St. Pete city council has approved a motion to allow tourists to drink alcohol on St. Pete Beach. It is now law, but there are still restrictions. 

  • Commissioners approve drinking alcohol on St. Pete Beach with restrictions
  • Only hotel guests allowed in permitted areas
  • Guests to also wear wristbands

One major restriction is that you must be a registered guest of a hotel and be in the permitted hotel beach cabana area. 

Commissioners started discussing the possibility of allowing booze on the beach just a month ago. 

Tuesday night, they voted to revise the total ban that was in place that didn't allow any alcohol anywhere on any St. Pete beaches. 

Now, hotel guests can enjoy their favorite adult beverages in special permitted areas of their hotel--and tourists say, it's a no-brainer.  

"Being at the beach with a cold cocktail in hand, goes hand-in-hand. So, it's kind of like what peanut butter without jelly?" tourist Jeff Schroeder said. 

Back in July, the president of the Trade Winds Resort told Bay News 9 that this is something hotels have pushed for. 

"It's an expectation that if you come to a first class resort, you're going to be able to get a Pina colada or a Margarita on the sandy beach in your cabana. And I think our commission understands that," Keith Overton, President of Trade Winds Resort, said. 

In addition to being a hotel guest and being in a permitted cabana, guests who are drinking on the beach must also wear a wristband so that law enforcement knows they're hotel guests. 

There is a very specific set of qualifications and rules for all St. Pete Beach hotels wanting to serve alcohol on the beach. 

If a hotel violates any of the policies set by the city commission, there are penalties and they could lose their beach alcohol permit. 

City officials said the strict rules and enforcement are in place to ensure St. Pete Beach remains a family friends destination.