Anyone conducting business on National Park land needs to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) – including guides who are leading tours anywhere in Independence National Historical Park (INHP), even if they are not going inside the buildings.
For 2026, the fee to apply is $350 and proof of insurance must be submitted with the application. The NFTGA insurance offered through APT is sufficient to obtain a CUA.
The basic requirements are:
1. A Commercial Insurance policy which also insures the United States of America as a named party insured for a minimum of $500,000 per liability incident.
2. An application fee of $350
3. A company description
4. An income report for the previous year, due by February 28th, listing gross income for tours given within the boundaries of INHP. There is a fee of 3% of gross revenues up to $250,000, plus 4% of next $250,000 up to $500,000, plus 5% of any amount over $500,000. ($350.00 application fee will be deducted from the total Annual Monitoring Charge due).
Any APT members who have additional information to share on the process for 2026 should write Marianne president@phillyguides.org.
NOTE 1: If you were issued a CUA in 2025, check the date on it. One member noticed that his was issued in February 2025 and expires in December 2026, which would mean that he does not need to purchase a new one this year.
NOTE 2: If you are having difficulty filling out the online CUA annual report form, try this link.