Emergency Access Permit
For barrier island residents and businesses
In an effort to prevent looting and burglary after a large-scale mandatory evacuation, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the barrier islands have joined forces to provide free Emergency Access Permits to all businesses and residents of the barrier islands. Once a mandatory evacuation order has been lifted, Emergency Access Permits will be required to re-enter an evacuated area. There are nine entry points to the barrier islands. Access will be limited based on the closest entry point to your residence.
You will be asked to hang the permit from your vehicle’s rearview mirror for re-entry post-evacuation. Law enforcement officers will be posted at entry points where they will scan the barcode on your permit to verify your residency. With your help, we can keep trespassers from accessing your property.
Barrier Islands
This page is for residential owners or renters/lessees of properties that are located within one of the listed barrier island towns/cities which the Barrier Island Re-Entry Permit is offered. The barrier island cities/towns are as follows Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Madeira Beach, North Redington Beach, Redington Beach, Redington Shores, St. Pete Beach, Tierra Verde, and Treasure Island.
Only residential property owners or renters/lessees may apply for a permit online; this includes single family homes, condominiums, apartments, duplex/triplex, and boat slips. Commercial properties will need to apply in person at the town/city hall where the property is located.
A maximum of two permits are permitted per residential property address. Additional requests that would result in more than two permits for a residential property address will be rejected.
In order to complete the permit request, you must submit a digital image of your driver license. Owners and renters/lessees will need to submit an additional image of a tax bill, mortgage, utility bill, or current lease/rental agreement showing the address of the property for which the permit is being requested.
A permit may be requested to be mailed or you may start the permit process online and pick up the permit in person at the town/city hall where the property is located. Upon submission of your permit request, you will be emailed a confirmation. If you elect to pick up the permit in person, the email will contain the address of the town/city hall where you may pick up the permit. For those residents in Tierra Verde, the permit pickup location is at Fire Station #21, located at 540 Sands Point Drive South. If you select to have the permit mailed, you will be emailed a notification of issuance when processing is complete; the permit will be mailed within three business days.
*All requests for permits will be reviewed for accuracy and eligibility. A request for permit does not guarantee that a permit will be issued. Requests for permits that are to be picked up in person that are not completed within two calendar weeks will be deleted from the system and the requester will have to reapply online or in person.
