Beach Parking

Permits are available to any St. Catharines resident, with a limit of two per household. You must live within the City to receive a permit for $15 each. Both permits cannot be used in the same lot (Sunset Beach or Lakeside Park) at the same time.

Permits are open to residents only, individuals who reside elsewhere but own property in the City are not eligible and will not be issued a permit.

Why can't I have my two permitted cars at a beach lot simultaneously?

The City’s beach lots have very limited parking to supply all residents, businesses and visitors. Parking permits are limited to two vehicles per household without the ability to have two cars in either lot at the same time to try and encourage car pooling and maximize parking spaces so that as many people as possible can enjoy time at the beach.

You must live at your St. Catharines address to be eligible. If you own your home, you will be required to:

• Provide your tax roll number and your name (exactly as it appears on your tax bill, including capitalization, if two names appear enter only the name that appears first)
• Submit a copy of your vehicle registration showing your St. Catharines address if you own your home.
• Enter your vehicle plate number (Owners will be subject to a penalty notice if the plate number is entered incorrectly and possible additional charge to update correct information)

You must live at your St. Catharines address to be eligible. If you are a tenant you will be required to:

• Submit a copy of your vehicle registration. A St. Catharines address is preferred but not required
• Submit a recent (past month) utility bill or lease agreement proving residency
• Enter your vehicle plate number. Owners will be subject to a penalty notice if the plate number is entered incorrectly and possible additional charge to update correct information.

Permits allow residents to park for $15 from May 1 to Sept. 30, with no time limit at the Lakeside Park and Sunset Beach Parking Lots. Starting 2023, Sunset Beach no longer has a 3 hour time limit. Lakeside Park continues to have a 3 hour time limit for those that DO NOT have a residential Parking Permit.

Permits will not provide for on-street / metered parking and do not guarantee a space when lots are full. Resident permits cannot be used to park in the Sunset Beach boat launch parking area.

Individuals with two permits cannot use both permits at once in either lot.

• Click the link on the website
• Type in your username (your email address)
• Type in your password

When you reset your password, make sure you follow the following:

• Use 8 or more characters
• Use a mix of upper and lowercase
• Use letters and numbers
• Use at least one special character (! @$#)
• Do NOT use < or >

I tried to create a new account but can’t get past the first page

Make sure you didn’t have an account last year. If you did, don’t create a new account, login with your email and password. If you forgot your password, please reset it.

How will I know if my permit was approved?

You will receive a notification via email if your permit was approved or denied within five to seven business days. Make sure you check your junk mail.

Your credit card will only be charged once your permit is approved. It appears as a pending transaction on your credit card until approved. If your permit application has been denied, there will be no charge to your credit card

Here are some reasons you may be denied:

• Insufficient proof of residency
• Missing Information (proof of residency, vehicle registration, etc)
• A permit has already been issued under this address.
• Not identified as Primary Residence
• Commercial properties do not qualify

If you have any other questions on your denial of a resident parking permit, please contact beachpasses@stcatharines.ca for further information.

When is paid parking in effect at beach lots, when is the permit used?

From May 1 to Sept. 30 of each year.

Depending on demand it could take five to seven business days.

Your vehicle licence plate is your permit. Once you receive an approval email, your permit is active.

Tenants are entitled to two permits per household, even if their vehicles are registered to a non-St. Catharines address. They must still submit the ownership for vehicles registered to the permit and also provide proof of residency alongside the ownership documents. Proof of residency could be a lease agreement or recent utility bill.

You can log back into your account and add another vehicle for $15.

Your application will be denied and an email will be sent to you. You can sign back into your account and update your account with the correct documentation 

I own property in the City but do not reside in St. Catharines (I am a landlord)

Permits are being issued for residents only. Tenants, as residents of the City, are

entitled to the permit for the home / property.

I live in another Niagara municipality, and pay taxes to the Region, why am I

not entitled to a permit?

With the City moving forward on improvements to provide a safer and more enjoyable beach experience, the parking fees for non-St. Catharines residents are a way for these beach users to contribute to supporting the recreational infrastructure. Regional taxes do not support maintenance or investments into City beaches. Beaches remain free to access for all visitors and free parking is offered offsite with connections to beaches via sidewalks and trails.

Parking Fees:

Sunset Beach: $3 per hour, or $20 flat rate

Lakeside Beach: $3 per hour with a three-hour maximum

Exceeding time limits will result in a penalty notice.

No. Resident beach parking permits are for vehicles parked in the main Sunset Beach lot and Lakeside Park lots and not valid in the boat launch area. Those with a trailer have a designated parking area near the boat launch. Both Residents and Non-Residents will be required to pay $3 per hour Sunset Beach: $3 per hour or $20 flat rate or apply for a boat launch season permit.

Boat Launch permits are $100 for the season (May 1 to Sept. 30) You can visit St. Catharines City Hall at 50 Church St. to pay and pick up your boat launch permit (trailer licence plate required)

No. Only those with a trailer are required to pay the parking fees or season launch permit fee. Those without a trailer can park at the beach lot using either a resident parking permit with no time limit or paying $3 per hour or $20 flat rate (Sunset Beach).

Applying through the online portal with an email and credit card is the quickest way to obtain your permit – this method is strongly encouraged. If necessary, residents can come in person to the second floor of City Hall at the Parking Service Counter to apply with the help of a staff member. An email or phone number is recommended in order for the City to contact to you. Please ensure you have the necessary documentation required when you visit City Hall.

If you Own your Home and live in St. Catharines, please bring:

• Identification
• Vehicle registration

If you are a St. Catharines Tenant, please bring:

• Identification
• Vehicle registration
• Lease or recent (past month) utility bill

Additionally, you can ask a friend or family member to assist you in applying online.

Businesses in Port Dalhousie are entitled to two, $15 parking permits each. Businesses are required to come into City Hall to apply and pay for their permit at the second-floor parking service counter. The permit only exempts the vehicle from payment and time restrictions that are in place the Lakeside Park parking lot. It does not exempt the vehicle from parking within any other metered parking area or for a period extending longer than the posted time limit.

In 2021 the City introduced paid parking at beach lots to help pay for maintenance and improvements of beaches, primarily recouping costs from out-of-town visitors whose taxes don’t support St. Catharines beaches. In 2021 a free beach pass for St. Catharines residents whose taxes support beach operations was introduced to ensure they can easily access beaches paid for through their taxes.

Upon reviewing the 2021 pilot permit program it was revealed significant resources were used to administer the program. Rather than spread those resource costs across the entire tax base, including those who don’t apply for a permit, the decision was made to charge a small administrative fee to cover the program’s costs solely from those who obtain a permit.

Beach Access remains free to everyone. There is a seasonal (annual) cost of $15 per vehicle to park at beaches for residents. Non-residents and those without permits are subject to parking rates of $3 per hour with a maximum length of three hours.  

Starting 2023, Sunset Beach no longer has a 3 hour time limit. Lakeside Park continues to have a 3 hour time limit for those that DO NOT have a residential Parking Permit.

Free offsite parking with no time limit is available near both Lakeside Park beach and Sunset Beach. Visitors can utilize active transportation connections to access beaches from these lots. Maps of offsite parking and trail connections can be found at stcatharines.ca/BeachParking

Alternatively, visitors can use public transit to access beaches.

Ensure the name is entered in all capital letters. Additionally, if two names appear on your tax bill use the one that appears first (on top)

Make sure you input your tax roll number without periods, and without the 2629 prefix at the start of the number.

At this time the system automatically uses the first card entered and tied to you account. A future update to the system will include the ability to use different cards for each purchase.