Beach Safety

A visit to South Walton wouldn’t be complete without spending time on our sugar-white beaches. To ensure a great experience for everyone, the following rules and safety measures have been put in place by the Walton County commissioners and the South Walton Fire Department.

Walton County BeachRules:

  • Leave No Trace-Items left on beach overnight will be discarded
  • Permits Required-Vehicles,dogsandbonfiresrequire permits. Only Walton County residents and/or property owners qualify for dog or vehicle permits.
  • Stay Safe- Obey all beach flag warnings
  • Sea Turtle Season is from May through October
  • To prevent crowding, no tents larger than 10x10 are permitted on county owned or maintained beaches and must be kept on the top 1/3 of the available beach
  • Please allow a 15’ setback from dunes and water’s edge for emergency vehicles
  • No charcoal grills are permitted on the beach. Propane grills may be used if 225 sq inches (approximately 12x18” square or 16” in diameter) or smaller
  • No glass containers are permitted on the beach
  • Removal of sand, water or vegetation is strictly prohibited
  • No audio device shall be used on the beach that can be heard by a person using normal hearing faculties, at a distance of 100 feet or more from the source of the sound.
  • Keep off the dunes

For a complete and updated list of beach safety rules and tips, visit

Asystem of colored flags keeps residents, hosts and visitorsinformed of current surf conditions.

Beach Flag Color Warning System:

  • Double Red Flag - Water Closed
  • Red Flag - High Hazard
  • Yellow Flag - Moderate Surf/Currents
  • Green Flag - Calm Conditions
  • Purple Flag - Dangerous Marine Life
  • White/Blue Flag- Temporary Technical Issues - Text "SAFETY" to 31279 to remain up to date on flag conditions**

Get Beach Condition Updates to Your Phoneby Text or withthe VSW App:

For current conditions and flag updates text “FLAG” to31279* to receive a link or visit SWFD.org.

*South Walton Beach Conditions: Message and Data Rates May Apply. Periodic Messaging. For help, text HELP, text STOP to end.

**For those who regularly receive beach safety updates via the web, mobile, app or social media, we encourage you to check the flags on the beach and subscribe to our daily text service for conditional updates by texting "FLAG" to31279.