NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – Starting Friday, driving will once again be allowed on local beaches in Nassau County. For now, the rules are you must be an active service member, or live in Nassau County, to put your wheels on the sand.
County leaders said they are actively enforcing this due to limited spacing on the beach. It is also part of the effort to minimize the size of crowds.
The barricades warning people against driving on the beach have been up for several weeks. Bob Reigler has lived in Nassau County for 10 years and says beach driving is a way of life for many residents.
"At different hours and different volumes depending on the time of year. I'm not usually here in the summer so I can't speak for the summer," Reigler said. "But fall, winter, spring. On the south end, people fish and they drive."
As News4jax reported, people have been allowed to enjoy the beach for the last couple of weeks.
Those who wish to drive on the beach will have to show a state-issued I.D., driver’s license, or active military I.D. to prove their address is located within Nassau County. The county said a representative will be at open beach access points checking identification.
The county says the vehicle access points are at Peters Point and Lewis Street (American Beach). The county says the Scott Road access point will still be closed for the time being.
Beach driving will be allowed between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. each day.
Horseback riding is also allowed on the beach under the same plan. The same hours apply.
As Nassau County residents gear up for this step in the return to normalcy, their hope is for everyone to stay safe.
County leaders also said they are aware some people may own property in Nassau County, with their driver’s licenses saying they live somewhere else. For now, they said enforcers won’t be able to review other documents to prove residency, but they are looking at a method around that. As always, social distancing guidelines are still in place.