With the ordinance now in place for parking using license plates to enforce free parking for full- and part-time residents, Gulf Shores will now consider a company called Park Loyalty to provide the means to enforce it.

On Oct. 5, city council met in a work session to discuss a three-year contract with Park Loyalty for “beachfront parking enforcement, parking ticket collection and exempt plate registration for residents and property owners.” Councilors could vote on the system at the next regular session on Oct. 12.

Under the new rules, if approved, full-time residents must have a Gulf Shores address on their driver's license, and their license plates must be registered to a Gulf Shores address to receive access to the residents’ lot. There is no limit on how many vehicles full-time residents can register.

Requirements for part-time residents to have free parking in other city spaces include presenting a property tax form or a deed, and vehicles must be registered in the property owner’s name. Each property can register up to two vehicles.

The new ordinance will allow full-time residents access to the resident-only lot.

The ordinance didn’t come without concerns mainly from owners of second homes or businesses in Gulf Shores who were eventually left out of the resident-only lot.

“I think this is the fairest thing we can do,” Police Chief Dan Netemeyer said. “I think everybody agrees that the current system is not working. Everybody believes the line should be drawn but I also believe that everybody feels that they should be within that line. That’s just not possible.”

The current system uses hurricane re-entry stickers to determine who could use the residents-only parking lot at East Gulf Place, east of the Pink Pony Pub and the Phoenix All-Suites hotel. That system, city officials say, is rife with problems and in need of changes.

“This is a direct response to residents’ concerns about unauthorized use of parking decals and misuse of resident-only parking spaces,” a release from the city states. “Part-time property owner vehicles may park for free at any beach access, except in the East Gulf Place lot.”

Enforcement from Park Loyalty would cost the city $102,000 for three years and would include:

- Hardware for enforcement and conversion of current hardware;

- Annual subscription service software data packages;

- DMV plate lookup for collection of outstanding parking tickets;

- Credit card payment processing;

- Mailings to parking violators;

- Motorist portal for payment of outstanding parking tickets;

- Resident and property owner portal to register exempted plates; and

- Training and installation.

“Residents will soon be able to submit exemption applications online through a new registration portal,” the release states. “Exemptions may also be obtained at city of Gulf Shores special events, during neighborhood visits conducted by GSPD, and at the Justice Center. Once approved, license plates will be automatically entered into the parking system.”

The new system will start on Jan. 1, 2027, if approved, and while hurricane stickers would longer be used for parking access, they will still be needed for re-entry into the city after tropical events.