Neptune Beach Laws: The Short-Term Rental Ban and Other Surprises
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TL;DR: Neptune Beach prohibits short-term rentals in all residential zoning districts, which is the opposite of how Jacksonville Beach handles it. Dogs have been allowed on the beach year-round since a 2023 ordinance, with a 12-foot leash requirement. No building in the city can exceed 35 feet, and that cap sits in the city charter rather than the zoning code.
The short answers
Can I run an Airbnb in Neptune Beach?
Not in a residential zoning district. Per the Land Development Code, short-term rentals and commercial activities other than home-based businesses are prohibited in all residential zoning districts.
What counts as a short-term rental there?
Renting, leasing, or advertising a private dwelling for a term of less than 28 days. That covers single-family homes, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, multifamily, and condos.
Can dogs go on Neptune Beach?
Yes, year-round. City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2023-05 on September 5, 2023, making dogs permissible on the beach year-round, along with requirements including providing shade and water.
Does my dog need to be leashed?
Yes. The leash has to be physically connected to the dog, so electronic collars don’t count, and it must be 12 feet or less. Dogs may swim unleashed with their owner in the ocean, then get leashed again as soon as they’re out. Walking in the surf doesn’t count as swimming.
How tall can a building be in Neptune Beach?
No building exceeding 35 feet is permitted anywhere in the city. That limit lives in the city charter.
Where do I park in the Beaches Town Center?
Metered spaces via kiosk or mobile pay, no app download needed. Residents of Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach can register for a free permit that gets them up to four hours of free parking per visit.
Neptune Beach is two and a half square miles wedged between Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach. Easy to assume it just follows whatever its neighbors do.
It doesn’t. On the single biggest question property owners have, Neptune goes the opposite direction from Jax Beach.
If you want the wider picture first, I mapped out how ordinances work across all of Duval County. This is Neptune specifically.
The short-term rental ban
Start here, because it’s the one with money attached.
Per Neptune Beach’s Land Development Code, short-term rentals and commercial activities, except home-based businesses, are prohibited in all residential zoning districts.
A short-term rental means renting, leasing, or advertising a private dwelling for a term of less than 28 days. The definition is broad on purpose. It names single-family homes, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, multifamily buildings, and condominiums.
Compare that to Jacksonville Beach, three miles south, where short-term rentals are legal with five separate registrations. Same barrier island, completely different answer.
The practical upshot: if you’re shopping for an investment property and planning on nightly rental income, the city line matters more than the listing photos do. Verify the zoning district before you make an offer, not after.
Dogs, and the rule that finally got fixed
Neptune used to have different dog hours than Atlantic Beach, and it confused everybody. Two adjacent beaches, one invisible boundary, two sets of rules.
The city fixed it. On September 5, 2023, City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2023-05, making dogs permissible on the beach year-round. Now Neptune and Atlantic Beach both allow dogs with no time restrictions.
What the ordinance requires:
- A leash physically connected to the dog, so electronic collars don’t satisfy it
- Leash length of 12 feet or less
- Shade and water provided for the dog
- Waste picked up and removed
There’s a swimming carve-out. If your dog is in the ocean with you, it can swim off leash. The leash goes back on as soon as they’re out of the water. Walking your dog through the surf isn’t swimming, so keep them leashed for that.
One warning worth taking seriously. Neptune Beach’s own website still hosts an older comparison page listing dog restrictions from 9am to 5pm in summer. That page predates the 2023 ordinance and hasn’t been updated. Go by 2023-05.
The 35-foot rule
Here’s a Neptune Beach quirk you won’t find in Jacksonville’s code.
No building that exceeds 35 feet is permitted in the city. Full stop, citywide.
What makes this unusual is where it lives. It’s a charter provision, not an ordinance, which means it’s substantially harder to change than a typical zoning rule. The charter also blocks the city from reducing the size of any parks or parklands without voter approval, and from closing or abandoning any public right-of-way ending at ocean access without approval from the electors.
For height measurement, the reference point is the greater of one foot above the crown of the road in front of the proposed building, or the average of the natural existing grade.
If you’re planning an addition or a rebuild here, that 35 feet is a hard ceiling.
Parking, which is genuinely confusing
Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach share a parking program, and it’s run by Neptune.
North Beaches Parking is managed by the City of Neptune Beach Police Department, and it handles parking enforcement in both cities within the Beaches Town Center area. One program, two municipalities.
How resident permits work:
- Free permit for Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach residents
- Up to four hours of free parking per visit for each permitted vehicle
- Re-register every three years to stay eligible
- Up to five vehicles per household or address
- Proof required: a valid driver’s license or state ID showing a Neptune or Atlantic Beach address, plus a current vehicle registration with that same address, for each vehicle
Active-duty military with out-of-state documentation can substitute a lease, mortgage document, or utility bill showing a local address, alongside the vehicle registration.
The city replaced all kiosks and signage and moved to a new portal in December 2025. Payment runs through the new kiosks or a mobile pay option with no app download required. Existing permits migrated into the new system.
A detail worth checking before you rely on it: Neptune Beach’s resident permit page states the permit can’t be used for off-street private lots, valet parking, or on the Atlantic Beach side of the Beaches Town Center if you’re a registered Neptune Beach resident. Atlantic Beach publishes its own resident benefit separately. If you park on both sides regularly, call the parking office at 904-566-9410 and get it straight for your situation.
Quick win
If you live in Neptune Beach or Atlantic Beach and haven’t registered a parking permit, do it. It’s free, and it’s four hours per visit in the Town Center.
You’ll need a driver’s license showing your address and a current vehicle registration matching it, one per car, up to five. Registration runs through the North Beaches Parking portal, and the permit lasts three years before renewal.
That’s maybe ten minutes of paperwork against three years of not feeding a kiosk.
Codes change, and Neptune’s own site currently carries at least one outdated page. Confirm anything here with the City of Neptune Beach at 116 First Street before you build, buy, or rent.