Chapter 151 caps catered beach events at 50 and bans amplified music on the sand
The Town's application page states that the maximum number of attendees for a catered beach event or wedding ceremony at the beach is 50. The page does not say whether staff, the officiant or the photographer count toward that number. Ask the Special Events office before you build a guest list, and get the answer by email.
Section 151-3(C)(1)(b) of the Town Code prohibits assemblies that include amplified music on beaches. There is no permit that gets around it. An unplugged guitar is a question for the Town; a speaker is a no.
The same section limits tents. On a beach only food service tents are permitted, unless a charitable organization sponsors the event. A ceremony arch or a shade structure on the sand is a Trustees question, covered below.
The Trustees issue a second permit and charge $75 to $200
The East Hampton Town Trustees run a separate beach event permit. Their rules require one when an event has 50 or more guests, is catered, uses a private contractor, or places structures on the beach. A wedding with a caterer trips at least one of those on its own. Weddings are reviewed case by case.
Apply at least 21 days before the date. The application needs a certificate of liability insurance naming the Trustees and a notarized signature, plus a layout sketch showing where everything sits. Tents and arches need Trustee permission.
Fees took effect 1 May 2025 and depend on the beach and on residency.
- Ocean beaches: $100 for residents, $200 for non residents.
- Bayfront beaches: $75 for residents, $200 for non residents.
- Village jurisdiction beaches (Georgia, Main, Wiborg, Egypt and Two Mile Hollow): $100 for residents, $200 for non residents.
- Nonprofits, first responders, schools and places of worship pay nothing.
Town deadlines run 21 to 60 days by headcount, and the insurance is $2,000,000
Section 151-5(B) sets the application deadline by attendance. One to 75 people: 21 days ahead. Seventy six to 150: 30 days. One hundred fifty one to 250: 48 days. Two hundred fifty one or more: 60 days. A beach ceremony is capped at 50, so it lands in the 21 day tier, but a reception at a rented house with more than 75 guests is a separate event on a longer clock.
Late applications carry a fee of $100 to $5,000 depending on participant count and applicant type. The exact per tier amounts are not published in a form we could read. Ask the Special Events office for the current fee schedule.
Section 151-16, amended 19 March 2026, requires liability insurance of $2,000,000 per occurrence naming the Town as additional insured, plus indemnification. Your caterer and rental company may already carry that; ask each for a certificate. Under 151-6(A), if the Chief of Police decides officers are needed, the Town bills a traffic control fee on top.
In 2022 the Town issued 582 special event permits, and 72 were catered beach events
The East Hampton Star reported on 8 December 2022 that the Town had issued 582 special event permits that year: 286 for public property, 156 commercial, 129 residential, 6 parades and 5 art sales. The 2019 count was 577. In 2020 it was 78.
Seventy two of the 2022 permits were catered beach events, and 70 of those were for 50 or fewer attendees. The weddings documented in the Star's reporting ranged from 32 to 150 guests. The Town Supervisor, Peter Van Scoyoc, told the paper the town had reached its limit on such events. Read that as a signal about how applications are received, and file early.
These counts are press sourced, from the Star, and they are the best public picture of demand we found. The Town does not publish a running total.
Fines start at $500 and reach $15,000 for a third offense
Section 151-20 sets the penalties. A first offense is $500 to $2,000. A second within three years is $1,000 to $5,000. A third or later offense within three years is $2,500 to $15,000.
Find out before you sign who the applicant of record is, because that is the person the fine goes to. At a rented house it may be the owner. On a beach it may be you. The lease or the venue contract should say, and if it does not, ask for a line that does.
Two calls to make before you pay a deposit
Call the Town first through its Special Event Applications page, linked below. Then call the Trustees through ehtrustees.com. Put these questions to both.
- Which body has jurisdiction over this exact stretch of beach, the Town, the Trustees or the Village, and can they name the beach as it appears on their own list?
- Does the 50 attendee cap count vendors and staff? The application page does not say.
- Is there any form of live acoustic music that passes 151-3(C)(1)(b), given that amplified music is prohibited on beaches?
- What is the current late fee schedule inside the $100 to $5,000 range, and what is the Trustees' current fee for this beach?
- Will the Chief of Police require traffic control under 151-6(A), and what would that fee be?
- What certificate wording satisfies 151-16 for the Town and the Trustees' own liability certificate requirement?
Sources: East Hampton Town Code Chapter 151, Special Events · East Hampton Town, Special Event Applications page · East Hampton Town Trustees, special event applications and fees · The East Hampton Star, 8 December 2022, on special event permit volume
Rules read on 3 September 2026. Codes change; confirm with the issuing office before you sign anything.
