Driving on any beach in Cape Hatteras National Seashore requires an ORV permit from the National Park Service — year-round, no off-season exception, one permit per vehicle. If you bring your own truck, that means Recreation.gov, a required safety video, and either $50 for a 10-day permit or $120 for the annual.
If you rent from us, it’s done. Every vehicle in our fleet carries the Cape Hatteras ORV permit before you pick it up, along with the Currituck County permit for the northern beaches. You drive; the paperwork’s handled.
What the permit covers
The NPS permit is valid on designated ORV routes across the whole seashore — Bodie Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke. It does not cover the Corolla/Carova beaches up north (different agency), which is why our vehicles carry both.
The rules that still apply to you
The permit doesn’t change the seashore’s rules, and rangers enforce them:
- Drive only on designated ORV routes, marked at the numbered ramps
- Seasonal closures protect nesting birds and turtles, generally April 15 through October 14 — sections open and close through the season. Check the NPS beach access page for today’s map before you drive, or text CAHAORV to 333111 for alerts
- Air down before the ramp — NPS recommends lowering tires to at least 20 PSI; we walk you through it at pickup and our vehicles run 18–20 PSI on sand
- Night driving is restricted during turtle season; full overnight access runs roughly mid-November through April
For the deep version — how the permit system works, buying your own, the history — our sister site has the full guide at outerbanksbeachdriving.com. For what to do at the ramp itself, see our ramp guide.