What’s open and closed during a government shutdown: 8 Fast Facts

The United States is on the verge of a partial federal government shutdown that could disrupt many non-essential services nationwide if Congress fails to enact a funding plan by Nov. 17, 2023. 

Many VERIFY readers asked what services they would have access to, and what would remain open or closed, in the event of a government shutdown.

We VERIFY eight fast facts about what’s open and closed during a shutdown.

THE SOURCES

• Congressional Research Service
• Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
• The White House
• USPS
• U.S. Department of State
• National Park Service
• Smithsonian
• U.S. Congressman Dan Kildee
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• Klasko Immigration Law Partners
• JD Supra
• National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)
• Federal News Network
• Journal of Accountancy

1. The post office will remain open.

All U.S. post offices will remain open and mail will still arrive as usual during a federal government shutdown, according to the USPS and U.S. Congressman Dan Kildee.

The USPS is not affected by a government shutdown because it is an independent entity that receives no tax dollars for operations. Instead, the USPS is generally funded through the sale of products and services, such as collectible stamps and shipping supplies.

“As a self-funded independent agency of the Executive Branch of the federal government, the U.S. Postal Service will not shut down if a government closure occurs. Normal operations will continue,” the USPS said on Facebook in 2013.

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2. Airports will remain open, but there may be travel delays.

Airports will remain open during a government shutdown, but there may be significant travel delays nationwide, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

During the most recent government shutdown in 2018-2019, which lasted 35 days, travelers faced longer lines as some air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents, who both worked without pay, did not report to work, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said. Many security checkpoints were also closed.

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During a Sept. 20 hearing in front of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Buttigieg said a government shutdown could potentially impact the training of thousands of newly hired air traffic controllers.  

“We now have 2,600 air traffic controllers in training. A government shutdown would stop that training,” Buttigieg said. “Even a shutdown lasting a few weeks could set us back by months or more because of how complex that training is.”

3. You can still get a passport, but there may be delays.

You can still apply for or renew a U.S. passport during a government shutdown, but processing times may take longer than usual, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

During the 2018-2019 government shutdown, the U.S. Department of State said people were able to apply for a U.S. passport book or passport card at all passport agencies and centers, including post offices, libraries or county clerk’s offices, as well as renew their passport by mail.

“We continue to offer passport services during the lapse of appropriations for the federal government,” the U.S. Department of State said.

4. National parks typically halt operations during government shutdowns, but some have remained open in the past.

It is unclear whether national parks will remain open in the event of a government shutdown.

A Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget report says the National Park Service (NPS) turned away millions of visitors at more than 400 parks, national monuments and other sites in 2013 when the government shut down for 16 days. That shutdown led to more than $500 million in lost visitor spending nationwide, per NPS estimates. 

Meanwhile, during the 2018-2019 shutdown, many national parks remained open to the public, but according to the Committee on a Responsible Federal Budget, no visitor services were provided then, which led to reports of damage and trash build-up at many parks.

The Congressional Research Service says NPS has the authority to accept donations to keep some park operations running when the government shuts down. Some states, such as Utah in 2013, have donated money to support national parks in their state during a shutdown.

5. Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo will be closed.

All Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo, which is located in Washington, D.C., will be closed to the public in the event of a government shutdown.

“The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, like all Smithsonian museums, receives federal funding. Thus, during a government shutdown, the Zoo—and the rest of the Smithsonian museums—must close to the public,” the National Zoo said on its website.

During the 2018-2019 government shutdown, the National Zoo’s live-animal cameras, including the panda cam, did not broadcast. But Smithsonian officials said that all of the animals there were still fed and cared for.

Private museums and state or local zoos that are not federally funded would remain open during a shutdown.

6. The IRS could partially close.

It is unclear whether the IRS will remain open if the government shuts down, according to the Federal News Network, the Journal of Accountancy and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents federal employees in 34 agencies, including the IRS.

In a statement to VERIFY, the NTEU said the IRS was developing a new contingency plan that may include furloughing some of its workforce in the event of a shutdown.

“The IRS has yet to release its final plan, so we do not know the full scope of the impact of a government shutdown on IRS employees,” NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald said.

On Sept. 13, the Federal News Network reported that the NTEU said the IRS would remain “fully operational” and use funds provided by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 if Congress triggered a shutdown.

But in a Sept. 21 email to members, the NTEU said the IRS is “severely limited” in its use of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and could “partially close” if the government were to shut down, according to news reports.

During the 2013 shutdown, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says billions of dollars of tax refunds were delayed. There was also a backlog of 1.2 million income and Social Security number verification requests as well as delayed mortgage and other loan approvals.

7. The U.S. border will continue to operate.

The U.S. border and other ports of entry will continue to operate as usual during a government shutdown, but application processing may be affected, according to Klasko Immigration Law Partners and JD Supra, an online repository of free legal information.

Klasko says people entering the U.S. with a valid visa should not encounter any issues at customs in the airport or at land border crossings. This is because U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is typically treated as an essential law enforcement function that is required to continue working during a shutdown.

8. The Department of Motor Vehicles will remain open.

The Department of Motor Vehicles will remain open during a government shutdown because state motor vehicle services do not receive federal funding. 

Click here to learn how to get or renew your driver's license, register your car, get Real ID and other motor vehicle services in your state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.