good to know
Folly Beach parking, explained.
The city's rules, the city's rates, where the free spots are, and where Sign Lot fits. Written from the lot on East Ashley, where we watch it all happen.
the short version
Four ways to park on Folly.
Folly Beach is a small island with one road in, and on a warm weekend every car on it wants the same six blocks. You have four choices. Free street parking on the side streets, if you can find a legal spot. City paid lots and meters along Arctic and Ashley. Folly Beach County Park on the far west end. Or a private lot, which is us.
The city enforces its parking rules hard, 24 hours a day, year round. A ticket or a tow will cost more than a day in any lot on the island, so the rules are worth two minutes.
the rules
How the city wants you parked.
Side street rules are enforced around the clock, every day of the year. Paid lots and meters are enforced 8 am to 10 pm, every day. The full list is on the city's parking site.
- 1
All four tires off the road. Where there is a white line, park outside it.
- 2
Park with the flow of traffic, never facing it.
- 3
Parallel to the road only, unless a sign says otherwise.
- 4
Nothing in a crosswalk, on a sidewalk, or on the dunes.
- 5
Stay 20 feet back from an intersection, 30 feet from a stop sign, 15 feet from a hydrant.
- 6
Do not block a driveway, public or private.
- 7
No parking in the alleys in the first blocks behind Center Street.
- 8
No yellow curbs, no yellow or red street lines, nothing behind a yellow line.
- 9
ADA spaces need a visible ADA tag or permit.
- 10
No overnight parking in the paid lots. The pay stations stop at 10 pm.
city lots and meters
What the city charges.
The city raised its rates in 2025 to push cars away from Center Street. The closer the spot, the more it costs. Pay stations take your plate number and a card, no coins. No overnight parking in any paid lot.
Center of the island
Ashley and Arctic, 5th Street East to 5th Street West. Flat rate for the day.
- March to September, weekdays
- $15
- March to September, weekends and holidays
- $25
- October to February, weekdays
- $10
- October to February, weekends and holidays
- $15
Farther out
The lots and spaces past 5th Street in either direction.
- March to September
- $3 an hour, $12 all day
- October to February
- $2.50 an hour, $10 all day
- Washout and the Arctic off street lots, year round
- $3 an hour, $12 all day
Folly Beach County Park
1100 W Ashley Ave, the west end of the island. Open 8 am to sunset.
Charged per vehicle, and the fee changes with the season and on holiday weekends. Lifeguards, restrooms, outdoor showers, chair and umbrella rentals, and a snack bar in season. Parking is limited and the county says to come early and expect a wait at the gate. Charleston County Gold Pass holders park free. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
the free spots
Where the free parking is.
The city counts close to 3,000 free spaces on the island. Nearly all of them are on the shoulders of the side streets off Ashley and Arctic. There is no sign that says free. If the spot is off the pavement, outside any white line, facing the right way and not blocking anything on the list above, it is yours.
Two things catch people. The side street rules run 24 hours a day, all year, so a spot that looks fine at 7 pm is still ticketed at 7 am. And the closest free spots to Center Street go first. By mid morning on a summer Saturday you are walking from ten blocks out, which is fine with a cooler on wheels and less fine with two kids and a tent.
Folly residents can get a free beach parking permit from the city. Since 2024 it only works in the beach access lots, not on the street and not on Washout or the Arctic lots.
where we come in
One block from the sand, one rate all day.
Sign Lot is Andy and Tara McClellan's front yard at 112 E Ashley Ave, one block from the beach, the pier and Center Street. One price for the whole day, the same for locals and visitors, no holiday markup. Cash, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, Apple Pay or a card. Andy posts the day's rate and whether there is room on the home page, from the lot, so you know before you cross the bridge.
It is a private lot. City meters and city rules do not apply inside the gate. The lot closes for parking in November and December, when the yard turns into Mama Jean's Christmas Trees.
From the lot
- The sand2 minute walk
- Center Street2 minute walk
- The pier3 minute walk
- The Washout5 minute drive
Open all day, every day, most of the year. Look for the pink house covered in road signs and the red PARKING flag.
people ask
The questions everyone types into Google.
More answers about the lot itself are on the home page.
Is there free parking at Folly Beach?
Yes. The city says it has close to 3,000 free spaces on the island, almost all of them on the shoulders of the side streets. They are free as long as you follow the rules above, with all four tires off the pavement and nothing blocked. On a summer weekend the ones close to Center Street are gone by mid morning.
Do you have to pay to go on Folly Beach?
No. The beach is free. What you pay for is the parking. City lots and meters charge by the hour or the day, Folly Beach County Park charges per vehicle, and private lots like Sign Lot charge one rate for the day.
How early should I get to Folly Beach?
In summer, the earlier the better. City paid parking starts at 8 am and the County Park opens at 8 am. The center of the island, the blocks around Center Street, fills first. Sign Lot can fill by late morning on holiday weekends, so check the live status on the home page or call Andy before you cross the bridge.
Where is the best beach access in Folly Beach?
Depends on your day. Center Street puts you at the pier, the restaurants and the bars. Folly Beach County Park on the west end has lifeguards, restrooms, showers and chair rentals. The Washout, out East Ashley, is where the surfers go. Sign Lot sits one block from the Center Street access, which is the one most people want.
City rules and rates from the City of Folly Beach parking site and ABC News 4, County Park details from Charleston County Parks. Checked October 2026. If the city changes something, call them at (843) 591-7785, not us.