If you live on Cape Cod, or own a place here and come down when you can, two little stickers run your summer. One gets your car into the good beach parking lots. The other lets you back your trash up to the transfer station (what everyone here still calls "the dump"). Every one of the 15 Cape towns runs its own program, with its own prices, paperwork, and quirks about who counts as a "resident." We put it all in one place.
Fees change, sometimes mid-spring, and vary by town. Every figure below was checked against that town's own website or application form on October 1, 2026; always confirm on your town's page before you drive over. Where a town's current fee was not something we could confirm online, the cell says "confirm with town."
The Two Stickers, Explained
1. Beach parking permits. A sticker (or, increasingly, a license-plate-linked permit) that lets you park at your town's managed beaches. Resident/"taxpayer" permits are cheaper; non-resident permits cost more, and many towns sell short-term visitor passes (daily/weekly/seasonal). Some lots are resident-only.
2. Transfer station / disposal stickers. Proves you can use your town's transfer station for trash, recycling, and bulky items. If you don't hire a private hauler, this is how household trash leaves your property. Note: several towns have dropped the physical sticker for license-plate recognition, including Brewster, Dennis and Sandwich (town sites below).
The two are separate programs, usually run by separate departments. One does not get you the other, although Chatham and Wellfleet sell combination beach/transfer stickers.
What to Bring
- Vehicle registration for the car the permit is tied to.
- Proof of residency or property ownership (license with local address, recent property tax bill, or utility bill). Second-home owners: your property tax bill is usually what qualifies you for the "taxpayer" rate. Some towns set a minimum; Brewster, for example, asks for a current tax bill of at least $500 a year (Brewster 2026 mail-in form).
- Photo ID and payment. Payment rules vary: Orleans no longer accepts cash at the Sticker Office (town.orleans.ma.us), while Eastham's beach day passes are cash or check only (eastham-ma.gov).
- Renewing online? Have digital copies ready to upload.
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Claim a spotTown-by-Town: 2026 Fees & Where to Buy
Res = resident/taxpayer rate; Non-res = non-resident. Source in parentheses after each town.
| Town | Beach sticker (res / non-res) | Transfer station | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable (barnstable.gov) | $55 res ($70 with East Bay Ramp sticker) / $375 non-res seasonal / $110 non-res weekly (7 consecutive days) | $410 first, $40 second, $100 low-income (Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027) | Recreation Division, 141 Bassett Lane, Hyannis, or online |
| Bourne (bourne-ma.gov) | $25 res / $15 senior (65+) res / $50 for limited non-resident groups (town mooring or shellfish permit holders, local campgrounds) | Confirm with town (ISWM) | Town / ISWM |
| Brewster (brewster-ma.gov) | $25 res for each of the 1st and 2nd vehicle, $40 each additional / non-res $20 one-day, $150 season (online only, plate-reader enforced). Required Jun 15 through the Sunday of Labor Day weekend | $50 first / $15 each additional (license-plate recognition; valid Jul 1 to Jun 30) | Mail-in or online |
| Chatham (chatham-ma.gov) | $30 res ($25 second vehicle) / non-res $30 day, $90 week, $190 season (online or at the Hardings, Ridgevale and Cockle Cove gatehouses) | $150 first (includes recycling) / $25 second; combination beach/transfer $180 | Sticker Office, 261 George Ryder Rd |
| Dennis (town.dennis.ma.us) | $60 res / $370 non-res; $100 weekly; $35 daily parking; $190 "seasonal" sticker for eligible renters and relatives | $210 first / $22 second (license-plate recognition; no physical sticker) | Sticker Office, Town Hall, or online |
| Eastham (eastham-ma.gov) | Day pass $30 per vehicle (cash or check) at Campground, Cooks Brook, First Encounter and Wiley Park only. Stickers or passes required Jun 20 to Sep 7, 2026. Visitor sticker fees: confirm with town | $140 first / $35 second / $140 each additional; $10 per visit without a sticker | Recreation & Beach Sticker Office |
| Falmouth (falmouthma.gov) | Res/taxpayer $40 online before Apr 15, $45 online after, $50 by mail or in person; non-res seasonal $275 (in-town) or $375 (out-of-town, listed for Mashpee, Bourne and Sandwich residents); non-res weekly from $85 (one week) to $225 (four weeks); daily $30 Old Silver, $20 Surf Drive and Menauhant East | Confirm with town | Res: online or mail. Non-res: in person at the Ellen T. Mitchell Bathhouse, 56 Surf Drive |
| Harwich (Harwich Recreation 2026 beach brochure) | $35 res/taxpayer per vehicle / non-res $175 season, $140 two weeks, $75 one week, $30 daily | Confirm with town | Beach sticker sales |
| Mashpee (mashpeema.gov) | $30 res (stickers sold only to resident property owners and year-round renters; valid through Sep 7, 2026). Visitors buy weekly beach passes at $50 per week | $280 first / $30 second (max 2 per household; valid Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027); one-trip pass $25 | Online or by mail |
| Orleans (town.orleans.ma.us) | $35 res / non-res $420 season (valid through Sep 7, 2026), $165 weekly, $35 daily plus $1.50 service fee at the Nauset and Skaket tollbooths | $195 first and third vehicle / $40 second and fourth; recycling-only $50 / $10 | Sticker Office, 40 Giddiah Hill Rd (open May 12 to Sep 4, 2026) |
| Provincetown (provincetown-ma.gov) | Paid and permit parking in effect from May 1, 7 days a week. Senior (65+) resident parking permits are free and active for four years. Other permit fees: confirm with town | $25 annual (residents and property owners; calendar-year sticker) | DPW office or online |
| Sandwich (sandwichmass.org) | $35 first car / $20 second (same address) | $105 first / $30 second (license-plate recognition; valid Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027); one-trip pass $10 | Town Offices, 100 Route 6A, online or mail |
| Truro (truro-ma.gov) | $30 res / non-res $120 (1 wk), $175 (2 wk), $200 (3 wk), $250 (4 wk), $375 season; daily $35 at Corn Hill and Head of the Meadow. Senior Perks pilot gives one reduced-price resident sticker per household (65+). Required Jun 20 to Sep 7, 2026 | Confirm with town | Beach Office or online |
| Wellfleet (wellfleet-ma.gov) | $35 res / visitor $75 (3 days), $110 (1 wk), $210 (2 wk), $375 season. Combination beach/transfer stickers $60 / $45 / $70 for the 1st / 2nd / 3rd | Transfer-only $25 / $10 / $35 for the 1st / 2nd / 3rd | Beach Office, 255 Commercial St (opens Jun 1) |
| Yarmouth (yarmouth.ma.us) | $40 res ($35 by mail or online) / non-res $250 season, $100 weekly, $25 daily, all sold at the beach | $162 first / $81 second ($157 / $76 by mail or online); non-residential $250; $15 per-trip gate fee | Town Clerk, Town Hall; daily/weekly/non-res at the beach |
A Quick Word on the National Seashore
Coast Guard and Nauset Light (Eastham), Marconi (Wellfleet), Head of the Meadow (Truro), and Race Point and Herring Cove (Provincetown) are the six Cape Cod National Seashore beaches where the Park Service collects fees (nps.gov/caco). In 2026 the NPS lists $25 per private vehicle, a $60 Seashore annual pass, and acceptance of the America the Beautiful interagency pass; passes are sold only at beach entrances, not at visitor centers (nps.gov/caco). Your town sticker won't get you in, and Eastham notes that its day passes and visitor stickers are not valid at the National Seashore beaches (eastham-ma.gov).
All fees above were re-checked against each town's own published fee page or 2026 application on October 1, 2026. Permit years differ: Barnstable, Brewster, Chatham, Mashpee and Sandwich transfer permits run July 1 to June 30, Provincetown's transfer sticker is a calendar-year sticker, and Yarmouth's transfer station access expires March 31.
Renewal Timing: It's NOT All July 1
A common myth is that every dump sticker renews July 1. The truth:
- July 1 to June 30 (confirmed on town sites): Barnstable, Brewster, Chatham, Mashpee and Sandwich transfer permits. Orleans says its 2026 stickers expire June 30, 2027.
- Different cycle: Provincetown sells calendar-year transfer stickers, and Yarmouth's transfer station access expires March 31.
- Everyone else: confirm your town's exact dates. Some towns also tie the price to when and how you buy. Falmouth's resident sticker is $40 online before April 15 and $45 online after, and Yarmouth knocks $5 off disposal stickers bought by mail or online, so buy early.
The Bottom Line
The stickers are cheap insurance on a good Cape summer. The only friction is that every town does it differently. Gather your registration and proof of residency, confirm the current fee on your town's page, and knock both out in one spring errand.
Fees checked against official town sites on October 1, 2026 and subject to change. Always confirm before purchasing.
Beaches & trails in this guide
Toss These in the Bag
Cape Cod Certified picks — essentials worth packing for this trip:
- MalsiPree Portable Dog Water Bottle — $15: One-handed, leak-proof bottle with a built-in bowl that recycles unused water back into the bottle. Under six ounces and ready for every boardwalk, trail, and dune walk.
- Sun Bum Mineral SPF 30 Sunscreen Lip Balm — $4: Zinc-based broad-spectrum lip protection with vitamin E; reef-safe.
From Reading to Doing — Start Here
- The Cape Cod Certified directory — every business visited in person →
- Bookable Cape Cod experiences →
Figures in this guide were checked against official sources on October 1, 2026. Fees and rules change; confirm before you go.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need separate stickers for the beach and the dump?
Yes — beach parking permits and transfer station stickers are separate programs, usually run by different town departments, and one does not get you the other. Chatham and Wellfleet are the two exceptions: both towns sell combination beach/transfer stickers.
What do I need to bring to get a beach parking sticker?
Bring your vehicle registration, proof of residency or property ownership (a property tax bill, local driver's license, or utility bill), a photo ID, and payment. Second-home owners typically qualify for the taxpayer rate with a property tax bill; some towns set a minimum bill amount, so confirm with your town.
Does my town beach sticker work at National Seashore beaches?
No — Cape Cod National Seashore beaches like Race Point, Herring Cove, and Nauset Light are managed by the National Park Service, which collects its own separate fees. Your town sticker is not valid there; the NPS accepts its own annual pass and the America the Beautiful interagency pass.
Do all Cape towns renew their dump stickers on July 1?
No — while several towns run transfer station permits on a July 1 to June 30 cycle, Provincetown sells a calendar-year sticker and Yarmouth's transfer station access expires in March. Confirm your town's exact renewal dates before your sticker lapses.
Can I pay cash for a beach sticker?
It depends on the town — Orleans no longer accepts cash at its Sticker Office, while Eastham's beach day passes are cash or check only. Payment rules vary across all 15 Cape towns, so check your specific town's requirements before you go.
