If your dog loves to feel the sand in their paws, Duval County offers several pet-friendly beaches, but each has rules about when our fur friends can visit their shores.

Pet owners should also know before they head to any of the area’s beaches that wherever you take your dog in Jacksonville, it must have a current rabies license and a city pet tag if you and your pet are residents of the city.

And you must scoop the poop! No burying it in the sand or letting the tide wash it away.

Jacksonville Beach

When it comes to beach territory, Jacksonville Beach starts at the St. Johns County Line and heads about 4 miles north, ending at Seagate Avenue.

It’s one of the larger beaches in the area, and has many dog-friendly restaurants, so it’s a popular destination for dog owners, according to Visit Jacksonville.

In Jacksonville Beach, dogs must be leashed and are not allowed on the beach from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from April 1 through Sept. 30. Pets are allowed on the beach at any hour from Oct. 1 through March 31.

And remember, the city requires you to pick up the poop! (Matching outfits are optional, but always adorable!)

Cats are also welcome on the beach, but they must have city tags.

If you want to let your dog loose, Visit Jacksonville recommends Paws Park, a members-only playground with separate large-dog and small-dog areas with much more flexible visiting hours.

Neptune Beach

Heading north, the next beach on the Duval County coast is Neptune Beach, which picks up at Seagate Avenue and continues north to Atlantic Boulevard.

Visit Jacksonville says Neptune is one of the more pristine beaches in the area, and the pedestrian-friendly community makes walking your dog a breeze.

In 2023, Neptune Beach updated its rules because dog owners had so much confusion over the different rules between Neptune and Atlantic beaches.

Now, dogs are allowed on both beaches year-round with no time restrictions.

The Neptune Beach ordinance requires owners to keep their dog on a “leash physically connected to the dog” (no electronic collars), and it needs to be 12 feet or less.

The ordinance also allows for dogs to swim in the ocean with their owners without a leash as long as the leash is put back on as soon as they’re out of the water. Walking your dog in the surf doesn’t count, so keep them leashed unless they’re swimming.

Neptune Beach also added a provision to protect dogs’ health, saying that if you’re on the beach with your pup for more than half an hour, you have to make sure they have drinkable water and shade.

Atlantic Beach

Atlantic Beach starts at Atlantic Boulevard and continues north to the Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park borderline.

With the updates to Neptune Beach’s rules for dogs on the beach, the two beaches now follow the same policy.

Dogs are allowed year-round with no time restrictions but must be on a leash no longer than 12 feet. Dogs can swim in the ocean with their owners off leash.

Hanna Park

The 1.5-mile stretch of public beach in Hanna Park runs from Atlantic Beach to historic Mayport Village.

The 450-acre park is also dog friendly and includes over 20 miles of trails and a 60-acre freshwater lake.

Because of the natural wildlife in the park, including birds, alligators, foxes and sea turtles, dogs must be kept on a leash (up to 8 feet) at all times, and owners are limited to bringing two pups at a time.

The entry fee for the park is $3 for pedestrians and $5 per vehicle.

Mayport Naval Station

North of Hanna Park, the white sand beach of Mayport Naval Station also allows pups.

Leashed dogs are permitted daily until dusk, just so long as they—and their handlers—don’t stray south of the area around the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society building, according to Visit Jacksonville.