The beautiful beaches of North Carolina are a wonderful place for a family vacation, whether you come to enjoy sun, sand, surfing, and swimming, are hosting an event, or merely prefer beach-bumming around town for ice cream on your cruiser. And the town of Ocean Isle Beach NC, in particular, is the postcard-perfect island getaway for your family to make your memories of your next vacation last a lifetime.
But the perfection of Ocean Isle isn’t an accident. The leadership of this quaint seaside town have put in a number of town ordinances designed to ensure that every stakeholder of the beach are able to enjoy the majesty of the North Carolina coast without stepping on any toes–or baby turtles (more on that later).
Below, we’ve compiled a list of the ordinances and rules specific to Ocean Isle so your family can have a stress-free beach vacation in Ocean Isle Beach NC.
Beach Etiquette 101 on Ocean Isle Beach
We’ll start with the basics: the city of Ocean Isle Beach have put some simple, common sense rules so that the beach stays safe and tidy for visitors of every ilk:
- First and foremost, no littering anywhere in Ocean Isle beach. This includes, especially, cigarette butts. Keeping the beach clean is one of the town of Ocean Isle’s proudest accomplishments. Visitors should help keep it that way.
- There is no public consumption or serving of alcohol in public within town limits. This even includes the inside of parked vehicles. If you’re planning to drink, please do so at one of Ocean Isle Beach’s quaint bars or restaurants.
- Glass containers aren’t allowed anywhere on the beach strand.
- No cabanas, tents, and awnings are allowed on the beach at Ocean Isle. Umbrellas that employ a single pole in the ground, infant pop up tents, and single-pole, wind-powered sunshades (shibumi shades) are permissible, though not within 25 feet of the dunes.
- Digging holes in the ground is permitted for visitors, provided the hole is no larger than 16 inches deep and 5 feet wide. Shovels, other than children’s toys, are off-limits on the strand. Any holes dug must be attended at all times and must be filled in before leaving the beach or by 7 pm.
- Beach equipment must be removed from the beach overnight. Any equipment left will be confiscated by town staff.
- When arriving and leaving the shoreline at Ocean Isle Beach, make sure you always use public access walkways. All other walkways are private property and you can be ticketed for trespassing, so make sure you’re in the right-of-way.
Ocean Isle Beach Rules Regarding Pets & Wildlife
Today, our dogs are just another member of the family, and in many cases, you’d love to bring Fido along to enjoy the family vacay. And at Ocean Isle Beach you’re welcome to bring your favorite four-legged friend along, but remember the following:
- Your dog must be on a leash, tied up, or fenced AT ALL TIMES while on the beach.
- No dogs allowed on the beach 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 at Ocean Isle Beach.
- The town employs a pooper scooper ordinance, meaning pet owners must pick up after their animals everywhere within city limits.
- Horseback riding is allowed, no permit required, on Ocean Isle beach from September 15 thru April 30. Riders are to use the beach vehicle access points to bring their animals to the shore. Riders MUST collect and remove any horse excrement produced while on the beach.
- No feeding wild animals of any kind within town limits. This ordinance is strictly enforced.
Preserving the Dunes at Ocean Isle Beach
The city of Ocean Isle Beach takes the preservation of its dunes seriously. The dunes are the island’s first line of defense against tsunamis. That said, it’s important that the city is able to preserve fragile dune vegetation so that they don’t blow away due to erosion.
In addition, the dunes are one important habitat for nesting loggerhead sea turtles when they visit each year to lay their eggs. According to Seaturtle.org, Ocean Isle Beach averages around 25 nests a year. However, in 2022, 36 nests were built, with a total of just under 3400 hatchlings making out to sea after hatching on Ocean Isle beach.
To prevent visitors from destroying this important habitat and resource, an ordinance prohibiting any activity, including walking and climbing, on the dunes is strictly enforced with $100 fines to anyone caught disturbing them.
Local Rules and Regulations for Vehicles & Transportation
Getting around Ocean Isle Beach is a snap, and most people end up walking to most destinations around the isle. However, there are a number of rules and regulations regarding driving on the beach, as well as those regarding other methods of getting around:
- No motor vehicles, battery-powered, or wind-powered vehicles are allowed on the beach strand or dunes. Battery-operated wheelchairs are ok.
- Skateboarding, roller skating and blading, and push and motorized scooters are prohibited on the road surface of public city streets, including in the bike lanes around town.
- Motorized scooters are not allowed on sidewalks, though, those used by the differently-abled are permitted.
- Bicycles are not allowed on the beach from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
- Parking overnight is prohibited in public access areas and parking lots. Blocking private and public driveways & curb cutouts, as well as parking on sidewalks, are ticket-able offenses.
- Camping and camping vehicles (except those used for transport) are prohibited within town limits. Sleeping in vehicles is also not allowed.
- A valid driver’s license is required to operate a golf cart on the isle.
Fire Safety in Ocean Isle Beach
In the interest of preserving Ocean Isle’s majestic sand dunes from wildfire, fire is strictly regulated within the city limits. Remember the following before you spark up the grill:
- No open fire–including charcoal grilling–is allowed on porches, decks, patios, or landings above ground level.
- Grilling is only permitted on ground level. This rule is strictly enforced by local police.
- Fire screens MUST always be used on outdoor fire pits.
- Due to fire safety and litter concerns, sky lanterns are not allowed.
- Absolutely no fireworks are allowed in Ocean Isle, with North Carolina state law levying a $500 fine to violators.
A Clean Beach is a Happy Beach
Keeping the shoreline clean and genteel is a priority not only for the city officials of Ocean Isle, but also for the nesting loggerhead sea turtles that return to the area to lay eggs every year. To ensure you go home with nothing but happy memories of the Carolina seaside, and not with a hefty fine, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the above rules and regulations.
Of course, after the beach, you’ll need someplace to stay.
Book your next trip to Ocean Isle Beach with Coastaway Vacations. To view some of the luxury accommodations provided by Coastaway, click here.
