Lawsuit Challenging National Park Service’s Cashless Policy Moves to Appeals Court

Attorney Ray Flores is appealing the dismissal of a federal lawsuit challenging a National Park Service policy that prevents visitors from using cash to pay for entrance fees at some parks. Children’s Health Defense (CHD) funded the suit.

In an appeal filed today in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Flores argued that the district court was wrong to dismiss the lawsuit. He asked the appeals court to reverse the dismissal so that the case can proceed — or to declare that the National Park Service’s no-cash policy is unlawful.

“Preserving cash protects freedom,” Flores told The Defender.

The lawsuit alleges the National Park Service’s refusal to accept cash for entry fee payment at many of its sites is illegal because U.S. law defines cash as “legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues.”

Flores filed the suit on March 6, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, on behalf of Toby Stover and two other plaintiffs.

The court initially dismissed all three plaintiffs’ claims. However, it allowed the plaintiffs to submit an amended complaint, which Stover alone did on March 4, 2025.