---
kind: "section"
citation: "54 U.S.C. § 102101"
title: "54"
title_heading: "National Park Service and Related Programs"
number: "102101"
heading: "General provisions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/54/102101"
units:
  - "Subtitle I — National Park System"
  - "Division A — Establishment and General Administration"
  - "Chapter 1021 — Privileges and Leases"
---

# §102101. General provisions

- (a) **Limitation.—**
  - (1) **No lease or grant of a privilege that interferes with free access.—** No natural curiosity, wonder, or object of interest shall be leased or granted to anyone on such terms as to interfere with free access by the public to any [System unit](/usc/54/100102.md?p=6).
  - (2) **Exception for grazing livestock.—** The [Secretary](/usc/54/100102.md?p=3), under such regulations and on such terms as the [Secretary](/usc/54/100102.md?p=3) may prescribe, may grant the privilege to graze livestock within a [System unit](/usc/54/100102.md?p=6) when, in the [Secretary](/usc/54/100102.md?p=3)’s judgment, the use is not detrimental to the primary purpose for which the [System unit](/usc/54/100102.md?p=6) was created. This paragraph does not apply to Yellowstone National Park.
- (b) **Advertising and Competitive Bids Not Required.—** The [Secretary](/usc/54/100102.md?p=3) may grant privileges and enter into leases described in [subsection (a)](#a), and enter into related contracts with responsible persons, firms, or corporations, without advertising and without securing competitive bids.
- (c) **Assignment or Transfer.—** No contract, lease, or privilege described in subsection [(a)](#a) or [(b)](#b) that is entered into or granted shall be assigned or transferred by the grantee, lessee, or licensee without the prior written approval of the [Secretary](/usc/54/100102.md?p=3).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 113–287, § 3, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3152.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 102101 | 16 U.S.C. 3 (last sentence). | Aug. 25, 1916, ch. 408, § 3 (last sentence), 39 Stat. 535; Mar. 7, 1928, ch. 137, § 1 (matter relating to section 3 of the Act of August 25, 1916, in 12th undesignated par. under heading “NATIONAL PARK SERVICE”), 45 Stat. 235; Pub. L. 85–434, May 29, 1958, 72 Stat. 152; Pub. L. 105–391, title IV, § 415(b)(1), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3515. |

In subsection (a)(1), the word “rented” is omitted as included in “leases”.

In subsections (b) and (c), the word “permit” is omitted for consistency because a permit is not mentioned earlier in the source provision.

In subsection (c), the word “lessee” is substituted for “permittees” for consistency in the section.