Crane Beach Sticker Policy

Purchase Beach Stickers or Fishing Stickers

Beach Stickers and Fishing Stickers can be purchased:
  •      At Town Hall during normal business hours
  •      Online at Online Payments
  •      By mail
To Purchase a Beach or Fishing Sticker by mail print and completed the Beach and Fishing Sticker Application Form
and mail along with the motor vehicle registration and any other required documentation listed on the application.
Mail to:
      Town of Ipswich
      Treasurer/Collector Office
      P.O. Box 608
      Ipswich, MA 01938

Beach Sticker Regulations

I. Types Of Beach Stickers

  1. Annual Resident Beach Stickers shall be made available at an annual charge of $20.00 to any Ipswich Residents, whether they own or rent a dwelling. An Ipswich Resident is any person whose principal year-round domicile is within the Town of Ipswich. A person who owns and pays real estate or personal property taxes upon a summer residence in Ipswich or who rents residential property for a time period which includes the continuous period from May 1 to October 14 inclusive, shall be eligible for an Annual Resident Beach sticker. Residency requirements 1.Being listed on the Town census, 2. Possessing a Massachusetts driver's license with an Ipswich address or identification card issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles, 3. Having an automobile registration in the Town of Ipswich with proof of paying Excise tax to the Town of Ipswich. If no automobile, a tax bill. lease agreement, rental receipt and/or utility bill will be required.(Amended 01/13/00, 3/16/09; fee revised 10/26/89, 1/13/00; 3/29/01; 7/1/03, 5/5/08).
  2. Temporary Beach Stickers shall be made available at a charge of $20.00 to nonresidents who rent residential property in the Town of Ipswich for any continuous fourteen day period. (Amended 1/13/00; fee revised 1/13/00; 3/29/01; 7/1/03, 5/5/08)
  3. Horse Van Stickers shall be made available at a charge of $20.00 to Ipswich residents who wish to bring to the beach a horse van or a horse trailer drawn by a vehicle that has an Annual Resident Beach Sticker. (Fee revised 1/13/00; 7/1/03, 5/5/08)
  4. Fishing Stickers shall be made available at a charge of $15.00 to those who wish to use the beach in the evening hours exclusively for fishing. (Amended 1/13/00; 3/29/01)
  5. No person shall receive Beach Stickers as a privilege of office.

II. Beach Sticker Issuance Procedures

  1. Annual Resident Beach Stickers
    1. In order to receive an Annual Resident Beach Sticker, an Ipswich Resident shall submit a current automobile registration for each vehicle for which a sticker is requested, showing registration of the vehicle in Ipswich, or his automobile registration and his/her tax bill or rent receipt for the season for his dwelling in Ipswich.
    2. A new resident whose automobile registration has not yet been changed to an Ipswich address shall submit a rent receipt or a real estate bill of sale or deed.
    3. Stickers shall be permanently attached to the vehicle for which the registration was shown and whose registration number matches the number written on the face of the sticker. Failure to comply with this regulation may result in the loss of beach sticker privileges.
    4. A replacement sticker for a new vehicle that replaces one sold during the year will be furnished at no charge if the original sticker is returned, even if the sticker is in pieces. The Treasurer may waive this requirement if there is credible evidence that the vehicle was totaled due to an accident or other mishap. (Revised 7/11/2016).
    5. Applicants whose vehicles are company-owned, Commercially leased, or privately loaned must furnish written proof of their connection to the other party or agency and must also provide proof of their residency in Ipswich.
  2. Temporary Beach Stickers
    1. Nonresidents who rent residential property in Ipswich for a specific length of time shall submit, in addition to their current automobile registration, a rent receipt that includes dates of the rental period and the address of the rental property.
    2. Temporary Beach Stickers shall be issued with the following information noted on the pass: Vehicle Registration Number, Expiration Date, Official Stamp, or Seal.
    3. Temporary Beach Stickers shall be permanently attached to the vehicle for which the registration was shown and whose registration number matches the number written on the face of the sticker. Failure to comply with this regulation may result in the loss of beach sticker privileges.
  3. Horse Van Stickers
    1. Ipswich residents shall submit a current van or trailer registration for each vehicle involved.
    2. A paper sticker shall be issued that contains the following information: Name, Registration Number, and Expiration Date.
    3. Stickers shall be permanently attached to the vehicle for which the registration was shown and whose registration number matches the number of the face of the sticker. In the case of a trailer, the sticker shall be attached to the vehicle which pulls it. Failure to comply with this regulation may result in the loss of Horse Van Sticker privileges.
    4. These stickers are only valid between the dates of October 1 and March 31 of each year. (Dates revised 8/14/95) Other regulations set forth by the Trustees of the Reservations and approved by the Board of Selectmen must be complied with at all times.
  4. Fishing Stickers
    1. In order to receive a Fishing Sticker, an individual shall submit a current automobile registration for each vehicle involved.
    2. A paper sticker shall be issued with the following information: Registration Number, Name of individual who issued the sticker.
    3. Stickers shall be permanently attached to the vehicle for which the registration was shown and whose registration number matches the number on the face of the sticker. Failure to comply with this regulation may result in the loss of Fishing Sticker privileges.
    4. These stickers are valid only between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and the cars must be parked outside the beach parking lot gates.
  5. Other Provisions
    Any situations not specifically dealt with in these Regulations shall be referred to the Board of Selectmen. The Board of Selectmen shall determine any and all additional policies under these Regulations. (Amended 1/13/00; 7/1/03, 5/5/08)

III. Sticker Revocation

  1. Reason for Revocation: Annual resident beach stickers, temporary beach stickers, fishing stickers, and horse van stickers are subject to revocation if they are not attached to the vehicle for which the sticker was issued; the registration on the sticker must match the registration given with the application for the sticker.
  2. Violator Identification: The Ipswich Police Department shall report all infractions to the Treasurer. The report should include registration on the beach sticker, the registration of the automobile to which the sticker was affixed, date, place and time violation was discovered.
  3. Notice to Violator: The Treasurer shall contact the violator in writing to inform them of the violation and penalty and to inform them of the appeal process. The penalty shall be loss of beach sticker through December 31 of the following year in which the violation occurred. (Amended 7/13/06)
  4. Appeal Process: Alleged violators to this policy may appeal to the Board of Selectmen in writing. The Board of Selectmen, having read the evidence and the appeal, may determine to reverse the revocation or to take any action by way of penalty, so long as the decided length of revocation is no longer than that stated in #C above. The Board of Selectmen shall notify the appealing party in writing of its decision.
    (Section III adopted January 13, 2000)
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Effective September 17, 1984,                                                                                                                                                              Section III adopted January 13, 2000                                                                                                                                                        Section II.5. Amended July 11, 2016

Beach Stickers - Group Resident Vehicles

Town of Ipswich Massachusetts
Date Adopted: April 30, 2001


Policy Title/Subject: Beach Stickers - Group Resident Vehicles

  1. General
    The Town’s Beach Sticker Regulations were drafted with an orientation toward personally owned and operated motor vehicles. The Regulations, the underlying general bylaw, and the 1953 Agreement of Adjustment do not specifically address the issue of group transportation vehicles for Ipswich residents. This policy, enacted pursuant to Section II-E of the Beach Sticker Regulations, addresses the issue of eligibility of group residence institutions for beach stickers for vehicles used to transport their client population.
  2. Policy
    1. Each group residential institution in Ipswich shall be entitled to purchase beach stickers to be affixed on vehicles registered in the name of the institution, for use by the institution to transport Ipswich residents (their client population) to secure access to Crane Beach. Group residential institutions house client populations who are eligible to register to vote in Ipswich, and specifically exclude institutions such as hotels, motels, bed, and breakfast establishments and other establishments whose operations otherwise are subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts temporary room occupancy tax.
    2. The fee for each such sticker shall be the same as that for a resident seasonal beach sticker.
    3. All other provisions of the Town of Ipswich Beach Sticker Regulations shall apply.