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Laguna Beach boosts park rangers and citations as Coastal Act limits parking options
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Summary
City officials described stepped-up enforcement this year — more park rangers, higher citation counts and targeted signage — while the California Coastal Act constrains broad resident-only parking or high parking rates without Coastal Commission approval.
City officials in Laguna Beach described stepped-up enforcement of beach and neighborhood rules and explained why state coastal law limits how the city can restrict visitor access.
On the Fair Game radio program, City Manager Dave Kiff said the city has increased frontline park enforcement and is issuing more citations this year. “We now have 10 park rangers,” Kiff said, and the city has seen enforcement actions rise about 17% year over year. “Parking citations are up 19% — to date that means 13,000 different tickets,” he said. Kiff also cited increases in loud-exhaust citations (168 so far in 2025, compared with 44 at the same point in 2024) and public-drinking citations (699 in 2025 versus 331 in 2024).
The city’s emphasis on enforcement follows policy steps approved earlier by the city, including budget additions that funded two park-ranger positions. Sue Kemp, a Laguna Beach City Council member who rode along with a ranger, described how park rangers balance education and enforcement: “He’s firm, knows what to look for...they write the most number of citations” in late-afternoon patrols, Kemp said, referring to Ranger Oscar Perez.
City Attorney Makin Garibaldi said the California Coastal Act and the city’s certified local coastal program (LCP) limit how far Laguna Beach can go in restricting visitor access. “The Coastal Act means everybody in California is entitled to the right to access the coast,” Garibaldi said, and actions that change how coastal areas are used may require a coastal development permit or compliance with the certified LCP. Garibaldi told listeners that the Coastal Commission has historically been reluctant to allow citywide resident‑only parking restrictions because of the commission’s focus on public coastal access.
Officials described steps the city is pursuing within those constraints. Kiff said staff are discussing paid parking on portions of Pacific Coast Highway in South Laguna with Coastal Commission staff and are arguing that paid parking can improve access by increasing turnover. Kemp said the city will roll out a temporary signage program to improve rule visibility and is also reviewing other operational changes — from trash-collection placement to limits on beach canopies — that may reduce enforcement burdens.
Officials urged residents to report problems through the city’s Ask Laguna app for nonemergency quality-of-life issues and by calling the police nonemergency line for active violations. “If you see drinking on the beach or loud music or someone's being disruptive...call (949) 497-0701,” Kiff said. Ask Laguna also provides geolocated reports and notifies users when a complaint is addressed, he added.
Why this matters: Laguna Beach’s tourism-driven economy and its location largely inside the coastal zone mean the city must balance residents’ quality-of-life concerns with legally protected public access. Officials said their strategy combines additional enforcement capacity, better signage and targeted operational fixes while working within Coastal Commission rules.
Looking ahead, officials said they will continue to track complaint data and enforcement activity to target resources ahead of peak months — Kiff and Kemp both singled out July as the busiest month for visitor impacts and enforcement.
