Amelia Island's beaches are relaxed, but there are rules, and they differ a little between the City of Fernandina Beach (north of about Sadler Road) and Nassau County (Peters Point and south). Here's everything a visitor actually needs, in one list.
Dogs
Welcome on every beach on the island, on a leash, at all times. Pick up after them; the county's fine is $100. Leashed dogs can go in the surf. Bring water; the sand gets hot by late morning in summer.
Alcohol and glass
No glass containers anywhere on the beach. Alcohol is prohibited on the county beaches (Peters Point south, including the beaches in front of the Omni, the Plantation and the Ritz), with fines up to $500. Keep it in the cooler at the house. Cans and plastic for everything else.
Chairs, tents and canopies
Bring what you like during the day, but everything comes off the sand at night: county rules say furniture and tents are removed between 8 PM and 6 AM, and the county clears and disposes of what's left. During sea turtle season (May through October) that's a hatchling-safety rule, not just tidiness. If you don't want to carry chairs twice a day, that's exactly what our set-up service is for: up before you arrive, down each evening.
Fires
Never on city beaches. On county beaches, only November 1 through April 30, never in the dunes, and fully extinguished before you leave. The county can call a burn ban any time conditions are dry. Our bonfire set-ups run in that window with a contained pit and every permit handled; if you want a fire, that's the no-risk way.
Fireworks
Illegal on the beach. The July 4 show is at Main Beach; watch it from the sand, don't add to it.
Driving on the beach
Only on the county beaches, only with four-wheel drive, and only with a Nassau County license, active-duty military ID or a disabled placard; the access is at Peters Point. Visitors don't drive on the sand here. You ride a bike on it instead, which is allowed everywhere on the island and more fun.
Bikes on the beach
Allowed on every beach on Amelia Island, including inside Fort Clinch State Park. Go at low tide, stay off the dunes, yield to walkers, and rinse the bike after. Our beach-riding guide has the rest.
Sea turtle season (May 1 to October 31)
Fill in holes, flatten sandcastles, take everything off the beach at night, no white lights after dark (red flashlights only), stay 50 feet from marked nests, and no fires. Full details in our turtle season guide.
Swimming and lifeguards
Lifeguards are on duty at Main Beach, Seaside Park and Peters Point from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day only. Watch the flags: green is calm, yellow is caution, red is strong current, purple is jellyfish or stinging life. Rip currents are the real danger here; if you're pulled out, swim parallel to the beach, not against it.
Camping, horses and the rest
No overnight camping on the beach anywhere (Fort Clinch has a campground). Horseback riding on the sand is south of Sadler Road only, with seasonal hours. Drones follow the usual FAA rules and aren't allowed over the state parks. Metal detecting is fine on the city and county beaches; it's prohibited in the state parks.
Quick answers
Are dogs allowed on Amelia Island beaches?
Yes, leashed, on all of them.
Can you drink alcohol on the beach on Amelia Island?
Not on the county beaches south of Sadler Road, where it carries up to a $500 fine. No glass anywhere.
Can you leave a tent or chairs on the beach overnight?
No. Everything off the sand between 8 PM and 6 AM, year-round, and the county disposes of what's left.
Can you have a fire on the beach?
Only on county beaches, November through April. Book one with us and the permit is handled.
