"Beginning January 1, 2027, hurricane re-entry decals will still be issued but will not serve as parking permits." That one sentence sits in the ordinance update the Gulf Shores City Council approved on September 28, 2026. It ends a setup that has lasted for years, where one sticker on the driver's side of the windshield did two jobs.
Eleven days after the vote, Hurricane Isaias came through. The W.C. Holmes Bridge and the AL-161 South bridge closed at noon on October 9, a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew followed, and the city didn't reopen both bridges until 7 a.m. on October 10. That decal earned its spot on the glass this month. Starting in January, it only has one job, and the beach parking it used to cover depends on whether you live here full-time or part of the year.
The Sticker Keeps Its Storm Job
Start with what stays the same. The decal is still how Gulf Shores identifies the people allowed back into restricted areas after an evacuation. Before Isaias, the city's October 8 update said residents and business operators might need to show a valid re-entry pass once re-entry began. Anyone without one could get it after the storm at the new Gulf Shores Justice Center, 312 Medical Village Boulevard. The city's same-day state-of-emergency notice also reminded everyone that under a council resolution, no hurricane passes of any kind are issued once a hurricane warning is in effect.
None of that changes in 2027. The city says decals will keep being issued. Under the city's decal FAQ, residents and property owners inside city limits get two passes at no cost, mailed to the billing address on file with Baldwin EMC. You can also pick them up at City Hall, 1905 West 1st Street, or at the Gulf Shores City Store, 1821 AL-59, at the corner of Highway 59 and Clubhouse Drive. Keep the sticker on the windshield. Beach parking is the only part that moves to a different system.
Same Street, Different Parking Rights
For most of its life, the decal treated everyone the same. In its May 28, 2026 reminder, the city said the decal let holders park free at every City of Gulf Shores beach access and also served as "your pass to park at the Resident Lot at East Gulf Place." Under that system, a Waterways owner who lives here year-round and one who flies in for long weekends had the same sticker and the same access.
The plate system ties parking to your residency status, so it treats them differently.
| Through Dec. 31, 2026 | Full-time owner from Jan. 1, 2027 | Part-time owner from Jan. 1, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What qualifies you | Hurricane decal stuck to the windshield | Driver's license or vehicle registration with a Gulf Shores address | Property deed or property tax form for Gulf Shores residential property |
| Vehicles covered | Each car with a valid decal | No vehicle limit | Up to two, registered in the owner's name |
| East Gulf Place resident lot | Yes | Yes | No |
| Other beach accesses | Free | Free anywhere in the city | Free at any beach access except East Gulf Place |
| How police check it | Officer looks at the sticker | License plate scan | License plate scan |
East Gulf Place is the parking lot at 209 East Beach Boulevard, as defined in the ordinance text. Through December 31, a part-time owner's decal still gets them into that lot. From January 1, it won't. Part-time owners keep free parking at every other beach access, but that one lot is now limited to full-time residents.
The two-vehicle cap and the name-on-registration rule also matter for second-home households. With the decal, the sticker itself was the proof. Under the new system, the city ties the exemption to plates "registered in the property owner's name."
How Part-Time Owners Got Into the Ordinance
The first draft left part-time owners out. On September 21, the city published an outline of the proposal that Police Chief Dan Netemeyer had presented to the council. To qualify, you needed a driver's license with a City of Gulf Shores address, a vehicle registration showing a city address, or a link to a qualifying fleet vehicle tied to a Gulf Shores resident. An owner whose license and car are registered in another state would have met none of those.
The city's account says several part-time property owners told the council the proposal would shut them out, and officials said they would review it. A week later, the amended version Chief Netemeyer presented added the part-time path with the deed or tax form, the two-vehicle cap, and the East Gulf Place exclusion. WKRG reported the same eligibility terms the night of the vote.
The city also explained why it made the change. Both the September 21 and September 28 notices describe the new system as a direct response to residents' complaints about unauthorized use of parking decals and misuse of resident-only spaces. Chief Netemeyer said in the September 21 release that a plate-based system "will help ensure that resident parking is reserved for actual residents, reduce misuse, and give our officers better tools to protect access in our high-demand beach areas."
What the Meter Costs Without an Exemption
An exemption is worth knowing exactly once you see what the meters charge. The rate resolution adopted September 28 sets the controlled-lot rates:
- 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.: $2 per hour north of Alabama Highway 182, $3 per hour south of it
- 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.: $4 per hour everywhere
The controlled areas include Gulf Place, West Gulf Place, public parking north of Highway 182 between East 2nd and West 2nd Streets, sections of West 5th, 6th, 10th and 13th Streets, and Lagoon Pass Park north of Highway 182. At those rates, a four-hour afternoon in a lot south of Highway 182 costs $12 per car. With an exemption, the same afternoon is free, which the city says will stay true for residents.
That makes the two-vehicle cap a real number. Say a part-time household brings three cars down for the holidays. Two can be registered. The third pays the same rate as a day visitor.
Getting Your Plate on the List Before January
As of the city's September 28 notice, registration was expected to open in October 2026, once the city approved its agreement with the vendor running the online system. That notice gave no portal address, and GSPD was still working with the vendor. Until the city publishes a link, treat the online option as on its way, not live.
When registration opens, the city lists four ways to apply:
- Online, through the new registration portal. The original proposal described uploading your tag registration and a copy of your driver's license so GSPD can verify them.
- At City of Gulf Shores special events, where the city says exemptions will be available.
- During GSPD neighborhood visits.
- In person at the Justice Center, 312 Medical Village Boulevard. This is also where you can get a 24-hour temporary placard while you wait for verification or need parking right away.
Full-time owners bring a driver's license or vehicle registration showing a Gulf Shores address. Part-time owners bring the property deed or a property tax form. Once a plate is approved, it goes into the parking system automatically and stays valid for two years from the registration date. There's no sticker to collect afterward.
Before applying, check where your property sits. The decal program covers owners inside Gulf Shores' corporate limits, and the plate exemption requires residential property in Gulf Shores. Waterways' address is 2904 Straits Boulevard, Gulf Shores. The city's planning commission has reviewed site plans for the community. But a mailing address and a planning file don't prove a parcel is inside city limits. If decals have been mailed to you through your Baldwin EMC account, that's a good sign. If you've never received one, confirm your status with the city before you count on the exemption.
The Smaller Rules That Arrive With It
The same ordinance changes a few everyday parking habits. They apply to exempt vehicles too:
- Front-end in. Vehicles must park nose-first throughout beach parking areas, except in marked parallel spaces.
- A $50 boot removal fee for vehicles immobilized for parking violations.
- No overnight parking south of Highway 182. Exempt vehicles still can't park there between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
The city's online decal FAQ still says decals "serve as a parking pass at all paid public parking areas." That's accurate through December 31 and outdated after that. Go by the September 28 ordinance notice, which is newer.
This post explains the city's published rules as general information. It isn't legal advice, and the City of Gulf Shores and GSPD have the final word on eligibility for your property and vehicles.
When the portal opens, the Scarbrough Team is happy to help part-time owners get their paperwork in order, from finding the deed to checking which household vehicles are registered in the owner's name. Reach out to Waterways of the Gulf Shore to schedule a consultation, and we'll help you get your plates registered before January 1.
