Clearwater Beach
A Gulf-side district of the City of Clearwater, reached by Memorial Causeway
Pinellas County · Gulf Coast barrier island
A barrier island shared by several separate governments, so permitting, flood and rental rules change by municipality
Sand Key is a barrier island in Pinellas County, Florida, not a municipality. The county says it extends from Clearwater Pass to John’s Pass, and sources differ on its extent. The governments tied to it, such as Clearwater, Indian Rocks Beach and Indian Shores, each set their own rules, so permitting, flood and rental rules depend on which government a parcel is in.
In short: Sand Key is a Pinellas County barrier island shared by separate governments, so permitting, flood and rental rules depend on which municipality a parcel is in.
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| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A barrier island in Pinellas County, Florida. It is a geographic name, not a municipality. The sources opened describe the governments of the cities and towns they tie to the island and do not describe a government of the island itself | Notes 1, 7 |
| Extent, per Pinellas County | The county says Sand Key “extends from Clearwater Pass (Sand Key Park in Clearwater) to John’s Pass in Madeira Beach.” Other sources describe the extent differently (see the setting section) | Notes 1, 13, 37 |
| Places in the county’s Sand Key beach project | The county describes the project area as “Sand Key (Clearwater Beach to Belleair Beach and Indian Rocks Beach to North Redington Beach),” and its schedule lists Clearwater Beach, Belleair Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Redington Shores and N. Redington Beach | Notes 3, 4 |
| Municipalities that name Sand Key in their own documents | Indian Rocks Beach’s comprehensive plan calls the city “a barrier island community located on Sand Key along the Gulf of Mexico shore of Pinellas County.” Redington Shores’ plan refers to “other communities on Sand Key.” The Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore and Indian Shores pages opened do not use the name | Notes 10, 14, 20, 26, 27 |
| County park | Sand Key Park, 1060 Gulf Boulevard, Clearwater, FL 33767. The county lists it as a 95-acre park in Clearwater | Note 6 |
| Shore protection | Congress authorized the Federal Shore Protection Project in 1966 for the developed Gulf coast of Pinellas County, including Sand Key. The county lists initial construction in 1993 and nourishments in 1999, 2006, 2012 and 2018 | Note 1 |
| County-led nourishment, 2025–26 | The Pinellas County Commission authorized funding on June 17, 2025. The county’s project page shows an overall schedule of August 2025 to February 11, 2026, an estimate of more than 2.5 million cubic yards of sand, and construction listed as completed | Notes 3, 4 |
| Who permits construction | It depends on the municipality: Pinellas County Building Services for Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore and Indian Rocks Beach; Indian Shores, Redington Shores and Clearwater have their own departments; Redington Beach and North Redington Beach are described differently by different sources | Notes 7, 15, 17, 19, 21, 30 |
| Coastal construction control line | Pinellas County publishes a map page for the coastal construction control line; the county’s easement page uses the line as the landward limit of its easements where no seawall exists | Notes 2, 9 |
Sources use the name “Sand Key” for different stretches. This page shows each source’s wording rather than choosing one (Notes 1, 3, 5, 13, 37).
Because Sand Key is an island and not a city, the first step on any parcel is to identify the municipality, then read that government’s rules (Notes 1, 7).
The existing guides to Clearwater Beach, Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores and Redington Shores cover these nearby governments in more depth. The guide to Belleair, Belleair Beach and Belleair Shore separates the Belleair governments.
No island-wide permitting body appears in the sources. The county sets or publishes some things across municipal lines; each city or town sets the rest.
Rules, fees and department arrangements change. Confirm each item with the municipality, the county and your attorney.
| Check | Why it matters here | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Which municipality the parcel is in | Rules follow the municipality, not the island name. The county’s building-departments page says to search your address on the Property Appraiser website or use the My Neighborhood lookup tool. Ask the municipality to confirm the parcel is inside its limits | Notes 7, 39 |
| Flood zone and elevation certificate | Statements differ by government. Indian Rocks Beach says the entire city is a Special Flood Hazard Area in the A or V zones. Belleair Shore’s plan says the town lies in the AE and VE zones. Redington Shores’ 2018 plan says FEMA identifies the entire community as in the 100-year floodplain or velocity zone. Belleair Beach says it does not have elevation certificates for all properties. Look up each address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center | Notes 10, 11, 14, 23, 27, 40 |
| Substantial improvement and substantial damage (50% rule) | Wording differs. Indian Rocks Beach says “equals or exceeds 50%”; Indian Shores defines it as at least 50% of market value within a rolling one-year period; Clearwater’s rebuilding page says “equals or exceeds 50%” while its glossary page says 49%. Ask the municipality for the controlling definition, and ask for any past determination and the structure value from the Property Appraiser | Notes 11, 22, 31, 32, 39 |
| Open and past permits | Which office holds permit history depends on the municipality (county, own department, or SAFEbuilt). Belleair Beach’s page lists items, including a Pre-Permit Application, to submit to obtain a Pinellas County building permit, by email or in person at City Hall | Notes 7, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 30 |
| Coastal construction control line | The county publishes a map page for the line. Whether the line crosses a parcel is a parcel-level question for the county map and the Department of Environmental Protection | Notes 2, 9 |
| Beach nourishment easements | The county says its easement runs from the Erosion Control Line landward to the seawall, or to the control line where no seawall exists, and does not grant public access or use. It says some Sand Key areas may receive no sand or only sand seaward of the Erosion Control Line where owners did not sign. Ask the seller and title agent whether an easement is recorded on the parcel | Notes 2, 3, 4 |
| Condominium milestone inspection | The county’s milestone page lists Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore and Indian Rocks Beach among the places where the county accepts milestone reports, and does not mention Indian Shores, Redington Shores or Clearwater. The 2026 statute covers condominium and cooperative buildings of three or more habitable stories, with a first inspection by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 years (25 years where a local agency sets it, such as for proximity to salt water), then every 10 years. Ask the association and the municipality which agency applies | Notes 8, 38 |
| Short-term rental rules | Published rules exist for some governments and were not found in the sources we read for others (see the table below). Confirm with the municipality before you rely on a rental plan | Notes 12, 16, 18, 25 |
| Docks and seawalls | The sources opened for this page do not describe dock or seawall permit rules for each municipality. Ask the municipality which approvals apply and confirm permits for structures already built | Note 2 |
| Evacuation level | Check the evacuation level for each address with the county or the municipality. This page does not state levels. The Belleair Shore site links the county’s evacuation zone lookup | Note 28 |
| Property tax | The Pinellas County Property Appraiser’s site offers property search and property tax, exemption and assessment information | Note 39 |
This is a checklist, not advice. See also the Belleair Beach and Indian Rocks Beach guides, the Pinellas condominium due diligence guide, the Gulf-front vs. Intracoastal guide and the Florida control-line and flood due diligence guide.
| Government | Permitting body | Flood and 50% rule statements | Short-term-rental statements | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater (the county lists Sand Key Park in Clearwater; its nourishment pages name Clearwater Beach) | City of Clearwater Construction Services Division. The county list shows 2741 State Road 580; the city page footer shows a different municipal address that it does not tie to the division, so confirm the office location | City says its flood insurance rating (CRS) improved to class 5 on Oct. 1, 2024. Substantial improvement is “50%” on the rebuilding page and “49%” on the glossary page | Not found in the sources we read (the city zoning FAQ page does not address vacation rentals) | Notes 7, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 |
| Belleair Beach | Pinellas County Building Services; the city says it “contracts with Pinellas County for permitting and inspections” and requires pre-permit items at City Hall | City says it is a class 6 CRS community. A substantial damage/improvement package is required for storm-related repairs | City page: within its RL District II, residential homes may be rented for “not less than a three-month occupancy period” (Sec. 94-213); rentals in Residential Medium District I and RL District II must be registered with City Hall (Sec. 54-62) | Notes 7, 23, 24, 25 |
| Belleair Shore (listed by Wikipedia; excluded from the county-led project) | Pinellas County Building Services per the county list; the town’s 2024 plan says the Town shall maintain a contract with a responsible entity for review of building plans and lists the Pinellas County Building Department under a regulatory contract | Town plan: within the 100-year floodplain (AE zone) and the velocity wave action zone (VE zone). Town site has a substantial improvement/damage packet | Not found in the sources we read | Notes 7, 27, 28 |
| Indian Rocks Beach | Pinellas County Building Services per the county list; the city’s flood page says development requires a permit from Pinellas County and/or the City and directs floodplain permit questions to the county | City says the entire city is a Special Flood Hazard Area; 50% rule: “equals or exceeds 50%” | City short-term rental ordinance (2023-02, adopted May 9, 2023) with registration, tourist tax and fire inspection steps, and an owner-occupied exemption | Notes 7, 11, 12 |
| Indian Shores | Indian Shores Building Department, 19305 Gulf Blvd. | Substantial improvement: cost at least 50 percent of market value, in a rolling one-year period (town definition) | Not found in the sources we read | Notes 7, 21, 22 |
| Redington Shores | Redington Shores Building Department, 17425 Gulf Blvd. | 2018 plan: entire community in the 100-year floodplain or velocity zone. Building page lists a FEMA 50% rule fact sheet and requires a Substantial Improvement Packet for storm-related permits | Building Department form: a Certificate of Use is required to offer vacation rentals, defined as rentals of less than 30 days or one calendar month | Notes 7, 14, 15, 16 |
| Redington Beach | Sources differ: county list shows the Redington Shores department; town and Redington Shores pages name SAFEbuilt | Not found in the sources we read | Town page: short-term rentals must be registered; the town says its short-term rental codes apply only to its single-family home district | Notes 7, 15, 17, 18 |
| North Redington Beach | County list: its own entry at 190 173rd Avenue E.; town page: SafeBuilt is contracted to issue all building permits | Not found in the sources we read | Not found in the sources we read (the town’s service-providers page links a “Rental Restrictions” page that we did not read) | Notes 7, 19 |
| Madeira Beach (where the county’s definition ends) | County list: the city’s own entry at 300 Municipal Drive | See the Madeira Beach guide | See the Madeira Beach guide | Notes 1, 7 |
The county’s milestone page lists Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore and Indian Rocks Beach but not the other governments above (Note 8). The county’s building-departments page spells the town “Belleair Shores” in its lead-in sentence and “Belleair Shore” in its directory (Note 7).
ABODE’s Florida office is on West Bay Drive in Largo. We identify which government a Sand Key property sits in, review flood, control-line, permit, rental and condominium documents with you, and keep conversations private. We represent both buyers and sellers.
A Gulf-side district of the City of Clearwater, reached by Memorial Causeway
A small Gulf-side city on Sand Key, across the Belleair Causeway from Largo
A very small Gulf-front town zoned single-family, with a few recreation lots
A Gulf-side city with a beachfront business district
Barrier-island town: own building department, flood checks, and a town-stated 25-year milestone interval
A Gulf Boulevard town with its own Building Department and a townwide flood hazard area.
Four Belleair governments compared: location, permitting, zoning, flood and rental rules.
Beach lines versus seawall, dock and dredging approvals: what differs on each Pinellas shore.
County guide to permitting offices, homestead rules, flood and evacuation lookups, and condo inspections
Sand Key is a barrier island on the Gulf coast of Pinellas County, Florida. It is a geographic name, not a municipality. The county says it extends from Clearwater Pass to John’s Pass in Madeira Beach (Note 1), though other sources describe its extent differently (Notes 3, 13 and 37).
Pinellas County’s Sand Key beach project limits and schedule list Clearwater Beach, Belleair Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Redington Shores and North Redington Beach (Notes 3 and 4). Indian Rocks Beach’s plan places that city on Sand Key (Note 10), and Redington Shores’ plan refers to other communities on Sand Key (Note 14). Wikipedia also lists Belleair Shore, Redington Beach and Madeira Beach (Note 37). The county says its project excludes Belleair Shore (Note 2), and no official page opened says it is on Sand Key.
It depends on the municipality. The county’s list shows Pinellas County Building Services for Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore and Indian Rocks Beach, and separate departments for Clearwater, Indian Shores and Redington Shores (Note 7). Sources differ on Redington Beach and North Redington Beach (Notes 7, 15, 17 and 19).
Pinellas County runs Sand Key Park, and its page lists the address as 1060 Gulf Boulevard, Clearwater, FL 33767 and calls it a 95-acre park in Clearwater (Note 6). Because the county lists the park in Clearwater, confirm with the city which Clearwater rules apply.
The county authorized a one-time emergency nourishment project on June 17, 2025 covering Sand Key (Clearwater Beach to Belleair Beach and Indian Rocks Beach to North Redington Beach), Treasure Island and Upham Beach, and its project page lists construction as completed (Notes 3 and 4). The county says its easements do not grant public access and that areas without signed easements may receive no sand or only sand seaward of the Erosion Control Line (Note 2).
The wording differs by government. Indian Rocks Beach says “equals or exceeds 50%,” Indian Shores uses a rolling one-year period, and Clearwater’s rebuilding page says 50% while its glossary page says 49% (Notes 11, 22, 31 and 32). Ask the municipality for the controlling definition for the parcel.
Rules are set by each municipality. Published statements exist for Belleair Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Redington Shores and Redington Beach (Notes 12, 16, 18 and 25). A rule was not found in the sources we read for several others, so ask the municipality before you rely on a rental plan.
Yes. ABODE International Realty is a Florida-licensed brokerage with its office at 801 West Bay Drive, Suite 324, in Largo. ABODE represents buyers and sellers on Sand Key and reviews flood, control-line and permit documents with them.
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