Florida beachgoers are gaining ground.
The area below the average high tide line in the state is already considered public. But, in 2018, the Florida Legislature passed a law requiring local governments to go through a judicial process before they can designate the higher "dry sand" areas as publicly accessible.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation, SB 1622, on Tuesday repealing the requirements.
"This bill is about restoring local control, cutting legal red tape and putting our residents first," DeSantis said at a Santa Rosa Beach press conference.
We want property tax relief for Floridians, and we will keep fighting for it. The Free State of Florida should mean no income tax and that you fully own your own home! pic.twitter.com/S3juGeyvUe
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) June 24, 2025
The area above the high tide line has led to high tensions in that community especially. There have been years of feuds between property owners and other beach users about what should be open to "recreational customary use.”
"Overnight, people who had walked the same stretch of dry beach for generations were being told that they were trespassing," said Republican Sen. Jay Trumbull, who represents the area and is a bill sponsor, at the press conference. "That's not the Walton County I know, and it's not the Florida I believe in."
The measure also makes it easier to carry out beach restoration projects in multiple Gulf Coast counties. It took effect with DeSantis' signature.
If you have any questions about the state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
