Panama City Beach and its officials in law enforcement, public office and tourism council want visitors, vacationers, and residents alike, to do their part in maintaining a clean and safe beach each and every day.
The “Leave No Trace” ordinance was established and is currently in effect and active year-round.
Specifically, the ordinance states that personal property left on the beach between the hours of 7pm and 7am will be considered abandoned and will be disposed of. Some of these items may include tents, chairs, coolers, towels, etc.
The ordinance is joint-enforced by Panama City Beach and Bay County law enforcement and code enforcement and also the Tourist Development Council’s (TDC) beach maintenance contractor.
Primarily, the ordinance is intended to discourage vacationers from leaving temporary beach tents erected overnight, returning to “their spot” the next day. According to officials, the number of tents left on the beaches overnight prior to the ordinance were estimated around sixteen hundred.
As well as improving the beach’s façade, the TDC hopes the ordinance will provide a safer nesting area for sea turtles plus increased mobility for law enforcement officials patrolling the beach at night.
