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Florida County
Bay County, Florida
Panama City Beach's sugar-white sand and the Panhandle's military heritage - from the 27 miles of quartz-white Gulf beach that made Panama City Beach one of Florida's most visited beach destinations to Tyndall Air Force Base's F-22 Raptor training mission, the St. Andrews State Park, and a community that demonstrated extraordinary resilience after Hurricane Michael's catastrophic Category 5 landfall in October 2018 - the most powerful hurricane to hit the continental US since 1992.
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Office: Bay County Emergency Services – (850) 248-6000 | baycountyfl.gov
Alert System: Bay County Alert; Florida FDEM; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Multiple shelter locations; contact Bay County OEM; the county is still recovering from Michael (2018) – shelter system has been rebuilt and improved
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: Florida Panhandle coastal county; Panama City is county seat; EXTREME hurricane risk – Hurricane Michael (October 2018 – Category 5 at landfall; 160+ mph winds; the strongest storm ever to hit the Florida Panhandle; one of the most powerful landfalling hurricanes in US history; essentially destroyed Mexico Beach and severely damaged Panama City Beach, Panama City, Lynn Haven, Callaway, and most of the county; estimated $25 billion in damage; 16 people killed in Bay County alone; rebuilding was still ongoing years after); tornado risk; coastal flooding; Tyndall Air Force Base (major Air Force base – also severely damaged by Michael; a major economic anchor and emergency management partner); Gulf of Mexico coastline
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Bay County Engineering – (850) 248-5000
Transit: Bay Town Trolley – (850) 769-0557 (limited local bus service in Panama City area); primarily auto-dependent; many roads were severely damaged by Hurricane Michael
Notes: US-98 (the coastal Gulf highway through Panama City Beach and Panama City – the primary Beach/Bay corridor; heavily used for tourism); US-231 (north-south interior); SR-30A equivalent (Gulf coastal scenic); I-10 accessible (Chipley, Washington County – about 30 miles north; the nearest interstate); Panama City-Bay County International Airport; Hurricane Michael severely damaged Bay County’s road infrastructure – major rebuilding effort
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Bay County Planning and Development Services – (850) 248-8250 | baycountyfl.gov
Services: County permits; Panama City (separate – major rebuilding post-Michael), Panama City Beach (very active resort development), Lynn Haven, Callaway, Parker, Springfield separate
Notes: Bay County’s building activity is dominated by post-Hurricane Michael rebuilding – an enormous and ongoing effort; Panama City Beach has extremely active resort and residential development; Tyndall AFB rebuild (the Air Force is investing billions in rebuilding Tyndall as a state-of-the-art base); the county’s building department has been among the busiest in Florida since Michael
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Bay County Veterans Affairs – (850) 248-8770
VA Medical: Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (St. Petersburg – very distant; about 370 miles); Gulf Coast VA CBOC (Panama City – (850) 398-8800; important local outpatient access); Pensacola VA CBOC accessible
Services: Benefits claims; Panama City CBOC provides important local access; Tyndall AFB military health for active duty
Notes: Panama City CBOC serves a large veteran community (Tyndall AFB creates significant active duty and veteran population; the Panhandle’s veteran community is large and growing); Bay Pines is very distant but accessible via VA transport programs; Eglin AFB (Okaloosa County) has some coordination
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Bay County Public Library System – (850) 522-2100 | nwrls.com (Northwest Regional Library System)
Branches: Bay County Public Library (Panama City), Panama City Beach Library, Southport Library
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Gulf Coast heritage; Hurricane Michael recovery resources; military heritage (Tyndall AFB)
Notes: The library system was severely damaged by Hurricane Michael – buildings and collections were impacted; rebuilding was a priority; the library has been a critical community recovery resource; Gulf Coast heritage and Tyndall AFB military history in local collections
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
State Parks: St. Andrews State Park (Panama City Beach – consistently ranked among the nation’s finest beach state parks; brilliant white sand beaches; excellent snorkeling at Shell Island; the Grand Lagoon; camping; kayaking; one of the most beautiful places in Florida; also damaged by Michael but restored); Camp Helen State Park (Panama City Beach – barrier strip on Lake Powell; one of the finest undeveloped beach environments in the Panhandle)
Regional: Panama City Beach (the “World’s Most Beautiful Beaches” – the quartz-white sand and emerald-green Gulf water of the Florida Panhandle is genuinely exceptional; the sugar-white sand comes from Appalachian Mountains quartz carried by rivers to the Gulf; it is unlike any other beach sand in the continental US; Panama City Beach has evolved from a Spring Break destination to a family resort community with excellent restaurants, fishing, parasailing, and water sports); Mexico Beach (ground zero of Hurricane Michael’s catastrophic landfall – the community was nearly completely destroyed; the ongoing rebuilding of Mexico Beach is one of the most significant post-hurricane community recovery efforts in Florida history); Tyndall Air Force Base (some historic airfield areas accessible for authorized visitors; the rebuilt base is a state-of-the-art F-22 facility); Chip Ross Park
Notes: Panama City Beach’s sugar-white sand is genuinely extraordinary – the quartz content and fine grain size create beaches that are cool to the touch even in full sun, brilliantly white, and feel unlike any other Gulf beach; St. Andrews State Park preserves the finest natural example of this beach in the area; Mexico Beach’s post-Michael recovery (the community that experienced sustained Category 5 winds and catastrophic storm surge) is one of the most moving American community resilience stories; Hurricane Michael was the strongest hurricane ever to strike the Florida Panhandle and one of the most powerful landfalling hurricanes in US history
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Bay County GIS – baycountyfl.gov/gis; NOAA storm surge mapping (Hurricane Michael critical data); Tyndall AFB airspace maps; Florida DEP coastal maps; post-Michael damage assessment maps
Notes: Bay County GIS has been heavily used for hurricane recovery tracking; post-Michael damage assessment and rebuilding permit tracking; Tyndall AFB rebuild monitoring; coastal erosion and shoreline change mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Bay County Animal Control – (850) 248-6000; Bay County Humane Society (Panama City)
Services: Stray intake, adoptions; post-Michael animal recovery (Hurricane Michael displaced enormous numbers of pets and wildlife); wildlife management (alligators; gopher tortoises; sea turtles – Bay County’s Gulf beaches are important nesting habitat for loggerhead sea turtles)
Notes: Hurricane Michael created extraordinary animal services challenges – thousands of pets were displaced or orphaned; the Humane Society coordinated massive rescue and adoption efforts; sea turtle nesting monitoring is ongoing on Bay County’s Gulf beaches; gopher tortoise management in development areas
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Bay County Solid Waste Management – (850) 248-5350; post-Michael debris removal was one of the largest in Florida history
Recycling: Bay County recycling programs; post-Michael rebuilding has incorporated sustainability standards
Environmental: Florida DEP; Northwest Florida Water Management District; Tyndall AFB environmental compliance (significant – the base had environmental legacy issues including fuel storage; the rebuild includes modern environmental controls); Gulf of Mexico marine environment (Bay County’s Gulf coast is part of the Eastern Gulf ecosystem); NOAA (sea turtle nesting; Gulf fisheries)
Notes: Hurricane Michael’s environmental impacts were severe – debris fields from destroyed structures contaminated soils; tree mortality from the storm (millions of trees were killed or severely damaged in Bay County’s forests) created enormous wildfire fuel loads that required removal; mold remediation in damaged structures was a massive post-storm environmental task; Tyndall AFB’s rebuild (one of the most significant military construction projects in US history – the Air Force is building a “base of the future” incorporating resilient design standards) includes modern environmental management systems; the Gulf of Mexico’s sea turtle nesting program monitors dozens of loggerhead nests annually on Bay County beaches; the white quartz sand beaches are a critical sea turtle nesting habitat; development pressure on undeveloped beach areas is significant
About Bay County
Bay County is the Florida Panhandle’s tourist and military county – Panama City Beach’s emerald Gulf waters and Panama City’s working waterfront coexist with one of the Air Force’s most significant training installations.
Panama City Beach draws millions of visitors annually with some of the world’s most beautiful quartz-sand beaches – the silica content gives the sand its blindingly white appearance and cool-to-the-touch feel even in summer. The beach strip’s resort hotels, amusement parks, and spring break culture make it Florida’s “Miracle Strip” destination.
Hurricane Michael (October 10, 2018) made landfall at Mexico Beach just east of Bay County as a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds – one of the most powerful landfalls in US history. Bay County communities including Panama City and Mexico Beach suffered catastrophic destruction, with recovery ongoing years afterward.
Tyndall Air Force Base – home of the 325th Fighter Wing and F-22 Raptor training – sustained enormous damage from Michael but has been rebuilt as a “base of the future” with significant investment in resilient infrastructure.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
The Bay County Property Appraiser at 860 W. 11th Street, Panama City, FL 32401, phone 850-248-8401, assesses at just value. Appeal to the Bay County Value Adjustment Board by the deadline on your TRIM notice. No FL estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Bay County Clerk of Court at 300 E. 4th Street, Panama City, FL 32401, phone 850-763-9061, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF COURTS (Records, Marriage Licenses)
300 E. 4th St., Panama City, FL 32401
(850) 763-9061
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Bay County Clerk of the Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Bay County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Bay County Clerk of the Court, Probate Division P.O. Box 2269, Panama City, FL 32402-2269 (850) 785-0231 Bay County sits in Florida’s 14th Judicial Circuit.
IMPORTANT – a major statewide law change just took effect: Florida’s summary administration threshold DOUBLED from $75,000 to $150,000 effective July 1, 2026, under CS/HB 1337 (Chapter 2026-57, Laws of Florida). Confirm which threshold applies based on date of death when helping someone (see
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
3421 N. Hwy 77, Panama City, FL 32405
(850) 747-4700
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
830 W. 11th St., Panama City, FL 32401
(850) 784-6100
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
FL Dept of Health — Bay
597 W. 11th St., Panama City, FL 32401
(850) 872-4455
FL DCF — Bay
(850) 872-7700
FL Medicaid
(800) 299-4833
Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center
gulfcoastmedical.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Florida DOH in Bay County – (850) 872-4455 | bay.floridahealth.gov
Services: Comprehensive health department; immunizations; WIC; STI testing; environmental health; restaurant inspections; vital records; hurricane recovery health services (post-Michael trauma)
Hospital: Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center (Panama City – (850) 769-8341; HCA; Level II trauma; primary regional hospital; significantly damaged by Michael but rebuilt and expanded); Ascension Sacred Heart Bay (Panama City – another regional hospital)
Notes: Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center was severely damaged by Hurricane Michael – the hospital was operational but infrastructure was compromised; major rebuilding occurred; post-Michael mental health trauma has been a significant public health challenge; opioid crisis in the Panhandle; veteran and military family health needs
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