Yellowstone National Park Entry Requirements

Every child, regardless of nationality, needs their own passport to enter the U.S.; they cannot ride on a parent's. Kids from Visa-Waiver countries need their own ESTA; others need a B-2 visa. If one adult is bringing a child who isn't theirs, or one parent is traveling without the other, carry a notarized consent letter from the absent parent(s) to smooth things at the border, it isn't required by law. But officers may ask. Inside Yellowstone, children under 15 get in free when arriving with a paying adult.

Dogs coming into the United States must look healthy and show no signs of contagious disease. Dogs arriving from countries on the CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies face extra rules: they need proof of a CDC-approved rabies shot given with a USDA-licensed vaccine in the U.S. or its territories, or they must hold a CDC Dog Import Permit if vaccinated outside the country. Cats have no federal vaccination or health-certificate rules for entry, although airlines usually ask for a health certificate. Inside Yellowstone, pets are allowed but under tight limits: they must stay on a leash no longer than six feet, are restricted to developed spots such as parking lots, campgrounds, and paved roads, and are banned from trails, boardwalks, backcountry, and thermal areas. Rangers enforce this to protect both animals and visitors. The Hike With Your Dog app and the park's pet policy page (nps.gov/yell) list exactly where pets can go.

Travelers on the Visa Waiver Program/ESTA are admitted for a set period, usually up to 90 days, and cannot extend their stay or switch to another visa category while in the U.S. B-2 visa holders can file Form I-539 with USCIS before their I-94 expires to request a single extension of up to six more months. The fee is $370 and approval isn't certain. Staying past your authorized period is a serious offense that can block future U.S. entry, three years for overstays of 180 days to one year, ten years for overstays over one year, and may hurt visa applications elsewhere. Long stays in Yellowstone's gateway towns (Gardiner, West Yellowstone, Jackson) are allowed only with the right visa; a B-2 visitor visa cannot be changed into a work visa inside the country.

The U.S. does not have a separate visa category or extra entry rules for travelers with disabilities. Inside Yellowstone, U.S. residents with permanent disabilities can obtain the free America the Beautiful Access Pass, which gives the same entrance benefits as the annual pass. International visitors with disabilities are not eligible for the Access Pass but may buy the standard seven-day pass. The park's accessibility guide at nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm lists wheelchair-friendly boardwalks, viewpoints, and facilities. The Old Faithful and Norris geyser basin boardwalks are accessible by wheelchair. Anyone who needs prescription drugs should pack enough for the entire trip plus a few extra days, since pharmacies in the towns near Yellowstone stock only a limited range of specialty medications.

Visitors may legally carry firearms in Yellowstone National Park under the laws of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho; all three states allow concealed carry with or without a permit. Federal law, however, forbids firing a weapon inside the park, hunting is banned, and firearms are not allowed in federal buildings such as visitor centers. To fly with a firearm, it must be unloaded, locked in a hard-sided case, declared at check-in, and checked as baggage. Carrying it on is illegal. International visitors who want to bring firearms must secure prior ATF Form 6 approval and follow U.S. import rules. Air guns and pellet guns are also banned inside the park.

Yellowstone's North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana, is the only one open to regular vehicles all year. Every other entrance shuts in early November and reopens between mid-April and late May, depending on snowfall. From mid-December to mid-March, interior roads are groomed for oversnow travel by snowcoaches and snowmobiles. Private snowmobiles need a commercial guide permit. Winter visitors should check the latest Yellowstone weather forecast, roads close instantly if conditions turn dangerous. U.S. entry rules stay the same no matter the season.