PARK RANGER

Okaloosa County Park Rangers operate under the Division of Beach Safety within the Department of Public Safety. Our Park Rangers are committed to building lasting relationships between the public and vendors by educating all related stakeholders on County ordinances, rules and other information to ensure a pleasant experience for people enjoying County-maintained parks. Park Rangers are mobile and survey County parks with the intent to inform the public, while also taking quick action to rectify any violations that contradict County ordinances.

BEACH PARKS

Okaloosa County maintains beach parks in the south end of the County that includes beach access points on the Gulf of Mexico and Santa Rosa Sound stretching between Eglin Air Force Base property lines on the east and west.

Beach Vendor Information

To obtain a Qualified Beach Vendor Permit contact the Facility  Parks Maintenance Department at https://myokaloosa.com/facilities/home.

Vendors will be required to pay fees for photography, mobile food and beverage vending, sand castle and picnic vendors.

FEES:

• Wedding and Food and Beverage Vendors – $500 per year
• Picnic, Photography, and Sand Castle Vendors – $250 per year
• Chair and Umbrella Vendors (Includes vehicle fees)
• With upland condo agreements of less than 500 units – $2,500 per year,
• With upland condo agreements of greater than 500 units and less than 1000 units – $5,000 per year
• With upland condo agreements of more than 1,000 units – $10,000 per year.

There will also be usage fees for beach vendors, including:

Wedding Vending:

• Elopement Wedding – Fewer than 6, No setups – $50
• Wedding (excluding James Lee Park) – $100
• James Lee Park Wedding – $200
• Additional Fee for Wedding after 5pm – $50
• Additional Fee for Weekend Wedding – $50
• Picnic, Sand Castles, and Photography Vending:
• Sand Castles Events – $50
• Picnics Events over 4 individuals – $50
• Picnic Events with prolonged setup over 4 hours – $100
• Photography over 10 individuals or w/setups/Over 2hrs – $50
• Food and Beverage Vendors – $400 per month.

Additionally, chair and umbrella beach vendors will be required to pay $100 per chair and umbrella setup, per section of beach, between beach accessways and upland owner permit equivalent to $75 per upland unit, per calendar year. Non-vending areas exist within the width of each of the seven 100ft wide public beach accessway properties, plus 50ft on either side of the public access property.

• Florida Statute 125.01 allows for counties to regulate comprehensive public health, safety and welfare on or pertaining to the county beaches, James Lee Park and all parks and recreation areas within the unincorporated areas of Okaloosa County.
• County Ordinance 16-42 sets the authority, purpose and intent of regulating same and adds that, “Local government policy toward the beach, county parks, water bodies and recreational areas should be guided by the recognition that proper management of these areas is vital to the economic development of the county and that all reasonable competing uses of these areas must be protected and balanced.”
• County Ordinance 16-43 regulates use and conduct at the beach, county parks, water bodies and recreational areas in unincorporated Okaloosa County. Definitions and violations are annotated. Section (r) governs enforcement of the article and notes, “The sheriff department, Okaloosa County Public Works Parks Department, Code Enforcement, Tourist Development Department and Okaloosa County Public Safety Department are hereby authorized and directed to remove from the beaches and recreation areas items of personal property that is abandoned or not in accordance with the terms in this article and enforce all other provisions of this article.” As Park Rangers serve under the umbrella of the Public Safety (a Unit of the Beach Safety Division within the Department of Public Safety), Rangers are authorized to enforce this ordinance including all setbacks and vendor regulations, animals/dogs on the beach as noted in 16-43(m) excluding service animals defined in F.S.S 413.08 (dog or mini-horse only) or law enforcement dogs, and the newly-added 16-43(c), smoking and vaping prohibited excluding unfiltered cigars (language adopted by state law).