Beach rules from Amelia Island to Matanzas: alcohol, fires, tents, drones, weddings and flags.
The sand runs unbroken from Fernandina Beach to Flagler Beach, and the rules change at the city lines. Here is what each town and county allows, from a winter fire on Atlantic Beach to a sunset wedding in St. Augustine Beach, with the official source for each rule.
By Krista Fracke — Broker Associate, Christie's International Real Estate First Coast · 20+ years in Northeast Florida · 500+ closings · client reviews
What the beaches here allow
I’m Krista Fracke. If you live near the beach or host guests who come for it, most of a beach day is open to you everywhere on this coast: a shade, a picnic, a leashed dog in most towns, a surfboard and a fishing rod. What changes from town to town is the short list below, and it changes at city lines your guests will never see.
Allowed in more places than people think
Canopy tents in Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach, 10 by 10 foot sun shades on the St. Johns County beaches, self-contained grills in St. Johns County, and permitted winter fires in Atlantic Beach.
The same almost everywhere
From Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine Beach, every official source we read that addresses alcohol on the sand says no, and glass is banned in every Duval and St. Johns jurisdiction.
Covered on their own pages
Dogs are on the dog-friendly beaches guide, beach driving on beach access, and lights and nests on sea turtle season.
Amelia Island: Fernandina Beach and Nassau County
The city runs the north end of the island; the county runs the beaches south of the city limits, including Peters Point and Burney Park.
| Rule | City of Fernandina Beach | Nassau County (unincorporated) |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Not allowed on city beaches or beach accesses, except at a permitted special event | Not stated for day use (banned at permitted group camping) |
| Glass | Not stated | Not stated |
| Fires | No fires on city beaches | None May 1 to Oct. 31. Other months: not in the dunes, no wood with nails or staples, put out and covered before you leave |
| Tents and shades | Not stated | Not stated for shades; camping not allowed except permitted group camping at Burney Park |
| Overnight | Beach accesses close midnight to 5 a.m. | Unattended items 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. can be removed, unless stacked off the dune and walkovers and more than 10 ft from a turtle nest |
| Drones | Not stated | Not stated |
| Weddings | Ask the city special events coordinator, 904-310-3363 | Not stated |
| Pier and swim zones | Not stated | Not stated |
Sources: Fernandina Beach Code ch. 10, Fernandina Beach FAQs, Fernandina Beach beach accesses, Nassau County beach rules. “Not stated” means the official source we read does not address it; ask the city or county before you plan around it.
Homes for sale in Fernandina Beach
The north end of Amelia Island, where the city's beach rules apply. Live from the MLS.
The Jacksonville beaches: Atlantic, Neptune and Jacksonville Beach
The three cities enforce a shared list of beach laws, posted jointly by their police departments. The City of Jacksonville runs Hanna Park and Huguenot Memorial Park under its own park rules.
| Rule | Atlantic Beach | Neptune Beach | Jacksonville Beach | Hanna Park and Huguenot (City of Jacksonville) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not allowed; staff may check coolers |
| Glass | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Fires | By city permit, Nov. 1 to Feb. 28: up to 25 people, 2 x 2 x 1 ft, out by 10 p.m. | No unpermitted fires or grills | No open fires for any reason; no grills | Campfires in campsite fire rings only |
| Tents and shades | Canopy tents allowed; no digging or staking above the high tide line | Not stated | Canopy tents allowed; no digging or staking above the high tide line | Not stated for the beach (tents at campsites) |
| Overnight | No sleeping, camping or lying on the beach 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.; take gear off the beach in turtle season | No sleeping, camping or lying on the beach 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. | No sleeping, camping or lying on the beach 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.; remove chairs, umbrellas and tents daily in turtle season | Huguenot day use 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Apr. to Oct.) or 6 p.m. (Nov. to Mar.) |
| Drones | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | No drones in either park |
| Weddings | No permit for under 50 guests with no vendor; a Special Event Request above that | Not stated | No application, permit or fee | Not stated |
| Pier and swim zones | Not stated | Not stated | No swimming, wading or surfing within 300 ft of the fishing pier | Huguenot: no fishing, kiteboarding or motorboats in zone 6 |
Sources: Three Beaches beach laws notice, Atlantic Beach permits, Atlantic Beach fire regulations, Atlantic Beach sea turtles, Jacksonville Beach rules, Jacksonville Beach fire rules, Jacksonville Beach weddings, Jacksonville Beach sea turtles, Hanna Park rules, Huguenot Park rules. “Not stated” means the official source we read does not address it; ask the city or county before you plan around it.
The part nobody tells you: the rules change mid-beach
Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach share a shoreline with no visible line on the sand, and their fire rules differ. Atlantic Beach permits a campfire-size beach fire from November 1 to February 28, for up to 25 people, out by 10 p.m. The joint notice for Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach bars unpermitted fires and grills, and Jacksonville Beach says no open fires for any reason.
Weddings split the same way. Jacksonville Beach asks for no permit at all, while a few miles south St. Johns County requires one for every wedding on the beaches it manages, whatever the size, and St. Augustine Beach needs one from 15 guests up. If you are hosting family for an event, check which jurisdiction your stretch of sand falls in before you book the arch.
Homes for sale in Jacksonville Beach
A few blocks from the pier and the city's guarded beach. Live from the MLS.
St. Johns County: Ponte Vedra to Crescent Beach, and St. Augustine Beach
The county runs most of the shore, from the Ponte Vedra walkovers through Vilano and down to Crescent Beach. The City of St. Augustine Beach has its own code, and the Guana reserve, Anastasia State Park and Fort Matanzas are managed by their own agencies.
| Rule | St. Johns County beaches | City of St. Augustine Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Glass | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Fires | No open fires or fireworks; self-contained grills allowed, coals carried off the beach | No open fires or fireworks; grill coals disposed of properly |
| Tents and shades | Sun shades up to 10 x 10 ft; on driving beaches, set up east of the cones | Not stated |
| Overnight | Nothing left overnight; county beach gates close 7:30 p.m. to 8 a.m., May 1 to Oct. 31 | Not stated |
| Drones | No launching or landing on the beach | Not stated (the city page covers FAA registration only) |
| Weddings | Permit for every wedding, any size: $135 under 200 people, $270 for 200 or more | Permit at 15 or more guests: $100, plus a $300 bond at 100 or more; south of A Street, or north of it only in commercial zones |
| Pier and swim zones | No swimming or surfing within 400 ft of the county Ocean Pier | Not stated |
Sources: St. Johns County beach rules, St. Johns County beach events, St. Johns County Ocean Pier, St. Augustine Beach rules, St. Augustine Beach special events. “Not stated” means the official source we read does not address it; ask the city or county before you plan around it.
Flagler Beach
South of Matanzas Inlet. The city publishes a short list of the ordinances beachgoers ask about most. We did not find a published beach-rules page for unincorporated Flagler County, so it is left out rather than guessed.
| Rule | City of Flagler Beach |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | No open alcohol on the boardwalk and none on the pier; the sand itself is not stated |
| Glass | Not stated |
| Fires | No uncontained fires; no fires at all May 1 to Oct. 31; no fireworks in city limits |
| Tents and shades | Not stated |
| Overnight | Not stated |
| Drones | Not stated |
| Weddings | Not stated |
| Pier and swim zones | No shark fishing from the pier |
Sources: Flagler Beach ordinances you should know. “Not stated” means the official source we read does not address it; ask the city or county before you plan around it.
The beach warning flags
Section 380.276 of the Florida Statutes requires public beaches that fly warning flags to use the state program’s flags. The statute itself does not list the colors; Florida DEP’s beach warning flag sign does, and it is the key you will see posted at lifeguard stands and beach accesses.
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Double red | Water closed to the public |
| Red | High hazard: high surf and/or strong currents |
| Yellow | Medium hazard: moderate surf and/or currents |
| Green | Low hazard: calm conditions, exercise caution |
| Purple | Stinging marine life: man o' war, jellyfish, stingrays |
The sign closes with a line worth repeating to guests: the absence of flags does not assure safe water. In Jacksonville Beach, water activity is prohibited when the no-swimming flag is posted. For the day’s rip current risk by beach, the National Weather Service surf zone forecast is the one to check before you go.
Homes for sale in St. Augustine Beach
Anastasia Island, between the county pier and the state park. Live from the MLS.
If you host guests
The questions guests ask most are about a cooler, a fire and where to leave the chairs. The tables answer the first two. For the chairs, the safest habit everywhere is to carry them home each evening: St. Johns County says nothing may be left on the beach overnight, unincorporated Nassau County removes unattended items between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless they are stacked off the dune, and Jacksonville Beach and Atlantic Beach ask for gear to come off the sand daily from May through October.
Pier days have their own buffers. Jacksonville Beach keeps swimmers, waders and surfers 300 feet from its fishing pier, and St. Johns County keeps them 400 feet from its Ocean Pier in St. Augustine Beach. Surfing spots and other water sports are covered in the surfing and water sports guide.
This is the work I do every week. Choosing between beach towns and want to know which rules come with the house? Tell me the stretch of sand you like, and I'll send homes there along with the town's beach rules.
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Broker Associate · Christie's International Real Estate First Coast · 20+ years · 500+ closings
Common questions
Can you drink alcohol on the beach in Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra or St. Augustine Beach?
No. Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach post a joint notice that bars drinking alcohol in public, including on the beach, and Hanna Park and Huguenot Memorial Park prohibit it too. St. Johns County, which runs the Ponte Vedra, Vilano and Crescent Beach shore, and the City of St. Augustine Beach both list alcohol as not permitted. Fernandina Beach bans it on city beaches and beach accesses except at a permitted special event.
Can you have a bonfire on the beach in Northeast Florida?
In a few places, at certain times. Atlantic Beach issues beach fire permits from November 1 to February 28 for up to 25 people, with a campfire-size fire of 2 by 2 by 1 feet put out by 10 p.m. Unincorporated Nassau County allows fires outside May 1 to October 31, kept out of the dunes and fully put out and covered. Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville Beach, St. Johns County and St. Augustine Beach do not allow open fires on the beach, and Flagler Beach allows no uncontained fires and none at all from May through October.
Do I need a permit for a beach wedding?
It depends on the town. Jacksonville Beach requires no application, permit or fee. Atlantic Beach needs none for fewer than 50 guests with no vendor. St. Johns County requires a permit for every wedding on the beaches it manages, $135 for under 200 people. The City of St. Augustine Beach requires a special event permit from 15 guests up, $100, and limits weddings to south of A Street or the commercial zones north of it. In Fernandina Beach, call the city special events coordinator.
Can I leave my beach chairs and umbrella on the beach overnight?
Not in St. Johns County, which says nothing may be left on the beach overnight and items can be removed. In unincorporated Nassau County, unattended items between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. are removed unless they are stacked off the dune and walkovers and more than 10 feet from a turtle nest. Jacksonville Beach and Atlantic Beach ask that chairs, umbrellas and tents come off the beach every day in sea turtle season.
What do the beach flag colors mean in Florida?
Florida DEP’s statewide sign uses five flags: double red means the water is closed to the public; red is high hazard, high surf and/or strong currents; yellow is medium hazard, moderate surf and/or currents; green is low hazard, calm conditions, exercise caution; purple warns of stinging marine life such as man o’ war, jellyfish and stingrays. The sign adds that the absence of flags does not assure safe water.
Can I fly a drone at the beach?
St. Johns County bans launching or landing drones on its beaches, and Hanna Park and Huguenot Memorial Park are no-drone zones. The other cities’ beach pages we read do not address drones, so check with the city before you fly there.
The First Coast beaches →
A local guide from Amelia Island to Matanzas.
Beach access and driving →
Public accesses, parking and the drive-on beaches.
Dog-friendly beaches →
Leash rules and hours, town by town.
Sea turtle season →
The nests, the lights and the rules from May through October.
Dunes and sea oats →
What oceanfront owners can do to the dune in front of the house.
Surfing and water sports →
Breaks, pier buffers, paddling and personal watercraft.
Picking a beach town?
Tell me which rules matter to you, from a winter fire to a beach wedding. I’ll send homes in the towns that fit.