Spring break rules begin March 1st in Panama City Beach
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Spring break is just around the corner, and that means so are the spring break laws. Panama City Beach Police don’t mess around when it comes to rule-breakers.
“If you do something illegal here, you’re going to be held accountable,” Panama City Beach Police Chief J.R. Talamantez said. “That spring break that we saw in 2015 is not what we’re going to tolerate in 2022.”
There is no booze on the sandy beaches, no open house parties, and no alcohol sales past 2 a.m.
Panama City Beach is no longer the wild spring break destination it once was and city leaders are making sure it stays that way.
“The city will not go back to the rowdy days of the past,” Mayor Mark Sheldon said.
“We do want to make sure you come here and you’re safe, you conduct yourself in a manner that’s lawful and if not, then we will take care of that,” Councilman Geoff McConnell said.
Come March 1st, a list of ordinances goes into effect. Rule breaks could cost you a pretty penny or land you behind bars.
“If you come here with the intent to cause harm to anyone in this community, you will leave with an arrest on your record,” Mayor Sheldon said.
Most of the rules have been around since 2016, such as no overnight scooter rentals and no parties in the parking lots.
“I know you did not drive all the way to Panama City Beach to hang out in the parking lot,” Talamantez said.
But there are some newer additions, such as a portion of the sandy beaches will be closed at night.
“You get a lot of people out there fielded with alcohol, fueled with energy drinks in one big location. Problems happen. So just to curve behavior and try to avoid a serious situation, we’ve closed that beach from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.,” Talamantez said.
The ordinances last through the end of March.
A full list of the rules:
- No possession or consumption of alcohol on the sandy beaches
- No possession or consumption of alcohol in commercial parking lots
- All alcohol sales to end at 2 a.m.
- No open house parties are allowed
- No parking in closed business parking lots, unless the parking lot is actively being managed
- Overnight scooter rental is not permitted
- It is illegal to climb, jump from or throw things from balconies
- No metal shovels are allowed on the beach, and no holes may be dug deeper than two feet
Copyright 2022 WJHG. All rights reserved.
