Metal Detecting at Flagler County Beaches
Flagler County · Northeast · City/County beach
Last verified:
The rules
Flagler County Code Sec. 7-1 and Flagler Beach City Code Sec. 6-11 (customary-use ordinances) list the only activities the public may do on privately owned dry sand beach, and metal detecting isn't one of them. County Sec. 7-1 also applies public beachfront park bans to the dry sand beach. County Code Sec. 23-2(2) and Flagler Beach Sec. 6-73 ban digging, removing sand or excavating 'by tool' in public parks. Stay off dunes except at crossovers (County Sec. 7-1(c)(2); Flagler Beach Sec. 6-9). The wet sand below mean high water is the safest place to detect. Note: these 2018 beach ordinances may conflict with Florida's customary-use statute (F.S. 163.035), so how they're enforced is unsettled — call ahead.
Permit: Not required
📞 Call ahead: 386-313-4020 (confirm the current rule before you go)
Why detect here
Quieter Atlantic 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: First Coast (Jacksonville to St. Augustine) · See the full Florida metal detecting laws · federal rules · which detector to buy
Source: Flagler County Code of Ordinances, Sec. 7-1 (Customary use of the beach) and Sec. 23-2 (Prohibited activities); City of Flagler Beach Code, Sec. 6-11 and Sec. 6-73. Verify against the managing authority before detecting.