Moving to Sarasota County, FL
A quick reference guide to help you get settled in Sarasota County - utilities, homestead exemption, boat ramps, and beaches.
Utilities
Water & sewer service (Sarasota County Public Utilities): 941-861-6790 (Spanish: 941-861-6734). Electricity: Florida Power & Light (FPL).
Homestead Exemption
File between January 1 and March 1; you must reside on the property as of January 1. Apply at sarasotapropertyappraiser.gov (the current official domain; sc-pa.com still works but redirects here).
Boat Ramps
Higel Marine Park (near Venice Inlet). Nokomis Beach Boat Ramp. Centennial Park / 10th Street Boat Ramp (downtown Sarasota). Blackburn Point Park (Osprey). Sarasota County maintains 13 motorized and 29 non-motorized public water launch facilities countywide.
Beaches
Siesta Beach - ranked the #1 Beach in America for 2026 by U.S. News & World Report, with over 950 free public parking spaces. Turtle Beach. South Lido County Park.
Good to Know
Smoking is banned at all Sarasota County beach parks and recreation spaces (effective October 2023). A 2.45% credit card surcharge applies to electronic payments at county park facilities (effective February 1, 2026).