The Holden Beach fishing pier on a grey day, seen from the sand. The pier is now closed.
Know before you go

Beach rules and parking.

What it costs to park and how to pay, when dogs can be on the beach, when gear has to come off the sand, and what to do around sea turtle nests.

Parking ↓Rules by seasonBeach rules🌐 Seguridad en la playa (español)
The year at a glance

What changes with the seasons

Paid parking is enforced 9 AM to 5 PM daily (the Town's page doesn't name a season), free before 9 and after 5. The summer dog rule and sea turtle season are the two big seasonal changes. The marker shows today's date.

Paid parking · Town of Holden Beach

Parking: prices, where & how to pay

Paid parking is enforced 9 AM to 5 PM daily. Before 9 and after 5 it's free. Your permit is tied to your license plate.

See open spaces (OttoView) ↗ Pay by phone: 910-200-1497

🅿️ Rates

Pay as you go

  • $5 an hour, up to 4 hours
  • $20 a day (more than 4 hours)
  • $80 a week (7 days in a row)
  • $175 annual pass for the calendar year, one vehicle (LSVs and trailers need their own)
📱 How to pay

SurfCAST by Otto Connect

  • The SurfCAST by Otto app. It warns you 15 minutes before time runs out and lets you add more
  • Scan the QR code on the parking signs
  • Phone: 910-200-1497 (credit or debit only)
  • Card or PayPal in the app or online
  • Help: [email protected]
♿ Handicap parking

Free in a handicap space

  • A handicap plate or hangtag parked in a designated handicap space is free
  • Any other space needs a paid permit
  • Handicap spaces: pier lot (8), Quinton St lot at 114 Ocean Blvd E (5), 792 Ocean Blvd W lot (2), Jordan Blvd and Brunswick Ave W (2 each)
Accessible accesses →
🚗 Biggest lots

Where the spaces are

  • Pier lot, 441 Ocean Blvd W: 97 spaces
  • By the bridge: Brunswick Ave W (44), Jordan Blvd (23 + 24), under the bridge (24), 120 Davis St lot (16)
  • East end: McCray St east of Ave D (45), 220 Ocean Blvd E lot (12), Ave D (16)
  • West end: 792 Ocean Blvd W lot (12)
⚠️ Where you can't park

Only in marked spaces

  • No parking on streets or rights-of-way except designated spaces with Pay-to-Park signs
  • Many side streets on the west end have just 2 spaces for low-speed vehicles (LSVs) only
  • Every vehicle needs its own permit, including LSVs and boat trailers

From the Town of Holden Beach paid parking page and its Parking Zone and Area Table (May 2025), checked Sept 27, 2026. Space counts can change; the signs on site are the final word.

On the sand

Beach rules

Straight from the Town's Beach Regulations and Ordinance Summary pages.

🐕
DogsMay 20 to Sept 10: no pets on the beach, except from 5 PM to 9 AM. The rest of the year dogs are allowed. Dogs must be on a physical leash at all times anywhere on the island off your own property.
⛱️
Gear off the beach every nightUnattended beach equipment is removed daily between 6 PM and 7 AM. Tents, umbrellas, volleyball nets and anything else left out overnight is treated as abandoned and picked up. Don't store anything in the dunes.
🕳️
HolesDon't dig holes deeper than 12 inches. The Town's Beach Regulations allow deeper holes with a responsible person attending, but its Ordinance Summary says holes over 12 inches are prohibited, so ask Town Hall (910-842-6488) first. Fill every hole level before you leave.
🌾
DunesUse the marked public accesses (a CAMA sign marks a public walkway; others are private). Don't walk over or stand on the dunes.
🚙
No driving on the beachOnly emergency and official Town vehicles may drive on the beach. That includes golf carts and LSVs.
🛺
Golf carts & LSVs on the roadGolf carts aren't allowed on any NC roadway. A low-speed vehicle (LSV) must be registered, inspected every year and insured, driven by a licensed driver, with car or booster seats for children. Drive in the travel lane, not on the sidewalk.
🚤
Jet skis & boatsPersonal watercraft stay more than 500 feet from shore and can't ride onto the beach. Powered boats may not land on the oceanfront; sailboards and small sailboats may land briefly.
🏄
SurfingNo surfboards within 500 feet of any fishing pier.
🎣
Fishing licenseFishing from the beach needs an NC Coastal Recreational Fishing License: ncwildlife.gov or 888-248-6834.
🎆
Fireworks & firesAll fireworks except sparklers are banned on the island, and police will confiscate them. Open burning is prohibited. Grills must be at least 10 feet from any structure, and never on a deck.
🚲
BikesBikes, skaters and walkers share the sidewalk. Riders follow motor-vehicle laws, ride single file and use a light at night. Riders under 16 wear a helmet. No roller-blades on Ocean Blvd.
🔇
Noise & sellingLoud noise is restricted, more strictly at night. Soliciting is prohibited.

Sources: Town of Holden Beach Beach Regulations, Ordinance Summary and Renters Information pages, checked Sept 27, 2026. These pages don't cover glass, alcohol on the beach, drones or tent sizes; ask Town Hall at 910-842-6488. The Town is the final word.

May 1 – October 31

Sea turtle season

Sea turtles nest on Holden Beach every summer. Volunteers with the Holden Beach Turtle Watch mark the nests they find.

  1. See stakes and tape? That's a marked nest. Keep out and keep your gear well away.
  2. See a turtle or hatchlings? Stay back and stay quiet. No flashlights, phone lights or flash photos.
  3. Call the Turtle Watch: 910-754-0766.
  4. Leave it flat. Fill holes and take your gear in every evening, so nesting mothers and hatchlings don't get trapped.
🐢 Call 910-754-0766

🐢 Turtle-friendly rental checklist

  • ☐ Beach-facing porch lights off after dark
  • ☐ Blinds closed at night
  • ☐ Chairs, tents and toys off the beach by 6 PM
  • ☐ Holes filled in before you leave
  • ☐ Turtle Watch saved: 910-754-0766