Commercial Use Authorization

What is a Commercial Use Authorization (CUA)?

• A Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) is a business permit with the National Park Service that authorizes an individual, group, company, or other for-profit entity to conduct commercial activities and provide specific visitor services within a national park area. The National Park Service will only issue CUAs for commercial activities and visitor services that:

  • Are determined to be an appropriate use in the San Juan National Historic Site.

  • Will have minimal impact on San Felipe del Morro, San Cristobal, San Juan de la Cruz, San Juan Gate, two and half miles of walls, Las Palmas Bastion and other SAJU Jurisdictions, resources and values; and are consistent with the Parks purpose, management plans, policies, and regulations.

• A CUA is required if you, as an individual, organization, or company, provide any goods, activities, services, agreements, or other function for members, clients, or the public that:
  • Take place at least in part in the San Juan National Historic Site areas,
  • Use park resources, and result in compensation, monetary gain, benefit, or profit.
• Businesses and individuals may not conduct commercial activities in the park without a valid CUA or in a manner inconsistent with the terms of the CUA.

ROAD BASE TOURS

How does the National Park Service define a road-based commercial tour operator?

We define road-based commercial tours as one or more persons traveling by vehicle on an improved roadway on an itinerary that a company or individual has packaged and priced for leisure/recreational purposes. Road-based commercial tours generally provide no other visitor services except those incidental to road-based travel in an NPS unit (on-board interpretation and information, and incidental stops at visitor centers, restaurants, wayside exhibits, etc.). At the discretion of the park superintendent, however, road-based commercial tour CUAs may cover minor additional services such as guided day hiking.Transportation-only services such as taxis, shuttles, and chartered motorcoach companies do not meet the definition of road-based commercial tours if those services are not prepackaged. Parks may issue these transportation-only providers a road-based transportation CUA if the park superintendent decides managing the use is necessary for preservation and proper management of park resources and values.

We're accepting applications!

All commercial use authorizations are received on a rolling-basis; however, all permits expire on December 31st.

Requirements

• Fill out complete application, see checklist below for details.
• Pay application fee using Pay.gov, then send copy of of payment receipt for $150.00 (Non-refundable). Send to saju_cua@nps.gov.

Submit proof of liability insurance naming the United States of America as an additional insured. Here is an example

• Check List
• Application

Walking tours per company

Tour guides with transportation

Five fee-free days for 2021 will be:

• January 18: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• April 17: First day of National Park Week
• August 4: One year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
• August 25: National Park Service Birthday
• September 25: National Public Lands Day
• November 11: Veterans Day

What am I responsible for after I get a CUA?

Failure to submit required reports or misrepresentation of reported statistics or earning will result in denial of your next CUA application.

As a condition of the CUA, all CUA holders in the NPS are required to complete the annual CUA report. The form includes questions about visitor use statistics, reportable injury data, and gross receipts earned from operations in the NPS. The information requested and collected by the annual CUA report is Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved. The annual CUA report is due early in the calendar year for the preceding operating year (e.g., report for 2019 will be due in early 2020). Additionally, the park may require you to submit a monthly CUA report that includes questions only about visitation statistics and reportable injury data.

All parks use the OMB approved reports but can add information requests specific to that park (e.g., how many times did you access a specific area).

To find an approved vendor visit our Approved Commercial Vendors page.

How long does it take to get a CUA?

• The San Juan National Historic Site requires 1-2 business weeks to process a CUA application. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received.
• The application cannot begin processing until the application, any other required documentation and payment are all received.

For questions in regard to permits and commercial use authorizations please contact (787)729-6777 ext. 232. or e-mail us