The entrance to Island Beach State Park, South Seaside Park, N.J., June 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
New Jersey parks officials began selling beach buggy permits for access to Island Beach State Park online as of Dec. 1, placing one of the Shore’s most in-demand items on the open market for the next year. The selling of the permits online represents a major shift from past years, when recreational anglers lined up at the park entrance to obtain their permits the first day they were available. State officials have said the online-based system will provide more “equitable” access to the park.
The state ran into major website issues at 7 a.m. Sunday when it launched the sales site, however, and the DEP has already announced that Monday’s sale has been postponed. According to the DEP, the sale will be limited to 1,000 permit sales per day over an eight day period. The sale began at 7 a.m. Sunday, and was intended to re-start each day this week at 7 a.m. until all 1,000 passes are sold for that day.
There were apparently issues with obtaining permits, and some limited circumstances where customers were charged more than once for a single item. The state said it was working with the contractor that designed the system to repair it.
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“We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve the issue and ensure that all customers who received an emailed receipt have successfully completed their purchase,” an announcement said.
Beach buggy vehicles on the sand at Island Beach State Park. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
The permits allow “beach buggies,” – four wheel drive vehicles – to access and drive along the beach when actively fishing, and make it to areas too far for walking distance, such as the north jetty of Barnegat Inlet. It is known as a “Mobile Sportfishing Permit.” The permits cost $195 for New Jersey residents and $225 for non-residents, and run from Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2025.
The state’s website for purchasing the permits is located here, and updates will be provided on that page as well as numerous Fish and Wildlife, state parks service, and DEP social media feeds.
