Here’s the thing nobody tells you until you’re already on the island: there are no rental-car counters on Ocracoke. No airport desk, no franchise lot. If you want four-wheel drive on Ocracoke’s beaches, you bring it across on the ferry — and that’s exactly what our rentals are set up to do.
One pickup lot: 2101 Colington Rd, Kill Devil Hills. Open 7 days a week, 7 AM–8 PM.
Free parking for your car or RV while you rent. There is no pickup location on Hatteras Island or Ocracoke — you pick up here and drive the Jeep south. NC-12 is one road, no turns.
How an Ocracoke rental works
Pick up in Kill Devil Hills, drive NC-12 south — one road, about an hour and forty minutes to the Hatteras ferry dock — and roll aboard. The Hatteras–Ocracoke vehicle ferry is free through 2026, takes about 70 minutes, and our rentals are welcome on it. No reservation on that route; you line up and take the next boat. Planning the day itself? Our Ocracoke day-trip guide covers the beaches-and-village routine. (The reservation ferries from Swan Quarter and Cedar Island on the mainland are a different animal — see NCDOT’s ferry hub for those.)
Driving on Ocracoke’s beaches
Ocracoke’s off-road beach zones are part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and the ORV permit is already installed on the vehicle — the same permit that covers the Hatteras ramps covers Ocracoke’s. Air down to 18–20 PSI at the ramp, re-inflate to 38 PSI when you come off the sand, and check the NPS off-road page for current ramp openings before you cross.
Make the crossing the opening act
Ocracoke is where Blackbeard actually died — the water off Springer’s Point is called Teach’s Hole for a reason. Our sister site runs Blackbeard’s Ocracoke Treasure, a self-guided hunt through the village, Springer’s Point and the harbor — and its site doubles as the best practical guide to the island we know: the ferry guide, what’s actually open, the lighthouse, the ponies. Park the Jeep at the harbor and hunt on foot.
Ocracoke rental questions
Is there car rental on Ocracoke Island? No — there are no rental counters on the island. Visitors either bring a vehicle across on the ferry or rent one on the northern beaches first, which is what this page is about.
Can I take the rental on the ferry? Yes. Our rentals are welcome aboard the Hatteras–Ocracoke vehicle ferry — about 70 minutes across, free through 2026.
Do I need a permit for Ocracoke’s beaches? The Cape Hatteras National Seashore ORV permit covers Ocracoke’s off-road zones, and it comes installed on every rental.
Where do I pick the vehicle up? Kill Devil Hills — 2101 Colington Rd, open 7 days, 7 AM–8 PM, with free parking for your car or RV while you rent. There is no pickup on Hatteras or Ocracoke.
Rates and the fleet are on our rental prices page — $1,338 a week, any vehicle. When you’re ready, book online at Beach4x4.