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Gulf Shores Ordinances

All Gulf Shores Ordinances are available on line. The HOA takes no position on the applicability of ordinances to anyone, the following links are provided merely as an information source.

Chapter 6 – Beaches, Boats, Waterways <view ordinance>

Sec. 6-7. – Breakable containers. 

It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or use on the public beach (as defined in section 4-1 in this Code) any container which is subject to break, shatter, fracture, disintegrate, or become fragmented, including, but not limited to, glass, breakable plastics, etc., which may cause injury to any person on the public beach.

Sec. 6-8. – Animals on beach.

Except as provided in subsection (b) below, it shall be unlawful for any person to take or allow a dog, cat, horse, or other pet or domestic or domesticated animal or livestock into or in any of the following areas of the city and its police jurisdiction.

Sec. 6-13. – Erection of tents and shelters and abandonment of beach equipment on public beaches and certain other portions of Gulf front beaches prohibited; methods of enforcement and penalties for violations prescribed. <view ordinance>

(b) Tents and shelters prohibited. No tent or shelter shall be erected (1) on any public beach or (2) south of the Lucido and Oliver line on any Gulf front beach within the corporate limits of the City of Gulf Shores lying west of the Gulf State Park and east of West Eleventh Street.

(c) Failure or refusal to remove tent or shelter after instruction to remove prohibited. No person shall fail or refuse to remove a tent or shelter erected by such person in violation of subsection (b) above after being directed to effect such removal by a law enforcement officer or beach inspector.

(d) Beach items to be removed daily; items not removed by owner or user subject to removal and disposal by city. Each item of beach equipment must be removed by its owner or permitted user (1) from each public beach and (2) from the beach area south of the Lucido and Oliver line on any Gulf front beach within the corporate limits of the City of Gulf Shores lying west of the Gulf State Park and east of West Eleventh Street each day by 8:00 p.m. Each item of beach equipment not removed from such areas by such time may be treated by the city as abandoned property and removed and disposed of by the city as abandoned property.

Division 4 – Lodging Tax <view ordinance>  Requirements for obtaining a business license to offer property for rent as well as collecting and remitting the lodging tax.

Rental / Lease tax report form

Sec. 8-41. – Designation and maintenance of local emergency contact by business licensed for vacation rental of dwelling unit required; definitions. <view ordinance>

Local emergency contact or designee means a person identified by name, address, telephone number, and email address who will at all times be on call to appear onsite at a dwelling unit to deal with any issue relating to the condition or occupancy of the dwelling unit within one hundred twenty (120) minutes after transmission of a telephone and/or email request for such appearance by any city law enforcement officer and/or city firefighter.

Person engaged in the business of vacation rental of a dwelling unit and person to be licensed means the owner or lessor of the dwelling unit and shall not mean the rental agent or management company representing the owner or lessor.