VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – If you’re looking to hit the beach more in the new year, big changes are coming in Volusia County. Starting Jan. 1, the county will start charging non-Volusia residents for off-beach parking.
This comes just a few months after the county started charging non-residents more to drive and park on the beach.
The county’s 60 parking lots, ranging from large beach parks to the few spaces by the driving ramps, now have signs with $20 daily parking instructions to pay through a cell phone.
A few of the bigger parks will also have license plate readers.
“We can capture your tag as soon as you enter the park. If you don’t pay within 10 minutes, you’ll get a bill sent to your house,” the county’s coastal director Jessica Fentress said.
Non-residents still have the option to get an annual pass instead of paying daily. Here’s a breakdown of the costs now for non-residents:
- $20 a day or $100 a year for off-beach parking
- $30 a day or $150 a year to drive onto the beach and park
For Volusia County residents, it’s now all free. It was a decision made in October by the county council.
“The maintenance of our beach is subsidized by our taxes, so those people who live in Volusia County and own property in Volusia County are already paying to use their beach,” Fentress said.
The county’s annual passes for parking will not be accepted in city lots. New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach both have pay-to-park lots for the beach.
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