Spoiler: Your beach access isn’t changing tomorrow—but there’s big stuff in motion.

In a recent Board of County Commissioners meeting, Interim County Attorney Clay Adkinson laid it out clearly: despite the recent passage of House Bill 1622 by the Florida Legislature, nothing changes overnight for Walton County’s beachgoers.

Let’s break this down.

First off, what’s HB 1622?

HB 1622 deals with what’s known as “customary use”—that’s the idea that the public has long had access to certain stretches of privately-owned beachfront for things like walking, fishing, sunbathing, and enjoying the coast. It’s been a hot topic across Florida, with different counties in different stages of legal back-and-forth.

So… does this new bill affect our local beaches?

According to Adkinson? Not immediately. “What happens on day one after the governor signs the bill?” he said. “Legally, nothing changes on the Walton County beaches.”

That’s because our county’s customary use case has already been through the courts. It’s had its trial dates, some parts were dismissed, others were ruled on. In fact, final judgments were entered back in early 2024. So we’re ahead of the curve—this new law doesn’t override what’s already been decided in court here.

But there is more going on behind the scenes.

The real impact of HB 1622, especially for Walton County, is that it opens the door for something our community’s been working toward for years: clearer, more consistent public access to the beach.

Take Miramar Beach as an example. Because of past beach renourishment efforts and a legally established Erosion Control Line (ECL), the public already has access to beach areas seaward of that line. And no, vendors aren’t allowed to set up shop in those zones or block public access.

The goal? To eventually establish an ECL along the entire coastline of Walton County—from county line to county line—so everyone knows exactly where public access begins, and enforcement can be more precise.

Where does funding come in?

Here’s some good news: Walton County has already secured over $60 million in local funding from beach renourishment sales tax, plus over $60 million in matching federal funds through the hurricane storm damage reduction program. That’s real momentum.

By moving forward with restoration and renourishment projects, the county not only protects our beaches from storm damage—it also strengthens the case for consistent public access.

What’s next?

The County is now finalizing surveys to get extremely accurate data on where the ECL lines actually fall—shrinking the 15-foot margin of error that’s existed for years. New mapping tools and GIS data will help lock it in more precisely than ever before.

“This isn’t the first step,” Adkinson said. “We’ve already taken those. But this is a huge assist from our legislative delegation.”

Bottom line?
If you’re heading to the beach this weekend, it’s business as usual. But looking ahead, the future of public beach access in Walton County just got a powerful boost.

We’ll be watching this closely and will continue to share updates as the next chapter unfolds. You can sign up for the HWY 331 Newsletter to recieve updates from us in your inbox. SIGN UP HERE