Hosting Events on St. Johns County Beaches

1

Select Location, Date and Time

Before submitting your application, confirm the event location, date, and time.

Jurisdiction Check: If your requested event location falls under the jurisdiction of the GTMNER (Guana), Anastasia State Park, the City of St Augustine Beach, or the Fort Matanzas National Monument you will need to contact those entities directly.

If you are unsure which jurisdiction your requested location falls under, please contact Beach Services at 904-209-0331 or Beaches@sjcfl.us for assistance.

Tide Planning: We recommend scheduling your event as close to low tide as possible to allow additional space on the sand for guests/participants and event items. Visit the Tides page to plan the time of day for your special event.

2

Submit Your Special Event Application

Applications for special events taking place on beaches managed by St. Johns County must be submitted through the Online Reservation System.

You will be required to create an account before applying for your first permit.

If the event organizer is an organization/company, please create an account for the Organization.

When submitting your application, go to the “Beach Permits” tab in the catalog and select your requested location from the drop-down menu of commonly used locations. If your requested location is not listed, or if your event will occur on the beach in front of a private residence, please select “Beach Event – Private Access.”

3

Requirements and Additional Details

IMPORTANT NOTES
Application fees are non-refundable.
Fees are payable only after staff approval.
Event fees must be paid no less than 7 days prior to the event date.
A copy of the approved permit must be onsite during the event.

Applications submitted without required documentation will remain on hold or be denied.

All required documentation, including but not limited to a Certificate of Liability Insurance (COI), portable restroom documentation, and confirmations from applicable agencies must be emailed to beaches@sjcfl.us no later than 14 days prior to the event date. Failure to meet this deadline will result in permit denial.

PROCESSING TIMEFRAMES
Private events (fewer than 75 participants): Minimum 15 days
Public events or private events with 75+ participants: Minimum 30 days
Events requiring SJSO, Marine Rescue, or Fire Rescue review: Minimum 30 days
Events with 200+ participants or facility closure requests:
Require approval from the Recreation Advisory Board and the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners. Processing may take up to six (6) months.

MINOR IMPACT TIME SLOTS
8:00 AM – 1:30 PM
2:00 PM – 7:30 PM

SITE MAP, PARKING & RESTROOMS
A site map and parking plan are required for all public events and events with more than 75 participants. Site maps must clearly show all event items, including tents, tables, and portable restrooms. Applications will remain on hold until a site map is received.

Portable restrooms are required for:
Events exceeding 75 participants that last more than two (2) hours
Major impact events (over 200 participants)
Proof of rental is required.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SAFETY

Law Enforcement Review
Events with more than 75 participants, or events involving use of the beach driving lane or right-of-way, require law enforcement review. Applicable events will be reviewed by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Rescue. Applications must be submitted at least 30 days in advance.

Water-Based Events (County Review)
Water-based events will be forwarded to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit and Marine Rescue. Applications must be submitted at least 30 days in advance.

Water-Based Events (U.S. Coast Guard Review)
Events that may impact navigable waters of the United States must be submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard no later than 135 days prior to the event. For additional information, please contact SecJaxWaterways@uscg.mil.

Additional permits or conditions may apply. Applicants are responsible for coordinating event details and arranging necessary personnel with applicable agencies. All associated costs are the responsibility of the event applicant/sponsor.

RIGHT-OF-WAY-USAGE
Events involving road closures or use of the public right-of-way require a separate permit through St. Johns County Public Works.
Application must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the event.
The approved Exhibit A must be received at least 14 days prior to the event date.
Instructions for submitting a road closure request are available on the Parks and Recreation website:
https://www.sjcfl.us/parks-rec-event-permits/

CERTIFICATE OF LIABILITY INSURANCE (COI)
A COI is required for:
Public events
Private sporting events
Events involving professional planners or third-party vendors (e.g., tents, tables, chairs, photographers, caterers, shuttles, florists, temporary structures)

COIs must be emailed to Beaches@sjcfl.us no later than 14 days prior to the event date. Failure to submit a valid COI will result in permit denial.
COI Requirements

Please ensure the following requirements are met before submitting the COI:  

• The name listed as the “Insured” on the COI must match the name of the Account Member submitting the application.  
• If the Insured name differs from the Account Member name, the event details and Account Member name must be included in the “Description of Operations” section of the COI.                 
• The Certificate must say “Certificate of Liability Insurance” across the top. 
• Your name or the organizing company of the event must be named on the certificate. 
• Under “Type of Insurance”, you must indicate all applicable insurance. 
• Under “Limits”, you should have at least $1,000,000. 
• Depending on what type of business or rental the insurance is for the event you may also have other types of insurance marked by an “x”. 
• The Certificate Holder for the policy should state: St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners, 500 San Sebastian View, St Augustine, FL 32084 
• In the box for “Description of Operations” you must also have a description of what type of activity you are hosting. Please include type of event, date and location.   

a. Example: “5k Race on September 14, 2026, to be held at the beach in front of Butler Park East”. 

• In the box for “Description of Operations” you must also have “St. Johns County is named as additional insured” or “Certificate holder is named as additional insured”. There should be no special exceptions or conditions placed in this box. Applications will not be approved otherwise.

4

Pay Reservation Fee to Receive Permit

Once your application has been successfully submitted, you will receive a Registration/Payment Receipt by email from the Online Reservation System. This receipt confirms submission only and is not an approved permit.

Upon submission, a reservation fee will be posted to your account. However, the fee cannot be paid until your application has been reviewed and approved by staff.

After staff review, you will receive an approval notification by email. Payment is required upon approval and must be made no later than seven (7) days prior to the event date. Failure to submit payment by this deadline may result in the permit not being issued.

Fee Schedule
Impact level is determined by total participants and spectators.

Important
Fees are non-refundable.
Payment is required at least 7 days prior to the event date.
Payment cannot be made until the application has been approved by staff.

Beach Cleanup
No application fee.

General Events
Minor Impact (fewer than 200 participants): $50
Major Impact (200 or more participants): $100

Weddings
Minor Impact (fewer than 200 participants): $100
Major Impact (200 or more participants): $200

Sporting Events
Minor Impact (fewer than 200 participants): $200
Major Impact (200 or more participants): $300

Media Filming
Minor Impact (fewer than 200 participants): $250
Major Impact (200 or more participants): $350

Other Fees
Surf Camp (49 or fewer participants, including instructors): $50
Surf Camp (50 or more participants, including instructors): $100
Commercial Photography: $50