Okaloosa County, FL Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- No open flame at all
- John Beasley, James Lee, Brackin, Island Pier
- Elsewhere in parks
- grills/fire rings provided by county only
- Beach fires
- banned between dune line and water's edge
- First violation fine
- $200
- Second violation fine
- $300
- Third+ violation fine
- $500
Summary
Okaloosa County Code § 16-43(b) bans open flames, including Bar-B-Q grills, sternos, candles and tiki torches, at John Beasley, James Lee and Newman C. Brackin Parks and the Okaloosa Island Pier, and elsewhere confines fires to the grills or fire rings the parks division provides.
(b)Fires and fireworks. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity to ignite any substance or material or to light or participate in the lighting of any fire between the vegetation line or mean high water mark (beach area), whichever is a greater distance from the water's edge, and the water's edge of the Gulf of Mexico in Okaloosa County, Florida.(1)No open fires/flames are allowed at John Beasley Park, James Lee Park, Newman C. Brackin Park or the Okaloosa Island Pier. This includes, but is not limited to, sternos, Bar-B-Q grills, candles, tiki torches, fireworks, etc.(2)No fires are allowed in county public parks or recreation areas except in the grills and/or fire rings that have been provided by the parks division.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Section 16-43(b), adopted with the broader beach and parks conduct article under Ord. No. 08-06 and repeatedly amended through Ord. No. 24-19 in 2024, first makes it unlawful to ignite any fire on the beach itself, between the vegetation line or mean high-water mark and the Gulf of Mexico's edge. It then splits county parks into two tiers for cooking equipment. At four named sites, John Beasley Park, James Lee Park, Newman C. Brackin Park and the Okaloosa Island Pier, no open fires or flames of any kind are allowed, and the text specifically lists sternos, Bar-B-Q grills, candles, tiki torches and fireworks as covered equipment; a charcoal or propane grill brought from home cannot be lit at those four locations under any circumstance.
At every other county park and recreation area, fires are allowed only in the grills or fire rings the Public Works Parks Division has installed; bringing a personal smoker, grill or fire pit and lighting it anywhere else in a county park is prohibited even where the blanket four-park ban does not apply. The same subsection separately requires board of county commissioners approval before anyone brings fireworks onto county-owned or leased property, tying grill and flame use to the same authorization structure that governs fireworks in county parks.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 16-43(b) carries a civil penalty of $200 for a first violation, $300 for a second, and $500 for a third or subsequent violation under § 16-51(d), which specifically lists fires-and-fireworks violations of this subsection among the higher-tier penalty schedule. The Sheriff's Office, Public Works Parks Department, Code Enforcement, Tourist Development Department and Public Safety Department are all authorized to cite a violation and to remove non-compliant equipment such as an unauthorized grill or fire pit from the park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring a grill to John Beasley Park or James Lee Park?
Where in an Okaloosa County park can I actually cook outdoors?
What's the penalty for an illegal fire in an Okaloosa County park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Okaloosa County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Okaloosa County to another location·View the Florida outdoor cooking overview
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