Understanding 30A Photography Permits
Scheduling a portrait session on 30A can involve several steps and it’s imperative that the photographer you hire is fully informed and transparent about the necessary permits, fees, and rules that apply to each community and the beaches at large. We’ve put together all the details on required 30A photography permits to help you have a smooth, surprise-free photo session. The rules and requirements on our beaches and communities is a fluid situation and changes regularly, we do our best to stay updated on the latest.
1. Public Beaches along 30A
- Vendor Permit Required: Personal photography, such as family photos, is permitted. The photographer must have an annual special operations vending permit issued by Walton County to photograph on *any* beach in Walton County, public or private, with the exception of State Parks. To get this permit, the photographer must be insured to the required levels, and have the county listed an an additional insured on the policy. There is a fee, paid by the photographer, for this permit. This permit also has a waiting period, so it’s not possible to secure this at the last minute. We advise clients to double check with their photographer to make sure this permit is valid at the time of the shoot so there are no interruptions from code enforcement in the middle of your session
- Restrictions: Commercial photography may require additional permits depending on the complexity. Always be mindful of not disturbing others, avoiding private property, and cleaning up after the session. We do not ask other beachgoers to move during sessions, but don’t worry, we are very skilled at working around others.
2. Alys Beach
- Permit Required: Alys Beach is private property, and photography sessions, even for personal use, require a permit. Only registered guests and homeowners can acquire a permit for a session and guests must choose a photographer from their exclusive list of pre-selected (insured) photographers. You’ll need to go through the Alys Beach concierge for the list and permission. Alys Beach Photography Policy Please understand, sessions without a permit will result in security escorting you off the property, so you will really want to follow the policy here.
- Fees: There is no fee collected by Alys for a homeowner or guest photography permit.
- Public Areas: Despite appearing to be a public area, the entirety of Alys Beach is private property and does not allow professional photography anywhere on the premises without a permit.
- Other Rules: It’s incredibly important to understand that even with a permit, we will not photograph on porches, steps or in courtyards that belong to someone else.
3. Seaside
- Permits Required: Professional photography requires a permit in Seaside commercial areas. In residential areas, we typically do not run into any issues photographing owners or registered Seaside guests. We will not photography non-registered guests in Seaside’s residential areas. Some pavilions are off limits for professional photography sessions and we will guide you based on those specifics. To acquire a permit for photography in the commercial district, please use this form. Seaside Photography Request Form (Commercial Areas only). As a guideline, we find the commercial district areas to be entirely too crowded for most personal photography sessions, except at sunrise.
- Fees: We are not aware of any fees at this time required for photographing registered guests or owners in the residential areas or on the beach.
4. Rosemary Beach
- Permit Required: Rosemary Beach is private property also has specific rules that require a permit for professional photography, both personal and commercial. You will need to fill out their required permit request form. Much like Alys Beach, only registered guests and owners may be photographed in Rosemary Beach residential, commercial, and beach areas. This includes Main Street, Town Hall/Courtyard, and the greens.
- Fees: There are fees associated with some guest photography permits in Rosemary Beach. There is a $500 permit fee for personal photo sessions in Rosemary Beach but that fee is waived for guests renting directly through Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Company and guests choosing to book from the RBCRC Exclusive Photographer List. We are members of that list. Rosemary Beach Photo Policy and Request Form
- Public Areas: All of Rosemary Beach is private property despite the fact that it may appear public. So the permit process applies throughout. When renting your vacation home, you’ll want to triple check to make sure the home is located within the very specific boundaries because next-door or two streets over will not work.
5. WaterColor Resort
- Permit not Required: At this time, WaterColor Resort does not have any published permit process for personal photography. That said, as a policy of our business, we will only photograph registered guests or homeowners of the WaterColor community on this property.
- No Public Beach Access: In WaterColor you will need the requisite code/card to access the beach area as there is no nearby public access.
6. Watersound
- Permit not Required: At this time, Watersound does not have any published permit process for personal photography. Like WaterColor Resort, as a policy of our business, we will only photograph registered guests or homeowners of the Watersound community on this property.
- No Public Beach Access: In Watersound all neighborhood entries are gated and require a code for access, so there is no public beach or neighborhood access in Watersound.
- Watersound Beach Club: Members of Watersound Club can be photographed at the Beach Club. As members ourselves, we are happy to help facilitate a session on the property for other members (or and will secure any necessary permission ahead of time.
7. Florida State Parks
- Permit not Required: Florida State Parks do not require a permit for personal photography. Each state park has a small fee for entry that will need to be paid upon arrival. Grayton Beach State Park is a popular location for sessions, but due to the lack of permitting required, it can become very crowded in these areas around sunset with many photo sessions taking place. And there have been some rare instances where the park has reached capacity and is closed to additional visitors, making it a potentially risky option. We tend to avoid this for that reason. Deer Lake State Park and Camp Helen are also available, but have some considerably distant walks to the beach that may not work for your family. We can discuss this on a case-by-case basis.
- Preservation Areas: Our State Parks are obviously very focused on conservation and it’s very important that we do not step outside any of the boundaries or past ropes designed to keep those areas off limits.
General Tips:
- Stay off the Dunes: One of the most common violations we see is photographers and clients stepping on our protected dunes. This is an unacceptable action and something we will not participate in. We advise clients to stay a minimum of 5ft in front of any vines or upward slope.
- Plan Ahead: Always check with the local HOA or management for the specific area you plan to shoot in, as rules and enforcement can vary. If you have your heart set on a photo session in a particular location, contact us prior to booking your rental so we can advise as to exactly where you should stay.
- Be Respectful: It’s key to respect the property, guidelines, and private areas so the privilege of photographing in these communities does not have to be further restricted.
Would you like us to help with obtaining a photography permit for any specific area? We are well-versed in the ins and outs of each communities requirements and are happy to submit the requests on your behalf or help you determine where you should book your vacation depending on your dream photo session desires. Contact us for more information.
