Metal Detecting at Destin & South Walton
Okaloosa / Walton County · Panhandle · City/County beach
Last verified:
The rules
South Walton (Walton County Code Sec. 22-54(p)): no one but county, sheriff, fire district or vendor staff may use or possess a steel-blade shovel or other metal tool made for digging sand on any county-owned or county-maintained beach. Sec. 22-54(k) requires holes to be attended, filled before leaving, and no bigger than 3x3 ft and 2 ft deep. Destin (City Code Sec. 15-34(a)(3)) bans digging beach sand or excavating in city parks, and neither code mentions metal detectors.
Permit: Not required
📞 Call ahead: 850-267-4578 (confirm the current rule before you go)
Why detect here
Emerald Coast tourist beaches
Beach detecting here? You want a saltwater-capable machine and a long-handled sand scoop. The waterproof Minelab X-Terra Elite is the best value that handles wet salt sand. See the Minelab X-Terra Elite → All picks by budget →
More spots nearby: Panhandle & Emerald Coast · See the full Florida metal detecting laws · federal rules · which detector to buy
Source: Walton County Code of Ordinances, Sec. 22-54 (Regulation of use and conduct on the beach and water bodies); City of Destin Code of Ordinances, Sec. 15-34 (Park property). Verify against the managing authority before detecting.