Next month, people will see a slight increase in the cost of a Recreation Passport. Effective March 1, the Recreation Passport resident vehicle fee increases from $12 to $13 (and from $6 to $7 for motorcycles) – the first such increase since 2020.
The moderate fee change is a result of a statutory provision that ensures Recreation Passport funding keeps pace with the economy. Basically, the law says that the DNR does not determine the cost of the Recreation Passport; instead, fee adjustments are based on the Consumer Price Index, as determined by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The notice of change was provided by the Michigan Department of Treasury last November.
March 1, the resident Recreation Passport fee will increase:
- From $12 to $13 for vehicles
- From $6 to $7 for motorcycles
- From $24 to $26 for two-year vehicle registrations
There’s a $5 convenience fee (except for Belle Isle Park) when the Recreation Passport is not purchased at the time of your license plate registration renewal through the Secretary of State, and is instead purchased at a state park or recreation area.
New nonresident Recreation Passport fees, including the nonresident annual pass that went from $36 to $39, went into effect Jan. 1, 2023.
In fiscal year 2022, 40% of eligible vehicles in Michigan had the Recreation Passport.
All revenue generated by Recreation Passport sales goes into a restricted fund that supports state park infrastructure and operations, a local grant program for community recreation agencies, state forest campgrounds and nonmotorized pathways and trails, cultural and historic resource restoration, and marketing and promotion.
Learn more about the Recreation Passport – how to get it, where it can take you, what it supports – at Michigan.gov/RecreationPassport.
