Laws & Policies

 

Respect Private Property

Please respect private property when visiting the Mississippi and Illinois units.

Illinois Unit

At Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago, public access is limited to the exterior of the building. It is an active church. Please respect the private property of the church and others in the neighborhood.

Mississippi Unit

Tallahatchie County Courthouse, located in Sumner, Mississippi, is an active courthouse. Visitor hours vary. Please refer to Emmett Till Interpretive Center for more information. Please respect private property in the area.

Regulations

Federal regulations covering all National Park Service lands are published in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 36: Parks, Forests, and Public Property.

Firearms in National Parks

Visitors may possess firearms within a national park provided they comply with federal, state, and local laws. Federal law prohibits firearms in certain park facilities and buildings. These places are marked with signs at public entrances.

It is the role of responsible gun owners is to know and obey the federal, state, and local laws applicable to the park they visit.

National Monuments

Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument was established by presidential proclamation on July 25, 2023. A national monument established by the President protects “objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government” (54 U.S.C. § 320301, known as the Antiquities Act). National monuments administered by the National Park Service (NPS) are subject to the same laws and policies as govern other units of the National Park System. An NPS national monument established by the President is a protected area like a national park, administered for the protection and enjoyment of its resources and values.

To be established by the President, an area must meet the criteria of the Antiquities Act (54 U.S.C § 320301), including having objects of historic or scientific interest located on land already owned or controlled by the Federal government. The views of the public are carefully considered in the process. National monuments can also be created by Congress under their own enabling statutes, rather than the Antiquities Act. National monuments can be administered by Federal agencies other than NPS. The Presidential proclamation or Congressionally-enacted statute creating the national monument typically indicates which Federal agency will administer it.

Superintendent's Compendium

Generally the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) guides park management and resource protection. In the CFR Superintendents of each unit in the National Park system have the option to develop more specific regulations to address unique management needs of their particular unit. These documents are called the Superintendent's Compendium and are an extension of the CFR. These publications help direct the park's management efforts to best serve the mission of the National Park Service and the needs of visitors.