GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Soon, for the first time since launching more than 10 years ago, you may have to opt out of the recreational passport on your car's registration.
When the recreation passport was first launched in 2010, drivers had to choose to add it to their registration.
"To have access to the state park system for a whole year from the date at which they registered their car," said Ron Olson, Parks and Recreation Chief for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
But with more money needed by the DNR to maintain state parks, it now proposes having the $14 passport automatically on your registration and having drivers opt out of it instead.
"It's very critical for us to have a recurring payment to keep pace with the system," said Olson.
He said only about 3% of funds for the state park system come from taxes, so money from the passport is essential, especially with more people visiting the parks each year.
"We're at over 35 million visitors," said Olson. "In 2019, we're at probably 28 million visitations."
While Olson hopes people would choose to keep the passport and support parks, he said it would be made very clear that people can opt out, so no one feels its been snuck onto their bill.
"We want to make sure it's very forward and very clear to people," said Olson.
The opt out system is currently in the state's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal and if passed, it could go into effect in January of next year.
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