Permits and Passes

Purchase a Vehicle Permit

Vehicle permits can be purchased at a variety of locations.

• Park Offices:
  • Big Marine Park Reserve (park office is open seasonally).
  • Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park.
  • Historic Courthouse.
  • Lake Elmo Park Reserve.
  • St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park.
• Public Works North Shop Facility.
• Purchase a vehicle permit online.
• Washington County License Centers & Service Centers.
• Electronic Pay Stations.

Electronic Pay Stations

Electronic pay stations are installed in all parks, either outside the Park Office at park entrances or near the parking areas. Both daily and annual permits are available for purchase. Only credit cards are accepted. Please follow directions on the machine and on the printed receipt. If an annual permit is purchased from the Electronic Pay Station, the receipt must be mailed or brought into a Park Office to be redeemed for a vehicle sticker.

*A vehicle capable of transporting more than 15 passengers is considered a bus.

Washington County will issue a free annual or daily vehicle permit to:

• Any veteran with a service-connected disability.
• The spouse of a currently deployed military personnel.
• The surviving spouse of a military personnel who is receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
• Military personnel on leave or having left active duty within the past 90 days.

Veterans seeking to obtain a free permit must present at least one of these documents:

• A veteran identification card showing a service connected disability.
• A copy of an official Department of Veterans Affairs determination letter listing an individual’s percentage of disability.
• Department of Defense Deployment Orders.
• An employer notification letter from the Department of Defense listing dates of deployment.
• Proof of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.

To obtain an annual vehicle permit, please visit a Park Office (Big Marine Park Reserve, Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park, Historic Courthouse, Lake Elmo Park Reserve, St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park).

• The annual vehicle permit is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. 
• The annual permit is valid in Washington County parks and Anoka County parks.
• No drop offs allowed.
• Vehicle permits are not required along the Hardwood Creek Trail or at the Historic Courthouse.
• Vehicle permits are also not required in any park on the first non-holiday Tuesday of each month, Earth Day, the second Saturday in June for National Get Outdoors Day, and the Friday after Thanksgiving. Learn more about free admission days in our parks.