A couple weeks ago the Panama City Beach City Council passed an ordinance dubbed Leave No Trace that prohibits beach goers from leaving personal property on the beach overnight. Also known as the Tent Ordinance, the initial goal was to eliminate the left over tent skeletons that sometimes seem to pollute our shimmering white sands.
What the ordinance includes.
Specifically, the ordinance states that personal property left on the beach between the hours of 9 pm and 5 am will be considered abandoned and will be disposed of. Some of these items may include tents, chairs, coolers, towels, etc.
On public beaches or with the upland landowner’s permission, guests may store personal property overnight at the Toe of the Dune at their own risk.
The Toe of the Dune is the area of the beach immediately seaward of the dune and beach vegetation. To be specific, it is the area of the beach that is furthest from the water that is not in a sand dune or beach access point.
Items left at the Toe of the Dune will not be removed by the contractor. However, the owners of the personal property storing items at the Toe of the Dune, do so at their own risk. The County, City, TDC and its beach maintenance contractor, do not assume any liability for any items left on the beach after 9:00 pm.
When does the ordinance take effect?
The ordinance is in effect now. However, it’s not being enforced until Sunday, July 8, 2012. Local officials and the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau are getting the program prepared and beginning an awareness campaign so no one’s caught off guard.
How will the program work?
Each evening the beach maintenance contractor will travel the length of the beach and remove any items from the beach that are in violation of this ordinance.
The contractor may issue courtesy warnings for items left on the beach as they begin the implementation. When a courtesy warning is issued the material will be tagged informing the owner of the ordinance and the intent to remove the item the following evening if it is not removed.
However, officials are saying these warnings are a courtesy and that the contractor may remove any item from the beach whether or not a prior warning has been issued.
The release states that there may be times and circumstances that the contractor is unable to remove items from the entire length of the beach in a single evening. This inability to fully enforce the ordinance will not change or prevent the contractor from removing the items the next evening without notice.
PCBDaily 
This is bull. Let’s make it as difficult as possible on the people who are already paying close to $3000 to stay there for a week. I’ve been looking for a reason to try somewhere else. Guess I found it.
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We don’t want to have to pick up your trash. Be resposible or be gone.
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agree
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we live here! we don’t want our beach used as your personal storage. its sometime’s hard to walk the beaches because of everyone’s junk. it looks horrible all strowed out.
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And people who pay several hundred dollars a night to visit should also have rights. Having your brand new beach equipment stolen while you’re gone to dinner does not encourage tourism. If you people who live there don’t like the money you make from tourists, just go ahead and make tourism illegal and be done with it. You’ve lost as least one family with you policy of confiscation. We won’t be back.
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Glad to see you go!
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See ya Red! You’re probably also the same guy that sinks his empties in the Gulf. This ain’t the lake back home! Take all those losers home when you go.
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Me too. I lost close to $150 worth of brand new beach equipment on Thursday while I was gone to have dinner. When I went back at 8:30, well before the posted confiscation time of 9:00, they had already taken it. Way to go, Florida.
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Good Bye. Please don’t come to our beach, either.
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I am all for this. I am very tired of seeing tent skeletons and umbrellas on the beach. The fact that they are inexpensive may lead some tourists to believe they are disposable. Well, maybe they are but please dispose of them yourselves! I am growing tired of visitors leaving their trash on the beach for us locals to deal with.
My family is from the north and we visit Ocean City MD for two weeks every year. Each day, we take our chairs and umbrellas to the beach, and each day we take them back to the condo. We are firm proponents of “Leave Only Footprints”. Please, take your stuff with you!
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This is ridiculous! We stay on the 11th floor and with two kids that’s a long haul!! It is so much easier to be able to tie down our beach chairs and such each night! Thank goodness it’s not going into effect until the day we leave and I will be able to leave my tent for this week.
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You can still store your stuff at the “toe of the dune”.
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Ashley you can always look for a condo that includes beach service or you can rent a set for the time you are there if hauling your stuff back and forth is such a burden.
Personally I think this is way past due. “If” this will be enforced, it will go a long way making our beaches cleaner and more inviting. I guess there is not much that can be done with the trashy people leaving cigarette butts in the sand, bottles, cans, and wrappers behind when they leave for the day.
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Gregg, we need to work on the trashy people next!! I’m not sure if there is an ordinance or not, but there needs to be one. “Take out what you bring in”. The gulf and beach provide so much and these idiots treat it like they’re back home at the lake.
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well how nice………… I had heard this might happen… We always put up a shelter and then lower it in the evenings… We are back out bright and early the next morning.. This will be an inconvenience but I guess we will have to comply if we don’t want to overpay for the umbrellas……… sounds like they are trying to force you to rent those from the beach service… whatever….. it’s vacation and I am not going to let this stop me from the most beautiful beach in the world… (and I have seen many)…the only beach that even comes close are the ones in Bermuda…
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Well, that is nice that you so that but lots of folks leave their beach stuff there all day and never retrieve it.
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In reference to the tent removal ordinance, my only complaint is
that it does not go far enough. In my opinion there should be no tents allowed on the beach at anytime unless they are at least 30 feet removed from the waters edge. Tents are not allowed at Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Daytona Beach or other major beach tourist areas. These tents are unsightly and people connect these tents together and line them up near the waters edge. We need to go back where everyone has a nice umbrella and chairs that they can easily transport to and from the beach.
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Ooh, let’s make a law for EVERYTHING! Really? But I don’t like umbrellas, see, ’cause it’s hard to see through them and they block my view. I think we should ONLY allow tents since people can see through them. Wait, almost forgot: I only like green tents so no other colors allowed.
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Perhaps your multi- story condo can invest on a storage unit for you to keep your items. A public beach is not anybody’s private storage area. Keep our beaches beautiful, unfortunately not all of our guests are as considerate as you might be. It only takes a few bad eggs to ruin things for everyone.
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Seems we’ve struck a nerve here?
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Perhaps so Jason. I am usually mild mannered but it really steams me that people leave their stuff on the beach. At least the junk I have come across, its fairly obvious that its abandoned. People can still bring their chairs, umbrellas, tents, etc. Just take it with you!! I live a half mile away and I take all my stuff.
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I’m glad to see something in effect. We come every year… and nothing is worse than running into the “skeletons” in the dark while walking the beach. I’ve stubbed and broken a toe or two on them. Off season would probably not be an issue—but during peak season, it is just kinda rude and selfish to take up space on an ongoing basis. Won’t hurt anyone to take it down and move it to the “toe” for an evening or more. I’ve seen some go up and only be used 2-3 days out of the week.
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Thanks for this…I shared your article with my readers as well. I personally can’t wait to walk the beach in the evening and not see everyone’s junk laying around.
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It may be inconvient for you, but you need to understand that many, many visitors leave their chairs, tent frames, children’s toys, etc. on the beach when they leave the beach to go home! I have a home about a half mile from the beach and for the past eight weeks the same unused tent frame has been left on the beach I frequent. The mornings I walk I take a trash bag with me and pick up a full bag of “trash” every time. There are trash cans close by. If someone does not want to take their tent home the tent could easily be taken down and placed in or beside the trash can. I welcome this ordinance!
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So stuff that has been abandoned for eitghtyears can’t be picked up, but all of a sudden my brand new chairs and umbrella (about $150worth) can be taken while I’m gone to dinner??? Great law folks. I have made my last trip to Florida, anywhere in Florida.
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Adios.
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Is totally amazed that people are complaining about having to take their crap away ever night with them. It’s not their private beach or storage unit. The beach is to be enjoyed by everyone. I don’t care what floor you are on it’s still an elevator ride no matter if you are on the 2 or 22 floor. Why does everyone else have to look or fall over your crap just because it’s inconvient for you to carry back up to your room with you. We pay the same price to stay there as you do but I guess we are just more considerate regarding other peoples enjoyment and safety. Hats off to PCB for this ordinance.
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I understand both sides of this argument. I understand wanting to make the beaches look cleaner, and I also understand the desire to keep PCB like the good ole days. PCB is moving in the same direction as all beaches in California. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you can still leave your stuff at the edge of the dunes – that’s a lot more than most states allow. I’ve personally had a lot of beach stuff stolen overnight, so we already were taking everything back to our unit each night. Also, I see a new revenue stream for companies like Aquatic Adventures to offer personal beach services like daily tent setup and removal, overnight storage, etc. since they are already doing other beach service. Now, if we can just get food and drinks served on the beach… LOL
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how about no smoking toooooo!!!!!
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What about drinking let’s get rid of that also.
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Yeah….no drinking. no smoking. OH….and only tanned, toned young ladies may wear bikinis. Others, do a one piece. And guys….same rules….no speedo swimsuits. LoL
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Hi len–I smoke and I am a considerate smoker. No cigarette butts in the sand. I take a plastic bottle with me to put my butts in. And at the end of the day, all garbage is put in the garbage can, and all my ‘stuff’ goes back to where I am staying. I love Panama City beaches and have been coming for more years than I can count. I only leave footprints when I leave.
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Glad to see this happen. We were down the first of June and a family, or friends, had FOUR tents lined up side by side. They were littered with chairs, floats, too many items to mention AND …TWO SEADOOS….all of it left on the beach for an entire week…what an eyesore!!!!! So, do the tent frames have to be folded, or are we still going to have to look at the skeletons ???
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Leave no trace? Well what about those horrendous wooden benches that are lined up, up and down the beach. lets require the beach services to remove these every night, better yet get rid of them all together these are one of the biggest rip-offs on the beach and they certainly don’t add anything to the beauty of the beach. Don’t get me wrong I am not against the new ordnance I just think it should apply to all things left on the beach after a said time. Leave no Trace! Well I guess it depends on who is leaving that trace as to whether it is ok or not. Can we say double standard.
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David it’s not really a double standard, the beach service “rents” that space it uses from the condo HOA’s as where they set up is actually the private property (common area) of the condo owners. The set-ups where the service uses fold-ups and an umbrella is actually removed and stored each evening.
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I’m not sure which setups you are referring to but all the ones I have seen over the years are NOT removed in the evening. The umbrellas are taken down, but the walls upon walls of wooden chairs are up for the season. But you are correct – that area is “private” and owned by the condo owners – so if a condo owner allows belongings to be left on their private property, how can this ordinance be enforced? Either that part of the beach (up to the mean high water line) is private or it’s not. Which is it?
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I have never seen the set-ups that Gregg refers to used on PCB, but they do use them in other places like Sea Grove for instance. If I make for another 2 weeks this will be the 44th year in a row that I have vacationed in Panama City Beach, Many of those years for several weeks over the summer and have always tried to leave the beach better than I found It. and I am guilty of useing a canopy on the beach and leaving it up for 6 or 7 nights and then taking it down and carrying it home. I have been useing the same one now for five years. NO MORE! It is just to much trouble to set up and take down every day. It is all about the money for the beach venders. Sad but true.
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You are speaking of the lounges, they are set up on the condo property, then many times the beach service will set up chairs and an umbrella along the water line, these are the ones removed each day.
It’s NOT the individual condo owners, it’s the HOA speaking for the condo owners that have not allowed BUT RENTED the spaces to the duly licensed beach service companies. I’m sure Jeanne if you wanted to buy beach front property you could contract a LICENSED beach service company to set up lounges on YOUR personal property and leave them overnight. As a matter of fact several beach houses on the East end have done this very thing and allow their guests free usage of these lounges.
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I do own beach front property but why would I contact a “licensed” beach service to “set up lounges on my personal property to leave overnight” when I can just use my own canopy?
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Oh, yay, does this mean the rows upon rows of cookie cutter walls of rental chairs and umbrellas are finally going to go away to allow room for someone else on the beach????? Hmmmm…I think not – so really, the beach concession folks hit a home run this one, didn’t they? But how exactly can this be enforced at all on anything other than a truly “public” beach? Do upland land owners not have the right to leave their belongings (or allow their guests) on their piece of the beach – even past the Toe of the Dune? And are beach house owners/condo owners/HOAs not upland owners?
The only other argument against “tents” I’ve seen that truly has merit is the effect of these on hatching sea turtles (but beach concession rentals would also impede the hatchlings, would they not?)..My sister and I were discussing this recently and wondering why nests can’t be fenced off all the way to the high water line (instead of just the square box) to provide a clear path. Seems like that would be a reasonable solution.
Don’t get me wrong – I am not applauding those that pollute – but I’ve been vacationing here all my life – and now I own here – and frankly I haven’t seen a terrible mess of “leftover” skeletons (but I have seen certain groups of people paint a picture that may be less than factual in an attempt to further their own agendas). Last night as I was coming in from the beach, I took a picture that looks very similar to the one at the top of this post – groups of tents, with their respective owners’ chairs folded up underneath. These aren’t “leftover” skeletons though: these just have the canopy removed for the evening. And I smiled. Because I don’t see ugly; I see beach happiness! These “tents” that some love to hate provide great shelter from the sun, allow groups larger than two to congregate *together* as they “try to cram lost years into five or six days”, allow tired and exhausted vacationing parents two hours of sweet vacation peace with a good book while their toddlers take an afternoon nap….and a small sense of (temporary) ownership of a dream to actually make a small part of their beloved beach their home, if only for a few days. And PCB’s economy wouldn’t exist without them.
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Well said.
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I could not have said it better. Thank you so much for understanding. We come there every year, and there is usually 20 of us vacationing there. We have two canopies, and we enjoy having shade underneath our canopies with our small children. We go every morning to the beach, and we stay at least until night fall. We lower our canopies as far as we can. We are not trying to disrespect anyone that lives there or any other beach goers. We are just trying to enjoy our week at the beach.
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Thank you for posting this. I have been coming to PCB for more than 40 years and have NEVER seen abandoned tent skeletons, chairs, etc. as these people claim. I had my brand new cjphairsmand umbrella taken well before the published deadline of 9:00. And sighted person could have seen that they were not abandoned. I think they might have still had the price tags hanging on them. When we went back to get them after dinner, they had been taken.
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I’m surprised at the reaction on this one. I would have preferred to start with a policy to stop drinking out of cans and bottles on the beach, which might then stop all the garbage beers cans on the sand and in the water. I’m surprised this was not the first step.
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There would have been no money in it for the beach services, that would probably have hurt them. It would keep most of the people who drink up at the pool and not renting The over priced chairs and umbrella on the beach.
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Indeed, Ron. All around the area where my New chairs and umbrella were taken while I was gone to dinner were cigarette butts beer cans and plastic cups(not mine). Guess that’s not considered abandoned.
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I hope I can comment on this without being flogged……..I’m at the beach enough throughout the year to have noticed what some visitors do to PC Beaches & frankly, I do not enjoy seeing this. Me–I am happy the ordinance passed. Now it will make people angry at first but, for the sake of keeping the beach clean for all, that is the main concern. It will be interesting to see how this shapes up after July 8th….. I am wondering how they were going to inform visitors, will there be signs posted?
I’ve seen in the past nothing but the metal frames left of tents, broken chairs, floats etc…. just left on the beach…… simply deserted. Noone likes to have to tell adult people to pick up after them self. If people will only follow “Beach Rules” then the beach should be left clean each evening. I do feel for the families who have to carry so much to the beach to set up esp. if they have smaller children & just want a little shade for them. But, if you read this ordnance you will only have to move it back some in the evenings… not completely tear it down & haul it back to your condo. Me–I was always afraid to leave any of our personal items on the beach, I always believed that you were just asking people to take your belongings.
Hope all this works out for the best,
Cathy/Tennessee
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I ve been vacationing at PCB my entire life . Now, I am married with children . When we go to the beach I am pack mule however I ALWAYS take all my belongings back to condo at the end of the day . Those big tents are unsightly … Go to SAMs & Buy a nice umbrella something easy to put up & take down at the end of the day . My children are small too no problem here being responsible for all parties & my beach items .. These people leaving crap are just plan lazy or only care about themselves.
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The Sportbrella is a great alternative.
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They’ll take your umbrella too. And they won’t wait till 9:00 to take it.
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I am very pleased to see that you are doing something to stop this ugly mess on your beautiful beach! My family has been coming here for vacations from North Carolina for many years, and your beach has been getting more polluted every year. This is a shame!! Now you need to figure a way to stop all the litter from cans, bottles, etc. Maybe a no alcohol on the beach rule, or at least a heavy fine for leaving your trash or burying it on the beach. It is terrible that we as human beings are so sorry, that we treat our beautiful beaches this way!!
I think you are on the right track!
Ed Edgell
North Carolina
Visitor
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I am outraged at the double standard here, and I really suspect the beach lounge rental companies have duped us all. This ordinance isn’t about protecting the natural beauty of the beaches (which, for the record, I fully support if it didn’t make exceptions for “licensed” lounge rental companies). It seems to me that this ordinace is aimed at protecting the lounge rental companies. The rows upon rows of wooden lounge chairs that are often placed so closely together that you cannot walk between them, and three or four rows deep during peak season, are every bit the eyesore that this ordinance claims to remedy. Furthermore, the I have personally seen the guys renting these lounges bully, harass, and intimidate families who dare to set up in front of them. If PCB is truly concerned about this mess on the beach, why license these guys to leave these obstructive monstrosities on the beach all year? Private home owners cannot leave their chairs on the beach, but they can pay a licensed rental company to leave some chairs out for them!?! It’s absurd.
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This rule should apply to everyone, including the beach services. In south FL all beach services remove their chairs and umbrellas at the end of the day and replace them each morning. If homeowners must remove their beach chairs then everyone should remove the chairs including the beach services. As a homeowner, I am glad to see the ordinance. This may start a new argument regarding the mean high water line which is defined by the state and not an interpretation by the local sherif. Look at Clearwater Beach as an example.
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I think this “leave no trace” sucks. It does not take a brain surgeon to tell if something has been left on beach. There are 35 of us on west end that set up tents for long holiday weeks. We not only remove ours at the end of the week but we pick up trash EVERYDAY to help keep beaches clean. There has to be a compromise someway to make everyone happy. I am sure the condo owners are going to love our stuff left in their front yard. P.S. What about garbage can running over and no where close to exit?
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Just a couple of comments Janice:
The law does not allow you to store your stuff in front of the condos UNLESS you have the HOA’s permission which I doubt that will happen. Just because you might be a guest or even an owner of a particular condo complex does not mean you can take advantage of a “Common Area”.
In case you have an interest here is the actual law:
Click to access Ord1162-E%20LeaveNoTraceTentOrd%20SIGNED.pdf
I cannot believe you actually think that a law could be passed that would make everyone happy!
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Tents blow very easily on down the beach. With the Beach breezes they are totally unsafe. I live in a condo and have watched this happen hoping they wont strike a little child or put out an eye or break a bone of a passer by. I fear only taking them up at night does not solve a more important problem of the fact that so many metal poles and the top material catching the wind like a parachute is going to really cause a disaster sooner or later. People will be putting them up less firmly if they are taking them down at night making them more apt to blow. There really is not an answer even though it seems like a neat thing to do. The Beach service chairs are built for the wind and the umbrellas are secured so that they are safe. They are monitored and maintained to be safe. There is a great difference.
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Where’s all this stuff going? Will they be giving away or reselling this stuff? If so, where do we go to obtain it? If they sell it for a reasonable price, it could add a small amount to PCB coffers — like auctions of seized property.
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We left there Sunday morning and the beach was beautiful looking without all of the tent skeletons in the way.
The tents were getting out of hand. I have only been to these beaches for the past four years and it seems that each year they were getting worse and worse. What was really irritating was the people who would put up the tents reserving a spot and not even show up at the beach for days at a time.
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Ok, I’ve been asked a question here…….
When a couple rent a beach home & have a private beach with that home…… is this law in affect for them too or is it just the beached that stretch by all of the condo’s?
To me “all” the beach means “all” right….. no matter if you rent a condo or a home, the beach is there for all.
Just asking,
Cathy/Tennessee
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Cathy I posted a link to the law above, if you read it you will see that the law applies to ALL beach property that is maintained by the city/county. The law explains why.
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That is wonderful….. then everyone will be treated the same no matter what part of the beach you are staying on.
As it should be. 🙂
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Not true. Those ugly commercial loungers are permanent fixtures on the beach. Only the umbrellas are taken in in the evenings. And they are much more of an eyesore than were my new chairs and umbrella that were taken.
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I’m thrilled with this new ordinance. I was down over the 4th of July, and could not believe how many people chose to leave their broken down tent frames on the beach and not come back for them. I don’t come to the beach to look at everyone’s discarded crap.
Thanks again, PCB Council for doing a good job to keep our beaches beautiful.
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The problem with left-behind tents and other debris has been getting worse and worse every year. I have a condo on the beach, and the beach gets filthy with litter, including cigarette butts, cans, discarded beach toys, and tents. This ordinance is long overdue!
To the people who want to leave their debris on a beach overnight: Please find another beach to your liking that allows you to leave your garbage behind. We won’t miss you.
Thank you PCB and Bay County officials for finally getting a handle on this problem. Forcing people to clean up after themselves will only make our beaches better.
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I’m so glad they worry about things like tents, all the red seaweed graffiti makes the beach look terrible. We are staying at emerald beach resort and it’s embarrassing seeing the beach like this.
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Well erin it’s a lot easier trying to control what some inconsiderate tourists do than Mother Nature.
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Thank you to all of our out-of-town visitors that come from miles away to enjoy our BEAUTIFUL beaches but please leave our beaches BEAUTIFUL. I do like the new ordinance. I know it’s a pain to many vacationers but it is essential to keeping our beaches beautiful and safe. I just wish that all the paper, can and etc. trash left by some (not all) visitors and unfortunately some locals, would be picked up also. I see that several people are aggravated by all the wooden loungers that are left out each and every night…understandable but we are fighting a losing battle on that one. I do believe that the almighty dollar will come out on top of that battle. Anyway, thanks to all that obey the new ordinance and to all that leave only their footprints on our beaches!!!!
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I’ve been coming to PCB for over 40 years and I have to say this was the worst!!!!
Leave no Trace should consist of wooden beach chairs and the LOVE shack’s(cusion and umbrella) storage!!!!
I thought the beaches were public and the last time I checked we paid taxes on our stay!!! But again we spend thousands of dollar’s to go on vacation and just like everything in this country everybody telling you what you can and can not do!!!!
If they are gonna hire a contractor to pick up trash then hire one to pick up the SEAWEED!!!Just saying!!!
Lets just put a coiffure on the beaches too, condo’s already putting coiffure on hot tubs and pools!!!!We had a sercurity guard tell a lady at our condo she could not listen to her radio unless she put ear plugs in, now you know that is a shame!!!!
Where would PCB without tourist money!!!!One lonely place!!!!
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My daughter and I had $150 worth of personal property taken from Panama City Beach last week while we were at dinner. When we returned at 8:30 to pick up our things, they had been taken. We called the police dept., and we’re told that the pickup time is now 7:00 but that they start picking up at dark. This law is unfair to visitors and non-residents who don’t know about it or don’t know the law has been changed. I had just bought our chairs and umbrella. They had been on the beach for approximately six hours when they were taken. We could not afford to go and buy more and so had to spend our entire vacation without chairs and umbrella. After over 40 years of vacationing in Panama City Beach, I will not be coming back.
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But I would bet my confiscated brand new beach equipment, if i still had it, that you civic minded Floridians wouldn’t be bothered if everyone brought their AK47s and Glocks to the beach with them?
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