No more beach stickers as Smithtown adopts digital pass with $5 fee

Smithtown plans to roll out a new online system for visiting beaches and parks by the end of April, ending a decades-old tradition of affixing stickers to car windows.

The Smithtown town board on Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt Smart Pass, which comes with a $5-per-vehicle processing fee. Residents will no longer be required to display stickers on their vehicles to visit parks and beaches. There is no cost for town residents to access Smithtown's parks and beaches, beyond the new administrative fee.

Nicole Garguilo, a town spokeswoman, said in a statement Tuesday the new parking system “makes accessing our parks and beaches easier, more secure, and more efficient for residents.”

She noted that the "new system replaces an outdated system that was costly and vulnerable to abuse."

She added that it also "eliminates the hassle of stickers, strengthens enforcement against fraud, and brings our operations in line with today’s technology, so residents can spend less time at Town Hall and more time enjoying the beautiful recreational spaces they call home.”

Supervisor Ed Wehrheim has said the town will save more than $200,000 annually by cutting down on sticker costs and eliminating some seasonal park attendant jobs.

According to town officials, the town found that stickers were often shared with non-residents, leading to parking shortages that have at times closed popular beaches.

For veterans and seniors 65 and older, the $5 annual fee will be waived. Caregivers and home nurses are also eligible for parking placards.

In 2024, the town tried to adopt a $30 sticker fee for residents, but the proposal sparked criticism. Town officials eventually withdrew the proposed fee hike.

The Town of Huntington, which also uses Smart Pass, ended its sticker system in 2024, Newsday previously reported.