In May 2016, Long Beach turned down a request for a pilot dog park on the beach. More than 2,000 people had signed a petition, and a city survey had found enough support for it. On November 4, 2026, the City Council unanimously approved an offseason pilot that lets leashed, permitted dogs onto the beach through April 15, 2027.
Both proposals came out of the same off-season demand. What changed is the type of program. In 2016 the idea was a dog area, which meant someone had to pick where it went. The 2026 version is a permit tied to each dog, so it depends on each owner following the rules.
The 2016 Objection Was About Location
The Long Beach Herald's May 2016 report explains why the city said no. The push had started the previous September, when the Project 11561 Facebook page launched a petition that collected more than 2,000 signatures. Nearly 750 residents answered a survey through the city's Long Beach Listens initiative, and the city acknowledged the results showed "sufficient support."
The Nassau County Department of Health, which issues the city's beach operating permit, found that bacteria from animal waste raises the risk of illness for beachgoers. Under the city's reading at the time, a dog beach would have had to be kept separate from bathing beaches. The city wrote that choosing which beach went to which use "would be a no-win situation, pitting residents against each other."
The city's answer then was a fenced dog run on Magnolia Boulevard, built where the old skate park had been. Jessie Farrell, a founding member of the Project 11561 page, told the Herald that a fenced plot did not settle the bigger question. "I think there should be both," she said. "I don't think just opening a dog park solves the real issue of being a dog-friendly community."
A Charter That Said "At Any Time"
The request came back in 2026 against a city charter that barred dogs from the beach and boardwalk at any time of year, Newsday reported. The charter also kept dogs out of certain city parks, playgrounds and recreation areas unless the city manager designated them as dog areas. It did make one seasonal exception: licensed concessionaires could bring horses onto parts of the beach from October through April.
Resident Lisa Gorenberg started an online petition asking for leashed dogs on the beach from October to April. At an October 20 public hearing, City Manager Dan Creighton said it had passed 1,600 signatures, and Newsday counted 2,024 a week later. Creighton told the council, "The beach and boardwalk are our city's crown jewels, so we are well aware that there are strong opinions on both sides of this matter. That said, this council has heard from the residents, and rather than just continue a long-standing culture of saying no to various issues, we are willing to at least entertain the idea with a pilot program."
The proposed charter change gave the City Council the power to allow dogs on the beach and boardwalk by resolution, "along with any limitations and or restrictions it deems reasonable." The Herald counted nearly 20 speakers in favor at the October 20 hearing and one against. Several supporters suggested permits specific to dogs. The council did not vote that night and continued the hearing to November 4.
Gorenberg described the case in social terms. "It's great for the dogs. It's great for the community, too," she told the council, according to Newsday. "You make friends. You build community."
The Pilot Opens the Whole Beach and Ties Each Dog to Its Owner
The council addressed both 2016 problems in one design. The pilot does not set aside a dog beach, so nobody has to decide whose stretch of sand changes use. It puts the cleanup concern on each individual owner.
The city's announcement and the City Clerk's Dog on Beach page set these conditions for the season, which the Clerk lists as November 1, 2026, through April 15, 2027:
- A city beach permit tag attached to the dog's collar, plus a valid license tag
- Current rabies vaccination
- A leash at all times, with a handler
- Prompt pickup and disposal of waste
- Entry and exit ramp to ramp, going directly to and from the beach
- No walking dogs on the boardwalk
Violations can bring fines of up to $1,000. Before the pilot, Newsday reported, the fine for bringing a dog onto the beach was $150. City spokesman John McNally told the paper that animal control was already out there because "there's people out there every morning" with dogs.
During the hearings, the case for the pilot centered on enforcement. Resident Barbara Dillon told the council, as Newsday reported, "People don't clean up after their kids, and we let kids on the beach in the summer, so why not let our little four-legged furry friends run around? I would totally support people being fined for not cleaning up after their dogs."
The one opposing speaker raised the 2016 health concern again, pointing to dog waste, according to the Herald. The pilot answers that concern with individual accountability and does not try to answer it with zoning.
Getting the Tag
According to the permit application, the beach permit is issued per dog. It costs $25 for residents and $50 for nonresidents.
- Gather proof of licensing. Nonresidents can use a current license from their own town or city and must include a copy.
- For the resident rate, bring proof of residency. The application accepts a vehicle registration, driver's license, tax bill, lease, utility bill or other proof.
- Apply in person or by mail to the City Clerk at 1 West Chester Street, Long Beach, NY 11561. The phone number is (516) 431-1002.
- Pay. In person, the Clerk accepts cash, Visa or MasterCard. By mail, send a check or money order. Payments by check can be held for up to seven days, and fees are nonrefundable.
City Hall's general hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on federal holidays and during weather emergencies. The city's general FAQ page still says animals are not allowed on the beach or boardwalk at any time. For this season, the Clerk's pilot page and the city's announcement are the pages that apply.
The Boardwalk Rule Stays, and So Does the Dog Park
The pilot gives dogs the sand and nothing more. The ramp-to-ramp rule means a dog crosses the boardwalk at a ramp and does not walk along it. Anyone used to a long boardwalk loop with a dog still has to make that walk without one.
For off-leash time, the city's dog park page says the old facility is closed. It directs owners to a temporary dog park on Park Place, just east of Posh Pets at 1 West Bay Drive, open from dawn to dusk.
A Trial, With Data in Mind
The council approved the program as a trial for the offseason and did not make it permanent. News 12 reported that a council member described the pilot as a way to collect data and change the policy if needed. Dog owner Kal Lanco told the station what the program has to overcome: "People don't pick up after themselves, and that's a problem."
The pilot season runs through April 15, 2027, and the council's stated plan is to use what it learns over that stretch to adjust the policy. In 2016 the Herald noted that neighboring Atlantic Beach already allowed leashed dogs on its beach from October to March, with the boardwalk off limits. A decade later, Long Beach has a similar arrangement for one winter, on a trial basis.
This post is general information and not legal advice. For permit or fine questions about your own dog, contact the City Clerk's office directly.
If a beach walk with your dog is one of your favorite parts of a Long Beach winter, I would be glad to hear how the pilot is going on your stretch of sand. And if you have been thinking about what your home near the water is worth, Robyn Goldowski can help you get your instant home valuation.
