Rules for Stickers

The guidelines presented below are a simplified summary of regulations issued by the Falmouth Beach Committee. Many situations may not be completely covered. Actual regulations will prevail in the case of a discrepancy.


Rules & Regulations for Beach Sticker Eligibility for Taxpayers, Residents & Visitors


Effective June 28, 2018

To be eligible for a Resident Beach Sticker, the applicant must be one of the following:


  1. Have a vehicle registered in the Town of Falmouth.
  2. Listed as an owner of real property in the Assessor's office with property that has a tax bill issued.
  3. The dependent of a listed property owner with the same year-round address on a driver's license, picture ID or student ID. For purposes of beach sticker eligibility, the Town of Falmouth uses the same rules as the IRS. The dependent must be no more than 19 years old (24 years old if a full time student). If a dependent is more than 24 years old, he/she must have his/her car registered at a Falmouth address.
  4. A trustee of real property located in Falmouth, listed in the Assessor's office, or an individual who is certified by the trustee as a lawful owner of the beneficial interest in the property on the Town of Falmouth's "Certificate of Trustee or Other Officer" form, which may be found on the Town's web site on the Beach Department link, or obtained at the Ellen T. Mitchell Bathhouse at Surf Drive. The form must be presented.
  5. Settlors, Power of Attorney (POA), and Life Estates (LEST) are not eligible for a resident beach sticker.
  6. Active duty military personnel or their dependents, who are assigned to Sector Woods Hole or Joint Base Cape Cod. The active duty ID/dependent card must be presented.
  7. A lessee, with a year round lease, with his/her vehicle registered in Falmouth. The lease must be presented.
  8. A person owning commercial property in Falmouth is eligible for a resident sticker.
  9. A person who owns a time-share residence in the Town of Falmouth, for duration of stay only. The deed, or other evidence of ownership, must be presented.
  10. A limited liability company (LLC) is a taxpayer, but is not entitled to a resident beach sticker. A member of the LLC as certified by the manager is eligible for a beach sticker. A manager may be a member of an LLC and may identify himself as a member with documentation.

To be eligible for a Visitor's (Non-Resident) Beach Sticker, the applicant must:

  1. Show evidence (note/lease) that they are staying in the Town of Falmouth.
  2. Be occupying, not owning, a vacation property for the duration of the period. The vacation property may be a hotel/motel, time-share or residence with a Falmouth address.

All applicants for any sticker must present the following documentation:

  1. Valid vehicle registration for each vehicle with the applicant as the owner of the vehicle.
  2. Lease listing the applicant as the lessee of a leased vehicle.
  3. Appropriate written documentation connecting a company owned or leased vehicle to the applicant.
  4. Vehicles with repair plates are eligible for a sticker, as long as the owner has complied with RMV rules regarding repair plates (19-26 in RMV FAQs Circular). A "Compliance Decal" showing payment of excise taxes to Falmouth must be displayed. An owner of a dealership, who resides in Falmouth, is eligible for a resident sticker on a vehicle with dealer plates, as long as the owner has complied with RMV rules regarding dealer plates (10-16 in RMV FAQs Circular). The sticker is valid as long as the same car is used for the beach season and the excise tax has been paid on that vehicle. Should the dealer sell the vehicle, he/she must present the sticker from the sold car and apply for a new sticker at the Ellen T. Mitchell Building.
  5. A non-resident must present written proof of stay from the property owner or realtor, specifying the length of stay and location of the property.
  6. A time-share occupant (non-owner) must present written proof of stay, specifying the location of the property and the dates of the occupancy.
  7. A non-resident beneficiary must present a trustee certificate from the trustee verifying status, under pain and penalty of perjury.
  8. Hand-held stickers will be issued in the following instances only:
  • For a legally blind person who presents a Massachusetts certification of blindness
  • In the case of an elderly or handicapped person, who qualifies for a resident sticker but no longer can drive, but wants to go to the beach, a hand-held sticker with a picture ID, may be issued, so that another driver can access the parking lot, but the elderly/handicapped person MUST be in the vehicle upon entering the lot.

The burden of Proof of eligibility is the responsibility of the applicant.

  1. Any person aggrieved by these regulations shall be entitled to a hearing before the Beach Committee.

General Eligibility & Requirements for Resident Sticker

  1. Persons renting commercial property in Falmouth do not qualify for a resident beach sticker.
  2. In the case of a property with a Life Tenancy provision, the resident beach sticker shall be issued to the life tenant. Any other beach stickers issued to the same property shall be issued at the rate of a non-resident.
  3. In the case of property held in Trust, resident beach stickers may be issued to individuals upon presentation of adequate written documentation of trustee status as described in #4 under eligibility in paragraph 1.
  4. Falmouth employees are not eligible for a resident beach sticker unless they reside in Falmouth.

Replacement Stickers


If your sticker becomes invalid (broken windshield, purchase of a new vehicle, new plate number, etc.) remove all or part of the original sticker from the windshield and bring it to the Ellen T. Mitchell Building at Surf Drive, regardless of its condition, for a replacement sticker at the reduced price of $10. Note: The reduced rate is only offered if the original sticker is returned. Otherwise, you must pay $40 for a new sticker.

Misuse of Stickers


At all times, the sticker remains the property of the Town of Falmouth. The person to whom the sticker has been issued has purchased a use privilege, not the sticker and agrees that the sticker (privilege) may be confiscated if it is misused. The sticker holder agrees that the Town of Falmouth, through its Beach Committee, will be the final judge as to whether a sticker has been misused. The following shall be considered a misuse of stickers:
  1. Sticker registration number does not match the registration number of the vehicle to which it is affixed.
  2. Sticker is not permanently affixed to the vehicle. (Exception: Written permission or hand-held sticker issued by Beach Committee).
  3. Sticker has been altered, defaced, copied or made unreadable.

Penalties & Revocation of Stickers

  1. The Beach Superintendent, or his/her duly authorized agent, may take away the parking privilege for misuse.
  2. Persons whose sticker privilege has been revoked may appeal the revocation in writing to the Beach Committee via the Beach Superintendent.