DAYTONA BEACH — Visitors to some of the beaches closest to Orlando will soon have to pay to park in Volusia County’s seaside lots, a significant change for a stretch of coastline that offered thousands of free spaces.

Daily parking at Volusia’s formerly no-cost off-beach lots will be $20 for out-of-towners starting Jan. 1. That change will affect beachside parks in Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach and other popular day-trip destinations for landlocked Orlando-area residents and tourists.

Driving and parking on the beach will cost more, too, going from $20 to $30 for nonresidents starting Oct. 1. Volusia County is unique in Florida in allowing cars to drive on its hard-packed sand. The region’s motorsports tradition started with cars racing on the beach.

Volusia County Commissioner Troy Kent spearheaded the changes, saying county residents already pay property taxes that support beach maintenance and visitors need to chip in, too.

Under the old parking system, the county spent about $17 million in general property tax revenue to subsidize beach operations, he said.

“The free lunch for our visitors is over,” Kent said at a county commission meeting in August. “We want you to come to Volusia County. We want you to enjoy Volusia County but your free lunch … those days are over.”

While visitors will pay more, Volusia County residents and property owners who register still can park at no cost on the beach or at an off-beach lot.

Labor Day will mark the last busy beach holiday weekend before the plan takes effect, and county officials are launching an educational campaign about the changes with signs and social media posts.

“We say we’re the world’s most famous beach, but we are also the world’s most accessible beach in terms of the amount of parking we have and then the ability to drive on large portions of it,” said Ben Bartlett, Volusia County’s public works director. “We feel the uniqueness of that will still draw folks here. The reality is we were one of the last places in the state that wasn’t charging in some fashion for off-beach parking.”

Some out-of-towners weren’t happy to learn of the changes.

John Griffin, a regular visitor from New Jersey, said he thinks the increase is too hefty. He said he’ll hunt for cheaper private lots or spend less time at the beach when he is in town for NASCAR races.

“I don’t like it,” he said at Daytona Beach’s Sun Splash Park. “It was already expensive at $20. I like driving on the beach, but $30 is pretty steep.”

County officials project the new parking plan will result in a net increase of $7.5 million in revenue, funds that will be used for a variety of beach operations, from lifeguard wages to trash pickup.

“Unfortunately, even with this new revenue, the beach isn’t self-sufficient,” Bartlett said.

The city of New Smyrna Beach — a popular beach spot in Volusia — already charges $20 for city-run parking lots near its beaches with free parking passes available to Volusia residents.

But the county has been offering about 2,500 off-beach parking spaces in lots from north of Ormond Beach to south of New Smyrna Beach, all available free of charge.

Under the new plan, finalized by the commission on Aug. 6, frequent visitors to Volusia’s beaches can opt for an annual pass. An off-beach annual pass will cost $100, while an annual beach driving pass will be $150, up from $100. A visitor who wants to drive on the beach and use off-beach parking lots would need to purchase both passes, county officials said.

The details of the new system are being ironed out, but county officials said visitors will be able to pay online and in person.

Beachgoers will be able to buy day and annual passes through a phone app. Day passes will also be available at cashless kiosks at the county’s largest lots. The parking app will also track occupancy at beach ramps and parking lots, helping visitors pick the best place to go on busy beach days, Bartlett said.

Visitors with disability permits and veterans with registered license plates, placards or other official identification will continue to be able to park for free, regardless of where they live.

The parking changes won’t affect fees at the county’s inlet parks — Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet and Smyrna Dunes Park in New Smyrna Beach — which will continue to charge $10 daily or $20 for annual pass, regardless of residency.