City of Folly Beach Ordinances
Folly Beach Public Safety – 21 Center Street – (843) 588-2433
Strong Currents and Rip Currents are common so swim with caution. The county park at the end of West Ashley provides lifeguards. Don’t swim or fish from the groin rocks.
Sand Dunes are protected and fragile. Beach sea oats and grass help protect the dunes. Stay off dunes and use public walkovers (located at every block) to access the beach.
Sea Turtles are an endangered species. Do not interfere with them in any way. No floodlights that illuminate the beach are allowed on front beach houses after 10:00 pm from May 1 through September 30. Hatching turtles are disoriented away from the ocean by artificial light. If you see any turtles nesting or any hatchlings, please call Public Safety and report your sighting.
All Birds are protected. The City of Folly Beach is a bird sanctuary.
Watercraft can be stowed on the beachfront for 12 hours without a permit. They must not be pulled into dunes or sand fences. All watercraft must be removed from the beach if high winds or high tides are expected.
No Open Fires are allowed at any time.
Fireworks are not allowed at any time on Folly Beach.
Dogs must be leashed when off owner’s property. Dogs are not allowed on the beach from May 1 through September 30 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. This is for the sake of the dogs because of the heat and the extremely crowded conditions during these times. Owners must remove animal waste. Do not leave your dog in your car.
No Cans or Bottles are allowed on the beach. Alcohol is allowed on Folly Island’s beaches, but there are some rules that apply to all containers. Plastic bottles, plastic cups and paper cups are allowed. If you bring a cooler that contains glass containers or cans, you may pour your drinks into a plastic cup and then immediately return the containers to your cooler. If you want to have an alcoholic drink on the Folly Beach Fishing Pier, you must purchase it from the restaurant located near the entrance to the Pier. Take all litter from the beach. Trash cans are located at each beach access
Surfing without a leash is prohibited. From May 15 through September 15, surfing is allowed from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm from 7th Street West to the west end of Folly Beach and from 6th Street East to the east end of Folly Beach. Other dates and times, surfing is allowed everywhere except within 200 feet of the Folly Fishing Pier.
Bicycles are not allowed on the sidewalks.
Skateboards and Rollerblades are not allowed on Center Street, one block east or west of Center Street or on any sidewalk. In all other areas pedestrians and vehicular traffic must not be interfered with.
Golf Carts must display a valid SCDMV sticker, be driven by a licensed driver, and have insurance. They cannot be driven on Center Street, only on secondary streets within two miles of owner’s residence and only in daylight hours.
Household Garbage is collected on Monday and Thursday, yard trash collected on Tuesday and Thursday, and metal on Friday. For collection of huge items or quantities call Sanitation at 588-2447.
Party Permits are required for all gatherings of 25 persons or more. Permit applications are available at the Public Safety Department in City Hall.
Parking Regulations:
- No parking on pavement. All tires must be off the road.
- No parking on sidewalks.
- No parking in front of public or private driveways.
- No parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.
- No parking on a crosswalk.
- No stopping, standing, or parking a vehicle in any roadway.
- No diagonal parking unless posted. All parking is parallel.
- No parking on dunes or revetments.
- No parking the wrong way. All vehicles must park with the flow of traffic.
- No parking in handicapped parking unless visible handicapped license tag or visible permit on vehicle.
There is beach access at every city block along the island and these accesses each have parking. The cost to park is $1 per hour from 10am – 5pm. Parking is free on the streets, but if you’re parking on grass or sand, make sure your tires are not touching any part of the bare road or you will be ticketed. There is plenty of parking at the Folly Beach County Park. Admission is $7 per car for the day. All city ordinances can be found at www.cityoffollybeach.com. Folly Beach city ordinances enforced with fines not to exceed $500.
Driving on Folly Beach
Folly Beach is well-known for walkers, joggers, bike riders and dog walkers. Please drive very slowly when you’re on the island, especially during the very busy summer months. At the very least, observe all speed limits and slow down at intersections….even if you have the right-of-way.
Going and coming from the island, be sure to observe the speed limits carefully. From the Folly River Bridge and through the 50mph zone on James Island, the traffic police are extremely vigilant – and they have reason to be. There have been many very serious accidents in this area.