Approximately 106 Flock camera systems have operated within Walton County, home of Santa Rosa Beach, Freeport, Defuniak Springs, and 30A.
I’ve walked the sidewalks alongside Hwy 331 more than a hundred times and walked directly underneath a Flock camera without even recognizing what it was. There are weather and water measurement devices down at Pilcher Park. I assumed this was somehow related.
Turns out, it was a flock system tracking license plates leaving Santa Rosa Beach.
Flock cameras are being removed
In August of 2026, the Walton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to remove all Flock cameras from county managed roads.
It’s my understanding that Flock corporation was responsible to remove the cameras themselves, and that according to contractual agreements local municipalities did not have legal authority to physically remove any Flock cameras.
Then, on August 31st, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) issued a sweeping directive revoking active permits and ordering the removal of all automated license plate readers from state highway rights-of-way. Because Hwy 331 is a state road (SR 331), it falls directly under this mandatory state ban.
This order gave local law enforcement agencies 30 days to pull down any remaining cameras located on Florida state roads and highways, or state crews would remove them manually.
I guess someone couldn’t wait.
On September 17th, at least two weeks before Flock removal deadline, I found a shattered Flock camera on the sidewalk of Hwy 331 South, one of the main roads into Santa Rosa Beach.
Are There Any Flock Cameras Along 30A?
Out of approximately 106 total cameras operating across the area, 60 Flock cameras are being taken down as a result of the Walton County decision. Most of the remaining 46 should have been removed within 30 days as a result of the FDOT decision.
Because CR 30A is a county-maintained highway, it falls directly under the jurisdiction of the Walton County Board of Commissioners’ recent ban.
Some gated communities along 30A may have installed private Flock camera systems at their neighborhood entrances. Because these are on private property and purchased outside of the law enforcement budget, the county commission has no legal authority to remove them.
