Walton County Seeks Input on Waterways and Beach Rules That Reach Freeport's Shores
Walton County Code Compliance is inviting the public to weigh in on possible changes to the Waterways and Beach Activities Ordinance at a workshop on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 9:00 AM — and while the meeting will be held in Santa Rosa Beach, the rules on the table reach north to the bay waters at Freeport’s edge.
The county posted the notice on September 17: the workshop, set for the South Walton Courthouse Annex BCC Boardroom at 31 Coastal Centre Blvd in Santa Rosa Beach, will “discuss and take input for potential changes to the Walton County Waterways and Beach Activities Ordinance.” The meeting is open to the public, and two or more county commissioners or Tourist Development Council members may attend.
For Freeport residents, the stakes are more than countywide boilerplate. Chapter 22’s application section states plainly that the rules “govern conduct on the beach and water bodies south of Highway 20.” Freeport sits on State Road 20, and the waters of Choctawhatchee Bay and LaGrange Bayou at the city’s edge fall inside that jurisdiction. The ordinance defines “Bay” as Choctawhatchee Bay — the same body of water that frames Freeport’s working waterfront. Provisions in the chapter cover everything from overnight camping and beach fires to permitted vehicles and vendor rules, and any rewrite could change how those activities are policed on the waterways local boaters and anglers use.
The department running the session is no stranger to Freeport. Walton County’s Street Code Compliance office sits at 902 Hwy 20 E., Suite 120, in Freeport — one of just two Code Compliance offices in the county, alongside the beach office at 46 Coastal Centre Blvd. in Santa Rosa Beach. Code Compliance, led by Director Tony Cornman, enforces county ordinances for the unincorporated areas of Walton County, and its presence in Freeport is part of the county’s administrative footprint along the Highway 20 corridor.
The workshop continues a stretch of county-level outreach with direct Freeport hooks. In August, the county’s Planning and Development Services — headquartered at 842 State Hwy 20 East in Freeport — ran a public survey on its Land Development Code rewrite, which closes October 2. The waterways workshop picks up where that effort left off: residents who weighed in on land-use rules now get a turn on the rules that govern the water.
Anyone with questions can contact Walton County Code Compliance at (850) 622-0000. The county will provide ADA accommodations on request at (850) 892-8110, with requests due at least 48 hours before the meeting.
Originally reported by Walton County. Ordinance text: Walton County DocumentCenter. Department info: Walton County Code Compliance. Image: Walton County.
