Highland Beach is a small Palm Beach County town between Delray Beach and Boca Raton that began in 1949 as a water district, and what a buyer needs to know about it comes down to its own rules for the coast: sea turtle lighting, the state construction control line, building recertification, seawalls and docks, and mandatory hurricane evacuation.
Most guides to Highland Beach describe views. This one describes the town, using the town’s own documents, Palm Beach County and Florida statutes, so that you know what ownership involves before you look at a single house. Each section links to the source so you can read the original wording.
How the town began and where it sits
A Palm Beach County Inspector General report gives the town’s background: the town was created in 1949 by twenty-one voting residents as a water district. Saltwater had intruded into its wells and the neighboring towns could not supply fresh water, so the residents formed a town and raised funds to build a water plant. The town is bounded by Delray Beach to the north and northwest and by Boca Raton to the south and southwest. The 2020 Census population was approximately 4,295.
The same report describes the government: a five-member Town Commission serving staggered three-year terms, including an elected Mayor-Commissioner and a Vice Mayor-Commissioner, which appoints a Town Manager as chief administrative officer. The current charter was adopted on January 7, 2003. The town provides police protection, a library, and water and wastewater service. At the time of that report, fire protection was provided by contract; the town now lists its own Fire Rescue at Station 120, open 24 hours a day, every day, with paramedic services (Highland Beach Fire Rescue).
The town’s community page describes a roughly three-mile stretch of beach and lists Milani Park, the sea turtle program and the coastal construction control line ordinance among its resources.
Sea turtle nesting season changes how a beachfront house operates
The beach is a nesting site, and the town regulates around it. Its Sea Turtle Program page cites Ordinance 554, in Article V, Chapter 4, Section 8 of the town code, which requires turning off all beachfront lighting from dusk to dawn between March 1 and October 31. The page also asks residents to avoid walking on the beach at night and not to use flashlights there during nesting season.
For a buyer, that means checking how the exterior lighting on a beachfront house or building is controlled. The rule applies for eight months of the year, from March 1 to October 31.
The coastal construction control line
The Coastal Construction Control Line is a boundary set by the State of Florida along parts of the coast. Construction seaward of it must meet additional coastal requirements and obtain permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The town’s CCCL ordinance page says town staff found that the existing town code prohibits construction east of the line even though the state already regulates it, and that proposed Ordinance 26-003 is meant to preserve property owners’ right to redevelop consistently with zoning, the Florida Building Code, floodplain rules and environmental permitting.
The page records that on September 1, 2026 the Town Commission directed staff to remove proposed Design Flood Elevation language, and that a second reading was scheduled for October 20, 2026. The page we read did not post an outcome, so confirm the current status with the Planning and Zoning staff before assuming either rule applies to a project you have in mind.
Dunes, the beach and flooding
The town’s strategic priorities plan for 2025 and 2026 shows how it treats the shoreline. It lists dune restoration and management, assigns the Natural Resource Preservation Advisory Board to educate the public, and reports that an update of the 2013 Beach Feasibility Study was completed. The town’s home page also records that the board sent a letter encouraging beachfront condominiums to consider restoring their dunes with native vegetation.
The same plan lists A1A drainage and flooding among its concerns, and includes a project to raise Lift Station 2 to assure flooding protection (2025-2026 Strategic Priorities Plan). Those are public works items rather than guarantees about any one property, but they tell you where the town’s attention is.
Building recertification for older condominium buildings
The town’s own milestone recertification page records that the Town Commission unanimously passed Ordinance 2021-011 on November 16, 2021, requiring a recertification process for existing buildings, and that the Florida Legislature passed SB 4-D in May 2022 mandating milestone inspections.
The state default, in Section 553.899 of the Florida Statutes, is an initial milestone inspection by December 31 of the year a building of three or more habitable stories under condominium or cooperative ownership turns 30, then every 10 years. A local enforcement agency may move that to 25 years for local conditions, including proximity to salt water. Phase one is a visual examination; phase two is required only if phase one finds substantial structural deterioration, and repairs must begin within 365 days after the agency receives the phase two report.
When you look at a condominium in town, ask for the building’s inspection status, the date of its next deadline and any reserve or assessment planning that followed. The town’s Building Department can tell you which schedule applies to a given building; its number is on the town’s Planning and Zoning page.
Seawalls, docks and the Intracoastal side
The town’s Planning and Zoning page lists the forms an owner needs, including the Development Order Application Packet, variances heard by the Board of Adjustment and Appeals, and a Floating Vessel Platform and Floating Boat Lift Exemption Certification Application. That exemption form cites state rule 62-330.051(5)(f) of the Florida Administrative Code and Section 403.813(1)(s) of the Florida Statutes and attaches the statute. In the copy attached to the form, a private dock can be exempt from state permitting if it is 1,000 square feet or less of over-water area outside Outstanding Florida Waters, is for noncommercial recreational use, and does not substantially impede water flow or create a navigational hazard. The form also says exempt structures remain the owner’s responsibility, and any plumbing, mechanical or electrical work needs a building permit.
Seawalls and walkways are an active topic. The strategic plan lists a review of the code language on hard-surface walkways beside seawalls, docks and the Intracoastal shoreline, noting that the wording may limit property owners from building continuous walkways to the edge of their waterfront land. It also records community concern about Intracoastal Waterway speed control and safety. These items are under review, so ask about the status before planning dock or seawall work.
Hurricane evacuation is mandatory and early
The town’s 2026 Hurricane Preparation Manual states that Highland Beach is on a barrier island and is designated a Zone B evacuation area, and that it is a mandatory evacuation zone when a Category 2 or higher hurricane is expected. The town shuts down when an evacuation order is given. The manual says no special pass or placard is required to return, and recommends moving electric vehicles and golf carts off the island to a location not prone to flooding because saltwater intrusion raises the fire risk of their batteries. The town also runs CodeRED emergency notifications that residents can register for.
Taxes and schools
As in the rest of Palm Beach County, homestead exemption eligibility is set on January 1 and the application is due by March 1. The Property Appraiser requires permanent Florida residence, title and good-faith permanent occupancy (homestead exemption). A buyer relocating from another Florida homestead should also read the portability page. For public schools, the School District of Palm Beach County assigns schools by address through its Find My Zoned School tool, so check the exact address.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is Highland Beach?
It is a town in Palm Beach County bounded by Delray Beach to the north and northwest and by Boca Raton to the south and southwest. The town describes a roughly three-mile stretch of beach.
When must beachfront lights be off in Highland Beach?
The town’s sea turtle ordinance requires beachfront lighting to be off from dusk to dawn between March 1 and October 31, which is nesting season.
Does Highland Beach have a mandatory hurricane evacuation?
Yes. The town’s 2026 manual says it is a Zone B evacuation area and that residents will be ordered to evacuate when a Category 2 or higher hurricane is expected.
What is the coastal construction control line?
It is a boundary set by the State of Florida along parts of the coast. Construction seaward of the line must meet additional coastal requirements and obtain Florida Department of Environmental Protection permits. The town has a pending ordinance about how its code treats construction east of the line.
Do older condominium buildings in town need inspections?
The town adopted a building recertification ordinance in 2021, and Florida law requires milestone inspections for condominium buildings of three or more stories, at 30 years by default or at 25 years where the local agency sets it. Ask the Building Department which schedule applies to a specific building.
If you are weighing Highland Beach against its neighbors, start a private buying conversation with LPE Realty.