Starting on March 1, you can pay to drive on certain local beaches in St. Johns County.
In Atlantic Beach, you’ll have to pay for street parking near the beach, also starting on March 1.
There are seven beach access points in St. Johns County where you can pay to drive on the beach.
Drivers must pay at certain access points to roll onto the beach from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It’s $10, or you can buy a beach pass for the season.
Season passes are $50 for St. Johns County residents and $100 for non-residents.
It’s worth it to Carrie Bedard who does it all the time at Crescent Beach.
The proof is on her windshield, which has passes from years past.
“When you have a bunch of kids and grandkids, it is easy to just load everything up and drive up,” Bedard said. “Being in Florida, the other reason is it can rain five minutes after you get there. It is nice to be able to hop in and just kind of hunker down for a little while.”
Brent Gochenaur often walks his dog but is open to driving on the beach.
“I do not have a four-wheel drive. Otherwise, I would,” Gochenaur said. " I think it’s awesome.”
Not everyone should drive on the sand. Your car should be four-wheel drive and in some cases, it’s a requirement.
Jennifer Hammerling is a server at Beachcomber Restaurant and said she’s seen drivers take a risk and have to be towed.
“A guy took his Harley Davidson right onto the sand and had to be pulled out,” Hammerling said. “We see smart cars, Hondas, and we are telling them don’t do it, they just do it.”
These beach driving rules are set in stone through Sept. 30.
Where to buy driving passes in St. Johns County:
- Tax Collector’s Main Office4030 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine
- Tax Collector’s DuPont Center Office6658 US 1 South, St. Augustine
- Tax Collector’s Julington Creek Office725 Flora Branch Blvd., St. Johns
- Tax Collector’s Ponte Vedra Office151 Sawgrass Corners Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach
- St. Johns County Beach Services Office901 Pope Road, St. Augustine
- St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier Gift Shop350 A1A Blvd., St. Augustine
Vehicle access ramps on beaches:
- Vilano
- Porpoise Point
- A Street
- Ocean Trace
- Dondanville Rd
- Matanzas Ave
- Mary St.
- Crescent Beach (Cubbedge Rd).
In Atlantic Beach, drivers must pay $1 for every 30 minutes they park at the 18th and 19th parking lots on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Atlantic Beach Parking:
- 42 spaces at 18th Street; 15 spaces at 19th Street
- Pay-to-park 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays March 1-Sept. 30
- Enter license plate ID and pay through a kiosk or using the Flowbird app
- Rates $1 per each 30 minutes with $12 max
- 3-hour grace period for registered Atlantic Beach residents
- No back-in parking
- No parking after 9 p.m.
- 18th Street parking lot under 24-hour video surveillance
For more info on Atlantic Beach Parking: Public Parking | The Atlantic Beach Official Website! (coab.us)