You're banned from blocking Trump's face on your national park pass-but there's a work-around

"The 2026 national park pass features a portrait of Donald Trump's face, and the Department of the Interior (DOI) has threatened to penalize anyone who tries to cover it up. Now, park lovers are inventing their own clever work-arounds to remove the president's visage from their passes. For over two decades, the annual America the Beautiful park pass design has featured photography of nature, animals, and scenery across the United States."

"Many cardholders took to the internet to show themselves covering Trump's face with stickers as a form of protest. But mere weeks later, per an internal email obtained by SFGate, the DOI updated its "Void if Altered" policy in a transparent effort to discourage pass holders from covering Trump's face. Whereas the policy previously stated that passes could be voided only if the signature section of the card was altered, it now overtly flags stickers and other coverings as alterations that could invalidate the pass."

"According to a policy document shared with The Washington Post, staff who come across altered passes are instructed to ask that stickers or coverings be removed. If that's not possible, they're permitted to either charge the guest with the regular entrance fee or give them the option to buy a brand-new pass. In the days since the pass policy was altered in early January, multiple designers have stepped up with clever work-arounds that conceal the president's glowering face without running afoul of the restrictions."

The 2026 America the Beautiful park pass replaces typical nature photography with a portrait of George Washington alongside a mug-shot-inspired headshot of Donald Trump. Cardholders reacted by covering Trump's face with stickers online, prompting the Department of the Interior to expand its "Void if Altered" policy to include stickers and coverings. Staff encountering altered passes are told to request removal, or else charge regular entrance fees or require purchase of a new pass. Designers and parkgoers have created non-altering solutions, such as card sleeves, to conceal the president's face while avoiding policy violations.

Read at Fast Company