Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) welcomes commercial dog walkers carrying a Commercial Use Authorization in designated park areas in Marin and San Francisco County. Requirements: Certain requirements must be met in order to be issued a Commercial Use Authorization. Where possible, GGNRA follows the same requirements as the county jurisdictions in which the commercial dog walking will take place. If you will be conducting commercial dog walking in both San Francisco and Marin Counties, you will need to meet the requirements for both counties. Resources for more information:
General Questions and Answers for permitting of Commercial Dog Walkers:Commercial Dog Walkers operating within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area are now permitted through the Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) program; previously the activity was permitted through the Special Park Use program. There has been no change in conditions for Commercial Dog Walking activities in the park. Both the Special Park Use and Commercial Use Authorization permit programs allow for activities in the park otherwise prohibited, but the CUA program is specifically designed to allow for commercial uses within the park, such as commercial dog walking. Special Park Use permits typically cover non-commercial events such as weddings and large group events such as picnics. This change in required permit type is to better align the specific type of activity occurring within the park with the most appropriate permitting program. In this case, Commercial Use Authorizations allow for Commercial Dog Walking businesses to operate within the park. The CUA follows the same basic fee structure as the former Special Use Permit: an initial application fee plus a badge fee, though the amounts have been updated to ensure compliance with legal cost recovery requirements.
National Park Service headquarters has set the standard nationwide CUA application fee at $350. The fee structure above helps the park cover the costs of issuing, managing, and monitoring the CUA permits and activities. While this initial amount does not fully cover the cost of the NPS to run the program, the park will gradually introduce fee adjustments to minimize any single-year financial impact on the dog walking community. Badges help identify those commercial dog walkers who have been authorized to use the park for commercial purposes. The ID Badge Fee is an annual charge based on park costs to manage and monitor the commercial dog walking program. For fiscal year 2025, all commercial dog walkers will receive a new ID badge, with renewal stickers issued in fiscal year 2026. Questions and Answers on Commercial Use Authorization Conditions:NOTE: All CUA permits include the same boilerplate conditions, but not all conditions are relevant to all permitted commercial activities. The questions and answers below address how some of these conditions do and do not apply to Commercial Dog Walking. “The holder shall provide commercial services under this authorization to visitors at reasonable rates satisfactory to the area Superintendent"Question: How are “reasonable rates” and "satisfactory” defined, and under what conditions would the Superintendent review rates? Answer: "Reasonable Rates" generally refer to prices that are generally in line with what is typical for the type of service being provided, considering the local market and what customers might expect. The term "satisfactory" in this context means that the rates must meet the approval of the park's Superintendent, ensuring they are not exploitative, and align with the park's goals, values, and policies. This condition protects park visitors by ensuring they are not forced to pay excessive prices to businesses offering services within the park. While this a standard condition included in all Commercial Use Authorizations nationwide, it is not relevant to Commercial Dog Walking operations as there is sufficient competition for these services such that market forces will result in reasonable and appropriate rates. “At a minimum, the holder shall reimburse the park for all costs incurred by the park as a result of accepting and processing the application and managing and monitoring the authorized activity. Administrative costs for the application process must be paid when the application is submitted. Monitoring fees and any additional costs incurred by the park to support the commercial activity will be paid annually or on a more frequent basis as determined by mutual agreement between the Holder and the area Superintendent.”Question: What is the difference between processing the application and managing and monitoring the authorized activity fee? How are the costs determined? Answer: The $350 application fee is a mandatory, one-time, non-refundable fee that all CUA holders nationwide must pay through the online CUA system. It covers personnel costs (payroll and benefits) to review application materials to verify sufficient information for decision-making and to ensure necessary compliance as well as maintenance of the online application and reporting system. Managing and monitoring comes from the Management Fee, in the form of an ID Badge fee. This fee covers various costs associated with monitoring CUA holders both in the field and managing in the office. It includes creating ID Badges (software and staff time), recovering expenses incurred by all park divisions involved in supporting the use of the park, monitoring by the CUA coordinator and Law Enforcement, cleanup and restoration after use, and activities post-application approval, including responding to email and phone inquiries. “The holder must submit annually the CUA Annual Report (NPS Form 10-660) by January 31 for the prior CUA season and also must submit upon request the CUA Monthly Report (NPS Form 10-660A). The holder is to provide the area Superintendent upon request any other specific information related to the holder’s operations that the area Superintendent may request, including but not limited to, visitor use statistics, and resource impact assessments.”Question: Is monthly reporting really required? If not, can this be clarified in the CUA terms? “The holder is to maintain an accounting system under which its accounts can be readily identified within its system of accounts classification. This accounting system must be capable of providing the information required by this authorization. The holder grants the United States of America access to its books and records at any time for the purpose of determining compliance with the terms and conditions of this authorization.”Question: What type of accounting system is required? Is the payment system secure? "Commercial Auto Liability Insurance is required if a CUA holder transports passengers or uses owned/leased/rented vehicles in the performance of the service in the park. If a CUA holder charters the vehicle and those chartered vehicles are owned and operated by another company, the CUA holder is not required to have Commercial Automobile Liability insurance."Question: Does the CUA requirement apply to commercial dog walkers using private vehicles for transporting dogs, and is travel insurance required for canine passengers? |
Last updated: August 1, 2025