Outer Banks Beach Rules: Smoking and Drinking

We have some good news for those planning a vacation to the coast of North Carolina and enjoying an occasional cigarette or alcoholic beverage.

As of right now, you can smoke as man cigarettes and enjoy as many puffs of your vape device of choice as your heart desires on the beaches of the Outer Banks. There are no restrictions on smoking on the shores of the Outer Banks.

Avoid tossing your finished butts on the ground as this is littering, which is not only frowned upon but forbidden along the Outer Banks.

In addition to smoking, you can drink alcohol freely as you lounge on the beach and watch the waves crash onto the shoreline. Just don’t get too many in your system, please!

Please stick to aluminum cans if you can, as the glass can break and create unsafe walking conditions in the sand for the many people who choose to go barefoot while moving across the shoreline.

If you have only a glass, consider pouring the bottle into a tumbler and placing the bottle back in your cooler.

If you want to avoid the smell of smoke while visiting the beach, consider locating access that isn’t super popular. And if you want to avoid other people altogether, consider driving south along NC 12 to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, parking alongside the road, and hiking over the dunes to your private beach.

To summarize, yes, you can smoke and drink alcohol on the beaches of the Outer Banks.

Please do it responsibly, or these rules and regulations may change someday!