Beach Rules

Important Rules and Regulations

1. IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE PLACEMENT OF ITEMS ON THE BEACH:
   - For the safety of our residents, guests and endangered nesting sea turtles, 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.
    
   - All beach equipment and personal  items must be removed from the beach strand on a daily basis.
    
   - In order to keep our beach safe and clean, all items left unattended and remaining on the beach  between the hours of 7:00pm to 7:30am will be classified as abandoned
   and removed & disposed of by the Town.
   
   - All beach equipment shall be set at least ten (10) feet from any sea turtle nest or dune vegetation and can not be placed seaward of the nest. Failure to comply with these      regulations will result in a civil penalty of $50 for each offense.
   
   
2. STAY OFF THE DUNES! Preserve fragile dune vegetation. ($100 fine)
3. Please use our Public Access walkways; other areas are private property.
4. No littering. No glass containers on strand. Please help keep our Town and beach free littler.
5. All dogs must be leashed or fenced at all times. NO DOGS allowed on beach strand from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. No dogs allowed at any time in Public Access/Parking Areas. Pooper Scooper Ordinance in effect.
6. No motor or wind-powered vehicles on dunes or strand. No bicycles on strand from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
7. Absolutely no charcoal grilling or other type of open fire on porches, decks, patios, or landings above ground level. Please cook 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.
8. No consumption or serving of alcoholic beverages in public places and the passenger area of motor vehicles.
9. No unreasonably loud, disturbing, and unnecessary noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. No construction activity shall take place before the hours of 8:00 a.m. and after the hours of 8:00 p.m.
10. ABSOLUTELY NO FIREWORKS - N.C. State Law $500 fine. Sky lanterns are also prohibited.
11. No surfing within 1000 feet of pier. Surfing is permitted in the areas east of Monroe Street and west of Oxford Street.  
12. No skate boarding, roller skates, or roller blading allowed on public streets.
13. No parking overnight within the public access areas parking lots. Do not block public or private accessways. No parking on sidewalks or public right-of-ways. Parking permitted in designated areas only.
14. No camping and no camping vehicles (except when used for transportation only).   No sleeping in vehicles or campers. Parking to accommodate loading and unloading shall not exceed seven (7) days.
15. No fire on strand, dunes, and other public places.
16. Please observe "No Wake" speed in all canals. Boats and Jet Skis must operate at "idle speed" while in canals.
17. Peddling within the Town Limits is regulated by Town Ordinances.
18. Please remember that the safety of your children while swimming is entirely YOUR responsibility.
19. Golf Carts - N.C. Law   (All operators must possess a valid drivers license, and the golf cart must have a license tag, vehicle insurance, registration, seat belts, brake, lights, and headlights.)
20. 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.

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