Bonfire Permits on 30A
What you actually need before Labor Day weekend — how the permit works, how far ahead to apply, and what happens if you skip it.
The Line Everyone Asks About
If you’ve read one of our access cards, you’ve seen it: “Bonfires with permit (required — apply through SWFD before your visit).” Every year around this time, that one line generates more questions than anything else on the site. So here’s the full, honest answer.
Anyone Building a Fire on the Public Beach
This isn’t optional, and it isn’t something you can arrange on the sand the day of. The permit comes from the South Walton Fire District, not the county, and it’s tied to a specific date and a specific access.
Sooner Than You’d Think
SWFD recommends applying at least a few days out, but during peak weeks — Memorial Day, the 4th, Labor Day — permits for the most popular accesses can fill up faster than that. Apply the moment your travel dates are locked in, not the week you arrive.
The Honest Catch
- Not every access allows bonfires at all. Grayton Beach State Park and Deer Lake State Park don’t — that’s a flat no, not a permit thing.
- Always check the specific access page before you plan a bonfire around it.
Fire Patrols Are Active on the Busiest Nights
An unpermitted fire can mean a fine and getting shut down mid-evening. It’s a fifteen-minute online form — there’s no upside to skipping it. Bottom line: treat the permit like a dinner reservation, book it as soon as the dates are real.
Not Sure Which Access Allows Bonfires?
Every guide page has the honest answer, spot by spot.
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