the phone does not necessarily mean that you have a Parks Store account. If you’re unsure if you have an account, try our forgot password link and enter the e-mail address associated with the order. If you do not receive an e-mail, please create an account using the same details you provided at the time you purchased your Empire Pass. This will connect your account to your existing profile and allow you to renew online going forward.

All sales are final after 11:55 p.m. EST the day of your order. If this is a same-day order, you can log into your account and cancel the order before 11:55 p.m. EST. If cancelling is not an option, you can keep the Empire Pass for yourself or gift it to someone else.

All sales are final after 11:55 p.m. EST the day of your order. If this is a same-day order, you can log into your account and cancel the order before 11:55 p.m. EST. If not, you may keep your old Empire Pass as a spare in the event you lose your new Empire Pass. Please email empirepassport@parks.ny.gov if you need to activate a different pass.

You can purchase an Empire Pass anytime throughout the season. There is not an option to pro-rate the cost of the pass. Regardless of when it is purchased, it expires on December 31^st. Once purchased, all sales are final. The Empire Pass is non-refundable.

One physical Empire Pass card will be issued for each purchase and can be shared within a household. Your physical Empire Pass can be stored for use in the NY State Parks Explorer app.
Learn more about the NY State Parks Explorer App.

No, your multi-season Empire Pass will be active until December 31^st of the last year of your multi-season purchase. If you’re not sure when your pass expires, check your Empire Pass expiration date.

There is no name printed on the Empire Pass, so the recipient can use it immediately. If they choose to reuse the card next season, they can renew online and provide the original information provided at the time of purchase. When completing their order, they will be able to change the information associated with the pass to their name and email address. This will allow us to maintain accurate records should the pass need to be replaced.

The automated pay stations will have posted instructions.

Yes. For the 1-Season physical Empire Pass card only, a discount of $4 per card will automatically be applied to the purchase of 25 or more. Orders of 50 or more will be discounted by $8 per card. Orders of 100 or more will be discounted by $10 per card. Orders of 250 or more will be discounted by $15 per card. Orders of 500 or more will be discounted by $20 per card. Renewal discounts cannot be combined with bulk rate discounts.

Please see our Guidelines for Use for information on where the Empire Pass is accepted.

For renewals, pass activation occurs 24-48 hours after purchase. Please purchase in advance of your park visit to ensure that your pass is valid. If your pass is not valid, you will have to pay the vehicle use fee, which is non-refundable.

If your Empire Pass is not working properly, please make sure that nobody else has used your Empire Pass in the last few hours.

To get a free replacement, you will need to present your Empire Pass to staff at your nearest NYS Park and request a free replacement. Once the staff at the park verify that your card is not working, they will issue you a replacement Empire Pass and disable your current Empire Pass.

No, the online order confirmation letter is not acceptable for admission. Only the physical Empire Pass or digital Empire Pass in the NY State Parks Explorer app will be accepted to waive the vehicle use fee. For renewals, pass activation occurs 24-48 hours after purchase. Please purchase in advance of your park visit to ensure that your pass is valid. If your pass is not valid, you will have to pay the non-refundable vehicle use fee.

The Empire Pass will only waive the vehicle use fee at the entrances of New York State owned and operated parks and does not grant entry into town/city/county operated parks. Please see our Guidelines for Use for information on where the Empire Pass is accepted.

The Empire Pass does not currently offer any discount towards skiing.

Puncturing a hole will destroy the technology inside of the card, and the card will become unusable. Damaged cards are subject to a replacement fee.

The Empire Pass does not guarantee vehicle entry into the park when special events occur and are operated by other organizations. It excludes camping, overnight parking, golf, museum or historic site admission, and other special activity fees. The Empire Pass does not guarantee parking when capacity limits have been met. Parking is available on a first-come, first-serve basis and does not allow for early entry prior to park hours.

Please see our Guidelines for Use for information on where the Empire Pass is accepted.

The Empire Pass is usable for one vehicle use fee at a time (including motorcycles). It cannot be used for other vehicles entering the park shortly after the first vehicle has entered.

The Empire Pass will need to be presented when a vehicle use fee is required, just as with other passenger vehicles. Each boat or motorcycle must present their own pass upon entry.

The Empire Pass is usable for all motor vehicles except those used in the business of transporting passengers for hire, including public or private buses, shuttles, taxis, limousines, or other livery vehicles.

While a vehicle with commercial plates such as a pick-up truck are permitted to purchase the pass, keep in mind, commercial vehicles are generally prohibited on parkways in the State Parks system. Use of the card to enter a facility does not waive these restrictions on commercial vehicles from driving on parkways. Contact the appropriate regional office for information on parkway restrictions.

No, 4x4 dashboard and fishing permits are exclusive to the Long Island Region. Information is available from the Long Island Permits Office or at 631-669-1000 ext. 223 during normal business hours.

No, however, you must first obtain a Client ID Number by visiting a NYS Dept. of Motor Vehicles office. The Client ID Number is required when purchasing the Lifetime Empire Pass. The Lifetime Empire Pass cannot be purchased from the NYS Dept. of Motor Vehicles. You must purchase the Lifetime Empire Pass online through our Parks Store.

The Lifetime Empire Pass can be shared within a household when the physical Empire Pass or digital Empire Pass in the wallet of the NY State Parks Explorer App is presented. If you do not have your pass upon entry, you will have to pay the non-refundable vehicle use fee.

You can still use your Lifetime Empire Pass to visit NYS Parks. Please note: The maple leaf vanity icon cannot be used to waive the vehicle entrance fee.

The purchase of the Lifetime Empire Pass includes a vanity icon on your NYS Driver License or NYS Non-Driver ID Card, but this vanity icon may not be used in lieu of the physical or digital Empire Pass. Each Lifetime Empire Pass order includes a physical or digital Empire Pass.

New York State Parks Gift Cards (and New York State Camping Gift Cards) may be used for:

• Camping reservations, by calling 1-800-456-2267 or visiting Reserve America. (Not accepted at locations operated by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.)
• Golf reservations at participating golf courses.
• Purchasing an Empire Pass.
• Camping supplies, firewood, ice, etc. only when provided by the agency.

Learn more about the New York State Parks Gift Card

Physical Empire Pass: Costs $80 for a credit card sized card that will be mailed out to you, and it can be used to create a digital version through the NY State Parks Explorer app on up to a total of 2 devices.

Digital Empire Pass: Costs $72 for a single year ($8 cheaper than the physical Empire Pass), and it must be stored in the NY State Parks Explorer app. You may share the digital Empire Pass with up to 1 other device for a total of 2 devices.

If you haven’t accessed your Digital Empire Pass yet, upload your pass using our Digital Pass Lookup tool. You will need some basic contact information and your Empire Pass number, which can be found in the confirmation email sent to you upon original purchase. Once complete, click the “View my Digital Empire Pass” link to open the QR code and scan it with your phone to upload it into the NY State Parks Explorer app. Please allow pop-ups in your browser for the Parks website and turn off any extensions to ensure that your digital pass can be accessed.

If you would like to add your physical Empire Pass to the NY State Parks Explorer app, navigate to the wallet feature, select “Add Existing Pass”, and scan the QR code located on the back left hand corner of your physical Empire Pass card. Permission to use the camera is required.
Learn more about the NY State Parks Explorer App.

To get a replacement Empire Pass, please call your local NYS park to confirm that they are currently available.

Once confirmed, simply go to the park during normal business hours, pay the vehicle use fee to enter the park, and bring your receipt along with your Empire Pass number to the main office and request a replacement. The cost is $17. This fee is in place due to the technology of the card and the cost of replacing it. This fee cannot be waived.

The vehicle use fee is non-refundable.