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Outfarer · outfarer.com/us/hiking/search-and-rescue-costs-who-pays/ · Checked October 28, 2026

HikingRules and regulationsHow we researched this

Search and Rescue Costs: Who Pays, State by State and in Europe

Who pays for a search and rescue depends on where it happens. In the US, there’s no federal rule: in many states, as in Colorado, the rescue costs you nothing, but New Hampshire, Maine, Oregon, South Dakota, and California can bill you under conditions, and the ambulance ride is a separate bill. In France, rescue stays free outside ski areas; in Switzerland or Austria, the person rescued pays.

Portrait of Arnaud Couderc

By Arnaud Couderc, reviewed by Erik Gauden

Published 15 min read

Two rescuers in navy jackets carrying a large gear bag toward a white helicopter landed on a ridge at dusk, below snowcapped peaks
Depending on the country it takes off in, this flight is paid for by taxpayers or billed to the person rescued.
Contents
  1. In the US
  2. Canada
  3. In France
  4. The 2026 debate
  5. France’s neighbors
  6. Before you go
  7. Gear
  8. FAQ

Will a search and rescue team send you a bill? In Colorado, no: backcountry search and rescue there comes at no cost to the person in need, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says [1]. In New Hampshire, maybe: state law can make a rescued hiker liable for the costs [2]. In France, no again, as long as you stay off the ski slopes: rescue costs follow a principle of free rescue, the French government restated in the Senate’s Official Journal on June 5, 2025, and there are very few situations where it’s set aside [3]. Cross into Switzerland or Austria, though, and the answer flips. And in France itself, the debate reopened in 2026.

This guide goes with our guide to planning a hike. For what alpine club dues cover, our comparison of alpine club memberships has the numbers.

In the US: it depends on the state

What the rules say, first. There’s no federal rule: search and rescue is a state matter, and in most states it falls to county sheriffs. Washington’s law, for instance, makes the chief law enforcement officer of each local jurisdiction responsible for search and rescue [4]; in Colorado, backcountry teams of professionals and volunteers are affiliated with county sheriff’s offices, and a state fund reimburses counties for their missions [1]. A few states do it differently: in New Mexico, the State Police controls every mission [5], and in Alaska, the cost of a search party is paid out of the state treasury [6]. What it means for you: in a backcountry emergency, call 911 [1], and don’t wait to find out who pays.

In national parks, the answer is simpler: “The Service will not charge visitors for search-and-rescue operations,” the National Park Service’s management policies state [7]. The fees some peaks charge aren’t a rescue bill either: on Denali, the mountaineering special use fee, $475 for the 2027 season ($375 for climbers 24 or younger), helps pay for the high-altitude ranger camps and patrols [8].

Can a rescue be billed to you? State laws we read (October 2026)
StateBilling?WhenLimit
New HampshireYesIf Fish and Game finds you acted negligently; a Hike Safe card protects you, unless you were reckless or acted intentionallyReasonable cost
MaineYesThe state may recover all costs of a search from the person it was conducted for; the law sets no fault conditionNone in the law
OregonYesIn wilderness, forest, or mountain recreation areas, if you didn’t exercise reasonable care or broke the law$500 per person
South DakotaYesOn public or school lands, in a national park, national forest, or state park; the law sets no fault condition$1,000
CaliforniaYes, in two casesIf you intentionally, knowingly, and willfully enter an area closed to the public; or, in counties with an ordinance, residents convicted over an intentional act that required an extraordinary rescue$12,000 per incident
UtahIn some countiesCounties can’t bill holders of the state’s search and rescue card ($25, $35 for a family), unless they acted recklessly or intentionallyNone in the law
ArizonaDrivers onlyIf you drive onto a flooded road closed by barricades$2,000 per incident
WashingtonRarelyAfter a conviction for driving, boating, or flying under the influence$2,500 per incident
ColoradoNoFree for the person rescued; a state fund reimburses countiesNone
MontanaNo billing rule foundA state account reimburses sheriffs’ search and rescue unitsUp to $12,000 per mission, paid to the county
AlaskaNo billing rule foundSearch party costs are paid out of the state treasuryNone

Behind that table, the laws: New Hampshire’s Hike Safe card spares you from repaying rescue costs if your actions are judged neither negligent nor reckless [9]; Maine’s commissioner may recover all costs directly related to a search [10]; Oregon caps the bill at $500 per person [11] and South Dakota at $1,000 [12]; California’s closed-area rule [13] is capped at $12,000 per incident [14], and its rule for county residents requires a criminal conviction [15]; Utah’s counties can’t bill card holders [16], a card that costs $25 a year, or $35 for a family [17]; Arizona’s “Stupid Motorist Law” only covers flooded roads [18]; Washington caps its recovery at $2,500 [4]; Montana reimburses counties up to $12,000 per mission [19]. In states missing from the table, we found no general billing rule, but the absence of a rule isn’t a promise: check with the county sheriff’s office before a big trip.

The medical bill comes separately

A free rescue doesn’t mean a free ride to the hospital. Colorado’s CORSAR card doesn’t pay for medical transport [1]; Utah calls medical transportation to a medical facility a health insurance expense, and asks you to check whether your plan covers a ground or air ambulance [21]; Arizona’s and California’s billing laws leave ambulance charges out of the rescue bill, since ambulance services bill on their own [18, 13]. Federal law offers some protection: the No Surprises Act protects you from unexpected out-of-network bills for air ambulance services, but generally not for ground ambulances, unless a state law has different rules [22].

In Canada: rescue in the parks, ambulance on the bill

North of the border, the logic is close to the American one. In Canada’s mountain national parks, rescue is provided by Parks Canada’s visitor safety specialists, and rescue costs are normally recovered from the park fees visitors pay on entry [23]. In Nahanni National Park Reserve, a rescue is normally free of charge, but people found negligent through court proceedings may be held responsible for its full cost [24]. In British Columbia, ground search and rescue is done by volunteers, at no cost to the subjects they rescue, says the province’s search and rescue association [25].

The ambulance, though, is a provincial matter, and visitors pay. As in Europe, Medicare usually won’t cover care there [26]:

What a visitor pays for an ambulance, in Canadian dollars (October 2026)
ProvinceWhat a visitor pays
British ColumbiaWithout the province’s health plan, every leg is billed: C$848 by ground ambulance, C$4,394 an hour by helicopter [27]
AlbertaC$385 for an assessment with transport, plus a C$200 surcharge for non-Alberta residents [28]
OntarioC$240 for a non-resident of Canada [29]

In France: free, with one exception

In France’s Sancy range, in the Massif Central, a gendarmerie rescue helicopter lifts off from a ridge: away from ski areas, its rescues aren’t billed to the people it helps.Photo: Fabien1309, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, Wikimedia Commons

What the law says, first. The principle dates back to a royal ordinance of March 11, 1733, confirmed by a law of 1798: it aims to give all citizens equal access to rescue, in the name of national solidarity, France’s Interior Ministry pointed out in 2013 [30]. Today, Article L. 742-11 of France’s Internal Security Code assigns the costs directly attributable to rescue operations to the département’s fire and rescue service (SDIS), départements being France’s county-level administrative areas, and the cost of outside resources called in by the prefect, the national government’s representative, to the State [3].

The exception is skiing. France’s local government code (Article L. 2331-4) lets towns, or communes, recover all or part of the cost of rescues that follow any sport or leisure activity; but in the mountains, its Article R. 2321-6 covers just two activities, downhill skiing and cross-country skiing [3]. The mayor can also hand rescue over to the operator of the ski lifts or Nordic site, including off-piste terrain reached by the lifts that leads back down into the ski area [3]. Billing therefore applies only to groomed runs, Nordic sites, and the ski area served by the lifts, the 2025 answer specifies [3], and the town must first have informed users of its rates [30].

The French rule fits in two columns: the ski area on one side, the rest of the mountains on the other.Diagram: Outfarer

What it means for you: on a trail, summer or winter, away from the resorts, a rescue won’t be billed to you. On the slopes, it’s a different story: where the town has delegated rescue, the ski patrol’s response is charged to the injured skier; in 2018, the French Hiking Federation (FFRandonnée), citing the mountain news site Actumontagne, put the average at €470 per incident, and warned that 30% of injured skiers weren’t properly insured [31].

A principle questioned since 2026

In February 2026, France’s Court of Audit (Cour des comptes) published a report on mountain rescue, requested by the French Senate’s finance committee [32]. Its numbers: 8,565 rescues in 2024, up 44% since 2015, 85% of them by helicopter, at a cost of nearly €110 million, or at least €10,780 per rescue [32]. Hiking accounts for more than half of them, 51%, and a third of the people rescued were uninjured [32].

One rescue in two involves a hiker: the question of free rescue concerns hikers first.Diagram: Outfarer

For the Court, action on billing for mountain rescue is legitimate and necessary. It lays out scenarios for billing in full or in part, in targeted situations, such as competition organizers or people rescued who come from abroad, especially from outside Europe, who make up 17% of those rescued; it adds, though, that this last option would be fragile for European nationals, given the principle of equality before the law. Any change, it warns, would first require a rate schedule, insurance arrangements, and simple, effective ways to collect the money [32]. On May 26, 2026, in the Senate, the minister delegate to the Interior Minister replied that the government didn’t intend to call the general principle of free rescue into question, while agreeing to discuss openly billing for major recklessness, for instance through a deductible charged after the fact [33].

Across the border: often charged

Beyond France’s borders, the logic often flips. Austria, Germany, and Switzerland systematically make foreign casualties pay for their rescue, the Court of Audit notes; its report compares how five neighboring countries handle it in an annex [32]:

Who pays for mountain rescue, country by country
CountryThe principleIn practice
FranceFreeBilling possible within ski areas only
SwitzerlandChargedThe person rescued or their insurer; Swiss basic health insurance pays half, up to 5,000 francs a year
AustriaChargedFlat rates, ground and helicopter rescue billed separately; after a sports accident, social insurance doesn’t reimburse recovery
Germany (Bavaria)Charged, except medical emergenciesMedical emergencies covered by health insurance, the rest billed
ItalyCharged under conditions, by regionRescues judged not medically justified are billed; a systematic contribution in Trentino and South Tyrol
SpainFreeSeven regions can bill for serious negligence, rarely in practice

Based on France’s Court of Audit (February 2026) [32], the French government’s answer of June 2025 [3], Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health [34], and Austria’s General Social Insurance Act. [35]

A helicopter from Rega, Swiss Air-Rescue: in Switzerland, the bill for a rescue goes to the person rescued or their insurer.Photo: Matthias Zepper, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

What to check before you go

Three questions, in this order. Where are you going: in France, away from the slopes, rescue is free; elsewhere, look up the local rule, state by state or country by country. Who would pay: does your travel insurance cover search and rescue and helicopter evacuation abroad, and up to what amount? And on French ski slopes, the town’s rates are posted: that’s the condition for billing you [30].

France’s free rescue is a privilege most of its Alpine neighbors don’t share, and one worth not abusing. What doesn’t change from one country, or one state, to the next: you call first, and the question of who pays comes later.

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FAQ

Do you have to pay for search and rescue in the US?

Usually not, but it depends on the state. There’s no federal rule, and in many states, as in Colorado, the rescue costs you nothing. A few states can bill you: New Hampshire if you were negligent, Maine, Oregon up to $500, South Dakota up to $1,000, and California if you entered a closed area. Any ambulance or air ambulance ride is billed separately.

Does the National Park Service charge for rescues?

No. The National Park Service’s management policies state that it will not charge visitors for search-and-rescue operations. The mountaineering fee on Denali, $475 for 2027, pays for ranger camps and patrols, not for a rescue. An ambulance or air ambulance that takes over can still send its own bill, so check what your health insurance covers.

Is search and rescue free in Canada?

In Canada’s mountain national parks, Parks Canada recovers rescue costs from park entry fees, and in Nahanni, a rescue is normally free unless a court finds you negligent. In British Columbia, volunteer ground search and rescue costs the person rescued nothing. The ambulance is another matter: visitors pay, C$848 for a ground ambulance in British Columbia without provincial coverage.

Is mountain rescue free in France?

Yes, outside ski areas. Rescue costs follow a principle of free rescue, restated by the French government in June 2025: the département’s fire and rescue service, the State, or the town pays. Only rescues on groomed runs, at Nordic sites, and within the ski area served by the lifts can be billed, as long as the rates are posted.

Does Medicare cover a rescue in the Alps?

Don’t count on it. Medicare usually doesn’t cover health care outside the US, and the US Embassy in Vienna says it isn’t valid for medical expenses in Austria. Switzerland, Austria, and Germany systematically make foreign casualties pay for their rescue, according to France’s Court of Audit. Check that your travel insurance covers search and rescue and helicopter evacuation abroad, and up to what amount.

How much does a rescue cost in Switzerland?

A Rega helicopter mission costs around 4,500 Swiss francs on average, Rega says, and complex search or avalanche missions can run into several tens of thousands. As a rule, the person rescued or their insurer pays. Rega patrons, from 40 francs a year, can have uncovered costs waived, at Rega’s discretion: legally, the patronage is a donation, not insurance.

Sources

  1. Colorado Parks and Wildlife, “Backcountry Search and Rescue Program,” accessed October 28, 2026. cpw.state.co.us https://cpw.state.co.us/backcountry-search-and-rescue-program ↩
  2. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, hikeSafe, “NH hikeSafe Card,” accessed October 28, 2026. hikesafe.com https://www.hikesafe.com/ ↩
  3. French Senate, written question no. 03383 on billing for mountain rescue, and answer from the Ministry of Regional Planning and Decentralization published in the Senate’s Official Journal on June 5, 2025, page 2983 (in French), accessed October 28, 2026. senat.fr https://www.senat.fr/questions/base/2025/qSEQ250203383.html ↩
  4. Washington State Legislature, RCW 38.52.400 and 38.52.430, Revised Code of Washington, accessed October 28, 2026. app.leg.wa.gov https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=38.52&full=true ↩
  5. New Mexico Department of Public Safety, “Search and Rescue,” updated July 2, 2026, accessed October 28, 2026. dps.nm.gov https://www.dps.nm.gov/nmsp/search-and-rescue/ ↩
  6. Alaska Statutes, AS 18.60.120 to 18.60.150, Alaska Legislature, accessed October 28, 2026. akleg.gov https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&secStart=18.60.120&secEnd=18.60.150 ↩
  7. National Park Service, Management Policies 2006, section 8.2.5.3, “Search and Rescue” (PDF), accessed October 28, 2026. nps.gov https://www.nps.gov/subjects/policy/upload/MP_2006_amended.pdf ↩
  8. National Park Service, Denali National Park and Preserve, “Mountaineering,” updated October 9, 2026, accessed October 28, 2026. nps.gov https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/mountaineering.htm ↩
  9. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, “Be Prepared for the Unexpected: Buy Your 2025 Hike Safe Card,” December 31, 2024, accessed October 28, 2026. nhfishgame.com https://nhfishgame.com/2024/12/31/be-prepared-for-the-unexpected-buy-your-2025-hike-safe-card/ ↩
  10. Maine Legislature, 12 M.R.S. § 10105, “Commissioner,” subsection 4, paragraph D, accessed October 28, 2026. legislature.maine.gov https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/12/title12sec10105.html ↩
  11. Oregon Revised Statutes, ORS 404.270, “Reimbursement for search and rescue costs,” copy on Oregon Public Law (the Legislature’s site did not respond on October 28, 2026), accessed October 28, 2026. oregon.public.law https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_404.270 ↩
  12. South Dakota Legislature, SDCL 34-48A-55, “Collection of costs of search and rescue services” (2020), accessed October 28, 2026. sdlegislature.gov https://sdlegislature.gov/api/Statutes/34-48A-55.html ↩
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  14. California Legislative Information, Government Code § 53155 (limit of liability), accessed October 28, 2026. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=53155 ↩
  15. California Legislature, Assembly Bill 896 (2015), enrolled text, Government Code §§ 26614.6 and 26614.7, accessed October 28, 2026. leginfo.ca.gov https://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/15-16/bill/asm/ab_0851-0900/ab_896_bill_20150903_enrolled.htm ↩
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  31. French Hiking Federation (FFRandonnée), “Sécurité : les secours sur le domaine skiable sont payants” (in French), February 18, 2018, accessed October 28, 2026. ffrandonnee.fr https://www.ffrandonnee.fr/s-informer/actualites/securite-les-secours-sur-le-domaine-skiable-sont-payants ↩
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  36. Rega, “Rega Patronage: Your Advantages in the Event of a Rescue Mission,” June 2, 2025, accessed October 28, 2026. rega.ch https://www.rega.ch/en/news/news-from-the-world-of-rega/detail/rega-patronage-your-advantages-in-the-event-of-a-rescue-mission ↩
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  41. U.S. Embassy in Austria, “Services for U.S. and Local Citizens,” updated October 21, 2026, accessed October 28, 2026. at.usembassy.gov https://at.usembassy.gov/services/ ↩
  42. European Commission, “112: The EU’s Emergency Phone Number,” Shaping Europe’s Digital Future, accessed October 28, 2026. digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/112 ↩
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Portrait of Arnaud Couderc

Arnaud Couderc

Fact-checking, regulations, and safety

Arnaud Couderc reviews our contributors’ articles and writes for Outfarer about regulations, safety, fishing, the ocean, and outdoor activities. He traces every rule back to its official text and every number to its source, so you head out with solid benchmarks.

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