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Ocean Isle Beach Rules and Regulations
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We welcome you and hope you will have an enjoyable vacation.
In order to assure that you have a safe and secure visit, the Town of Ocean Isle Beach wishes to inform you of several important Town ordinances. Violation of Town Ordinances imposes a minimum $25.00 fine.
- PLEASE STAY OFF THE DUNES! This ordinance is strictly enforced. ($100 fine)
- NO CABANAS, TENTS, OR AWNINGS are allowed on the beach at any time. Umbrellas, *infant pop-up tents (*no larger than 46”L x 36”D x 36”H), and wind-powered sunshades (one continuous pole—fabric no larger than 160 sq ft—placed within 25ft of dune line only) are permissible. (25ft rule temporarily suspended as of August 9, 2022)
- All beach equipment must be removed from the beach strand on a daily basis. Any items remaining on the beach between 7pm-7:30am will be removed & disposed of by the Town. All beach equipment shall be placed at least ten feet from sea turtle nest or dune vegetation and cannot be seaward of the nest. Subject to civil penalty of $50 for each offense.
- Be sure to use our designated PUBLIC ACCESS WALKWAYS; all other areas are private property.
- NO LITTERING and remember glass containers are not allowed on the strand.
- No digging holes on beach strand larger than 16” deep x 5’ wide. Shovels (other than toy shovels intended for use by children) are prohibited on beach strand. Holes must be attended AT ALL TIMES and filled back in before leaving the beach strand or 7pm, whichever occurs first.
- ALL DOGS MUST BE ON A LEASH, contained or fenced AT ALL TIMES. No dogs allowed on the beach strand from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM from Memorial Day to Labor Day. No dogs allowed at any time in Public Access/Parking Areas. Pooper Scooper Ordinance is in effect island-wide.
- NO FEEDING OF ANIMALS allowed at any time in Public Access Areas.
- NO FEEDING OF WILD ANIMALS (excluding birds) at ANYTIME within the TOWN LIMITS.
- No motor vehicles, battery-powered or wind-powered vehicles on the dunes or strand. NO BICYCLES ON STRAND from Memorial Day to Labor Day. (Battery operated wheelchairs ARE allowed).
- No Skate Boarding, Roller Skating, Roller Blading or Scooters (including motorized scooters) are allowed on public streets or within the BIKE LANE. Motorized Scooters are also prohibited on sidewalks. (Motorized scooters used by disabled individuals are allowed.)
- No parking overnight within the public access areas or parking lots. Do not block public or private accessways. NO PARKING ON SIDEWALKS. PARKING PERMITTED IN DESIGNATED AREAS ONLY.
- No camping and no camping vehicles (except when used for transportation only). No sleeping in vehicles or campers.
- You MUST have a valid Driver’s License to operate a Golf Cart. Please contact the Police IMMEDIATELY if you see a minor driving a golf cart on the island. (910) 579-4221
- No consumption or serving of alcoholic beverages in public places or within the passenger area of a motor vehicle.
- Absolutely no charcoal grilling, or other type of open fire on porches, decks, patios, or landings above ground level.
- ONLY COOK/GRILL ON GROUND LEVEL. Strictly enforced by the police. Electric and gas grills are permitted only if permanently attached to landing and not covered by any type of roof or awning.
- BE FIRE SAFE! No fire on strand, dunes and other public places. Fire screens MUST be used on outdoorfirepits
- ABSOLUTELY NO FIREWORKS – N.C. State Law $500 fine. Sky Lanterns are also PROHIBITED!
- For the safety of our swimmers AND surfers, NO SURFING ALLOWED WITHIN 1000 FEET OF PIER.Surfing permitted in the areas east of Monroe Street and west of Oxford Street.
- Please remember the Town does not have lifeguards on duty. The SAFETY OF YOUR CHILDREN WHILESWIMMING IS ENTIRELY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
- Please observe “No Wake” speed in all canals. Boats and Jet Skis must operate at “Idle Speed” in canals.
- QUIET PLEASE! No unreasonably loud, disturbing, and unnecessary noise, particularly between 10:00 PM – 7:30 AM. No construction activity shall take place before the hours of 8:00 AM and after the hours of 8:00 PM unless specific permission has been granted by Town officials.
Sea Turtles – You can help
Guidelines to follow in the event that you see an adult, hatchlings, or an unmarked or marked nest:
- Do not disturb. If you see an adult sea turtle coming up on shore, stay quiet and keep your distance. Otherwise, the turtle may become frighten and return to the ocean without nesting. Sea Turtles are a threatened species and federal laws prevent harassment of these animals.
- Turn off all flashlights. Lights may confuse the adult female and prevent her from nesting.
- Lights cause hatchlings to go in the wrong direction. Please turn off all outside lights (porch, pool, etc.) each night. Also, close curtains or blinds at night in order to prevent indoor lights from leading the hatchlings away from the ocean.
- Never pick up a hatchling that is crawling towards the ocean. It is critical that they crawl on their own.
- Do not disturb the nest area. Watch for the nest markers.
- Stay off sand dunes and do not disturb sea oats. Sand dunes provide critical habitat for sea turtles and help prevent flooding during times of extreme tides and storms. Foot traffic kills plants and severely damages the sand dunes. The penalty for failure to adhere to this requirement is $100 per violation.
- Help us keep our beaches clean. Sea turtles may mistake a plastic bag or other form of litter for a jellyfish.
- All personal items and equipment must be removed from the beach each day. Turtles may become entangled in these items causing injuries to the turtle.
- Please fill in all holes on the beach before you leave. Holes can trap turtles and are a safety hazard to humans.
- Keep dogs on leashes at all times. No dogs shall be permitted on the beach strand between the hours of 9:00 am and 6:00 pm during the period of Memorial Day through Labor Day regardless of whether they are leashed or not.
- Fireworks can frighten nesting sea turtles and leave behind trash that may be mistaken for food by marine wildlife. Discharge of fireworks is not permitted per North Carolina state laws.
- Please report all sightings of nesting turtles, dead turtles, unmarked nests, or crawls (looks like a bulldozer came out of the water) to the following organization:
Ocean Isle Beach Sea Turtle Protection Organization
910-880-8715 – Deb Allen
[email protected]
How to Get a Beach Wheelchair on Ocean Isle Beach & Handicap Beach Accesses
Beach wheelchairs are available at no charge on a first come first serve basis and may be checked out from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm daily.
The beach wheelchairs can be picked up and returned to the Ocean Isle Beach Planning and Inspections Department located at 111 Causeway Drive. On weekends and holidays, the beach wheelchairs can be picked up at the Ocean Isle Beach Police Department located at 111 Causeway Drive.
Please be advised the beach wheelchairs are large items and will not fit in a car or a small SUV. Dimensions are 36″ Wide, 49 ” Long, and 48″ Tall.
For any additional information contact the Ocean Isle Beach Planning and Inspections Department on Weekdays at 910-579-3469 or on Weekends at 910-579-4221.
- You will Need a Valid Drivers License to rent a beach wheelchair.
- Wheelchairs can not leave the Island.
- You can check out beach wheelchairs for up to 3 days.