Lee County, FL Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit types
- A resident, B hotel guest, C employee, D house guest
- No-permit limit
- 3 hours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., non-residential zone
- Fine
- $200, or $500 for blocking a driveway
- Contested-ticket cap
- Up to $300 plus court costs
- Enforcement agency
- Lee County Sheriff's Office
- Map reference
- Boca Grande Parking Map dated Aug. 5, 2025
Summary
Gasparilla Island's residential parking zones run on a County decal system: A permits for residents, B placards for hotel guests, C decals for island employees, and D placards for household guests. Anyone without a permit gets only three hours in a non-residential zone between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
(a)Parking permits will be available on the following basis:(1)A residential parking permit ("A" decal or coded sticker) shall be available to any vehicle owned by or leased to a resident. Subject to availability of space, it shall entitle the vehicle to which it is issued and upon which it is properly displayed to be parked in those zones designated residential, non-residential, or general on the official parking zone map and appropriate signage.(2)A hotel guest parking permit ("B" placard) shall be available to any vehicle owned or leased to a registered guest of a hotel/motel located on Gasparilla Island.(3)An employee parking permit ("C" decal or coded sticker) shall be available to any Island Employee for use on their personal vehicle.(4)House guest parking permits ("D" placards) shall be available to each household owned by a Resident...(d)No permit is required to park a vehicle in a non-residential zone. However, parking in a Non-Residential Zone is limited to three hours between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7 | Land Development Code: Supplement 3 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Lee County created a formal preferential parking district covering the residential and non-residential zones of Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island under Sec. 28-163, keyed to the Boca Grande Parking Map dated August 5, 2025 and filed with the Clerk of Courts. Four permit types govern access: an 'A' decal for any vehicle owned or leased by a resident, a 'B' placard for a registered hotel or motel guest (the hotel supplies its guests with the zone map), a 'C' decal for an Island Employee's personal vehicle (issued through the employer), and a 'D' placard for house guests or service providers staying at a resident's household, which the household itself may request on a temporary basis as needed.
, except that a C-permit vehicle is exempt from that three-hour cap everywhere, and a B-permit vehicle is exempt from it in the non-residential zone next to its own hotel. Sec. 28-164 exempts County vehicles on County business, Sheriff's and emergency vehicles, state and federal law enforcement, and vehicles approved case by case by the County Administrator for health, disability or hardship reasons. Sec. 28-165 assigns enforcement to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, which may also contract a private enforcement company, but the residential-zone restrictions of Sec. 28-163(1) through (4) cannot be enforced until the County actually installs warning signage in the restricted locations.
Violations & Fines
Under Sec. 28-167, a parking violation of Sec. 28-161 or 28-163 draws a $200.00 fine, or $500.00 if the vehicle blocked a residential driveway, and the vehicle or golf cart may instead (or also) be towed and impounded at the owner's expense. A driver who contests the citation before the County Traffic Court and loses may be fined up to $300.00 plus court costs, and contesting the ticket waives the right to the lower civil-penalty amount on the original summons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to park anywhere on Boca Grande?
How does a house guest get a permit?
What happens if I park in a residential zone without a permit?
Are Sheriff's deputies exempt from these rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Lee County to another location·View the Florida parking rules overview
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