Credit-card-only fees banned at New York state parks, golf courses

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law Wednesday that prohibits state-run parks and golf courses from forcing customers to use credit cards to pay entrance and other fees.

The law was generated by Long Island state legislators who said a credit-card mandate was unfair to many seniors, young adults, minors and “unbanked” individuals who primarily use cash.

“We should make parks more accessible and not the other way around,” Sen. Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood), one of the sponsors of the legislation, told Newsday on Wednesday. “It’s purely inequitable to make credit cards the only method of payment.”

Sen. Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) said the legislation was triggered by credit-card-only policies at state-run golf courses, such as those at Bethpage State Park.

The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites began credit-card-only policies at some sites during the COVID-19 pandemic and announced in 2022 that they would apply at state-run golf courses.

Long Island lawmakers have been trying to change them since then.

“This was as much a response to state parks and golf courses as it is peremptory,” Murray said. “The fear is the (policy) would expand and we don’t want it extended to campgrounds and other venues.”

He added “anything that limits” access to state parks “is a step in the wrong direction.”

The law became effective immediately when Hochul signed it — just ahead of the July Fourth holiday.

When the policy shift occurred, state parks officials said electronic transactions were more efficient and provided some operational cost savings.

Also on Wednesday, Hochul signed a law that renews permission for companies to rent or lease personal watercraft — often called water motorcycles or Jet Skis, a brand name — to tourists without a boating safety certificate that watercraft owners must obtain.

The law was set to expire, but has been renewed routinely every two years.

“Allowing people to rent personal watercrafts is not only important for the businesses that lease them, but for tourism as well,” Assemb. Billy Jones (D-Plattsburgh) said in a statement.