Driving an off-road vehicle on the beach can be fun and adventurous, but only where beach driving is permitted, there are general rules to follow. The standard speed limit is 25 mph; enter and leave the beach only where designated, open ramps and never between or on the dunes. Drive only on that part of the beach which lies between the foot of the dunes and the ocean. Proceed with caution and consideration for other beach users, drinking and driving is prohibited. Your vehicle must have a state road registration and valid license plate, the operator must have a “to date” driver's license.
Regulations as they pertain to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, each individual town and Currituck County.
The Use of off-road vehicles (ORV) on the beaches along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore is permitted year round with some limitations. No permit is currently required to drive on the National Park Service (NPS) beaches but it is advisable to check with a ranger to understand NPS guidelines and assure you are not entering a closed zone. Please note that driving in the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge is strictly prohibited. For current information on open zones and guidelines, contact the National Park Service Headquarters, Cape Hatteras Group at (252) 473-2111 or visit any NPS visitor center located throughout the park.
Each township located north of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore has its own requirements for beach driving.
Towns of Southern Shores and Kitty Hawk do not allowORV’s on the beach at any time. Towns of Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head allow beach driving,between October 1 and April 30. To operate an ORV on the beaches in Nags Head, visitors must apply for and receive a permit from Nags Head town hall. Kill Devil Hills does not require a permit. For further information, contact the town's administrative office at:
Vehicle traffic of any kind is not permitted on the beach south of the North Beach Access Ramp between May and September.
The North Beach Access Ramp between May 1 and September 30. Only 4-wheel drive vehicles are permitted on the beach strand north of the North Beach Access Ramp year-round. The speed limit is 35 mph unless located within 300 feet of pedestrians, then it is 15 mph. ATVs are prohibited on the beach at any time except those rented from local ATV tour companies.
Vehicles parked on the beach must be parked in the area east of the dune line and west of the hard packed sand strip, adjacent to the waters edge. No chairs, coolers, fishing lines, holes, trenches, or any other items are permitted to block the "foreshore". This would restrict vehicular movement in a north-south direction,along the dune line or along the waters edge. *The foreshore is the hard packed sand from the last high mark to the low water mark.
No vehicle of any type may park or unload at the North Beach Access Ramp at any time. Parking must be done on the beach past the 1/2 mile mark. VIOLATORS WILL BE TOWED. Operators must be 16 years of age,with a valid drivers license.
Commercial Fishermen are exempt from beach driving regulations while actually engaged in fishing or setting of seines in the Atlantic Ocean.
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