Walton County, FL Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Chapter 22 of the Walton County Code, which governs the beach and water bodies south of Highway 20 per Sec. 22-53, bans overnight camping outright. Sec. 22-54(a) states it is 'unlawful to camp overnight on any beach, beach access, beach dune system, parking area, or any other areas owned, leased, dedicated to, or maintained by the County.' The chapter's definitions section, Sec. 22-02, defines 'camping' broadly as 'the erection of shelter or similar structures for the purpose of sleeping; or lying upon the beach on a bedroll, blanket, or other protective garb for the purpose of sleeping,' so the ban reaches both a pitched tent and someone simply bedding down for the night without one.

The same chapter separately limits how personal property can be left overnight even without sleeping there: Sec. 22-54(g) requires a county permit to leave any item on the beach between one hour after sunset and one hour after sunrise, and anything left unpermitted is deemed abandoned county property that can be disposed of under Florida law. That abandonment mechanism functions as the chapter's practical cleanup protocol for encampment-related property once camping itself has been cited.

Enforcement runs through Sec. 22-62: a violation of any Chapter 22 provision, including the overnight camping ban, is a civil infraction punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense. The Sheriff's Office and Code Compliance officers issue citations, and a cited person has 30 calendar days to pay the fine to the clerk of court or request a hearing before the Code Compliance Special Magistrate.