Michigan State Park Entry Without a Recreation Passport

Michigan charges for entry to state parks and recreation areas through the Recreation Passport, bought with a vehicle registration. Section 324.74116(c) exempts a motor vehicle registered under section 217d or 803f of the Michigan Vehicle Code, and a motor vehicle registered under 803e(1) and exempt from the registration tax under 803e(6). Translated, that is three plates: the Medal of Honor plate, the disabled veteran plate, and the ex-prisoner of war plate. Nothing else. A Purple Heart plate, a Gold Star Family plate, a Blue Star Family plate and the ordinary veteran designation on a driver licence do not carry park entry. The benefit is attached to the plate, not to the person. That is the thing to understand before deciding which plate to hold. A veteran who qualifies for a disabled veteran plate but prefers an ordinary plate for privacy has no park exemption, because the exemption is a property of the registration rather than of the veteran, and a park attendant reads the plate. Several states in this catalog let a disabled veteran take an ordinary plate and keep the associated benefits; Michigan does not, and the trade is a real one. What changed in 2025, and what has not been updated. The cross-reference is to section 803f as a whole. When 2024 PA 149 extended the disabled veteran plate to a partially disabled veteran rated not less than 50 percent, effective April 2, 2025, it brought those veterans inside the park exemption at the same time, without amending this section at all. The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency's recreation page still says free entry is for "Medal of Honor Recipients, 100 percent disabled veterans and ex-prisoners of war". That was correct before April 2025 and understates the exemption now. The page does at least get the mechanism right: "These veterans must have the specialty license plate designation in order to gain access." What the exemption covers. Entry of the motor vehicle. Camping fees, electrical service and other park charges are separate and are not waived by it, and 324.74117(8) says in terms that the park permit provisions do not obviate the necessity of obtaining additional permits for special services or park privileges. The daily and annual nonresident permit fees the exemption saves are indexed: section 74117(9) requires the state treasurer to adjust them each year for the cumulative change in the consumer price index since October 1, 2010. Michigan does not attach a camping discount to this exemption, which several neighbouring states do.