Beach parking passes for Beaufort County residents? Hilton Head floats the idea
There’s an exclusive club on Hilton Head Island that might accept some new members soon.
No, it’s not a country club or a yacht club. Members of this club hold something even more valuable: a beach parking permit, available for free to island residents.
That privilege could soon be extended to all residents of Beaufort County, although it’s unclear when. It’s also not decided whether the pass would be free or paid.
At a town council meeting Tuesday, Mayor Alan Perry asked Town Manager Marc Orlando to “bring to committee” a request for a beach parking pass for Beaufort County residents. The proposed pass would exclude parking at Islanders Beach Park, he said.
The committee mentioned would be the Community Services and Public Safety Committee, town spokesperson Heather Woolwine confirmed. The proposal has not been added to the committee agenda as of Thursday.
The suggestion comes weeks after Hilton Head’s new paid parking ordinance went into effect, charging nonresidents as much as $20 per day to park at public beaches. Only parking at Coligny Beach remains free for all.
When will Beaufort County residents get parking passes?
Don’t get out your beach towels just yet — residents of Beaufort County will still have to wait for the gears of bureaucracy to churn before they can hope to get a parking pass.
Town staff will first need to research and develop a proposal for committee review, according to Woolwine. After that, it would need to be discussed and approved by the town council. It’s unclear if the new passes would be available in time for the summer season, if approved.
Currently, only residents living within the town limits can apply for a free resident beach parking permit. People that live on the island but outside town limits, such as residents of Windmill Harbor, aren’t currently eligible.
Perry indicated at the meeting that members of the town council had received “many, many emails” from residents of Beaufort County.
“We have 14,000 people that come over here to work every day and we need to show them the same love that they’re showing us by coming over,” Perry said.
This story has been updated to clarify that it has not been decided yet if the proposed Beaufort County resident beach pass would be free or paid.
This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 7:59 AM.
